Special Immigrants (EB-4)

What is EB-4 immigrant visa category?

Employment-Based immigrant visas are divided into five (5) preference classes.  EB-4 is a visa covering the fourth preference, which provides for immigration of special immigrants.

Who qualifies to receive an EB-4 visa?

A wide variety of persons with special circumstances may qualify for the fourth preference employment-based immigrant visa (EB-4). These include:

• Religious Workers
• Special Immigrant Juveniles
• Broadcasters
• G-4 International Organization or NATO-6 Employees and Their Family Members
• International Employees of the U.S. Government Abroad
• Armed Forces Members
• Panama Canal Zone Employees
• Certain Physicians
• Afghan and Iraqi Translators
• Afghan and Iraqi Nationals Who Have Provided Faith Service in Support of U.S. Operations

Each category has its own requirements and application procedure.  If you believe that you may qualify under any of these categories, consult an attorney regarding the steps you need to follow to secure the particular classification.

Note that starting September 30, 2016, EB-4 visa is no longer available to religious workers who are not ministers.

Derivative visas for spouses and children (unmarried and under 21) are available for some categories of EB-4 visa recipients.

Furthermore, EB-4 visas are usually immediately available for citizens of most countries and there is no waiting time, except for processing time, to acquire this visa. You may check the visa availability of a particular visa category for your country of origin. See Priority Date & Visa Availability.

Consular Processing

Adjustment of Status

Traveling Outside of the United States during the Immigration Application Process

Working in the United States during the Immigration Application Process

Applying for Citizenship