Pathway assessment

EB-1A assessment form

Work through the EB-1A evidence structure: background, education and employment, the ten regulatory criteria, recommendation-letter resources and visa history. Every section explains why the item is asked and how to answer it. No account required — your draft autosaves in this browser.

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What EB-1A examines

EB-1A is the extraordinary-ability category in employment-based first preference. No employer and no labor certification is required, and you may file for yourself. Review usually runs in two steps: whether you satisfy at least three of the ten regulatory criteria (a major internationally recognized award can stand alone), then an overall judgement of whether you are among the small percentage at the top of your field and will continue working in that field in the U.S. So this form is not about counting honors — it is about recording the verifiable facts behind each one.

How this form works

No registration. Your draft autosaves in this browser only and is not uploaded until you choose to submit.
Every field is optional while you work — record the facts you remember and refine later.
Each section explains why the item is asked and how to answer it. Read the note first if a field is unclear.
You can print or save a PDF copy for yourself at any time.
Submit only when you want our review: a name plus one contact method (email or phone) is all we need.

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Basic information

Why this is asked：EB-1A needs no U.S. employer; the case is built on your own record. The first step is establishing which field you work in and how peers know you. The more specific the field, the more accurate the comparison against the ten criteria.

How to answer：Write your name as it appears in your passport. Contact details are used only for our reply and are never displayed publicly.

Full nameGenderPhoneEmailYour professional field

Education

Why this is asked：EB-1A has no degree requirement — applicants without degrees can file. Education is recorded to show your training path and field, and to check that dates across your evidence line up.

How to answer：Start from secondary school and include vocational training. Use the credential name as printed; unfinished study can be listed and noted as such.

Education and training

Employment history

Why this is asked：Employment serves two purposes: showing sustained work in one field, which relates to continuing that work in the U.S., and supplying income figures that may support the high-salary criterion.

How to answer：Either chronological order is fine. Focus on what you were actually responsible for and who owns the results. Self-employment and founding roles should be listed as such.

Employment and ventures

Facts under the ten criteria

Inventory the evidence you already have

The ten blocks below mirror the regulatory criteria. Fill in what applies and leave the rest empty — meeting three moves the case to the overall assessment, and filling all ten earns no bonus. For every entry, record verifiable facts: dates, institutions, scope, outcome.

1. Nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards

Why this is asked：This looks at recognition granted by others in your field. What matters is the standing of the award within the field, not how many certificates you hold.

How to answer：Give the full award name, date, granting body, and whether the competition was national/international or internal to one employer or region. Scope and competitiveness matter more than the name.

2. Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievement

Why this is asked：This is not about paying dues. It asks whether the association admits members at your level based on outstanding achievement, judged by recognized experts.

How to answer：Give the association, your membership grade (e.g. Fellow, Senior Member), the date, and the admission standard for that grade. Dues-only membership carries limited weight but can still be listed.

3. Published material about you in professional or major media

Why this is asked：This shows others chose to write about you or your work. The coverage must be about you, not about your employer or the industry generally.

How to answer：Give the outlet, date, title and author; name the program for broadcast items. Flag self-authored pieces, internal newsletters and paid placements — those are a different kind of material.

4. Judging the work of others in the field

Why this is asked：This shows the field treats you as qualified to evaluate peers — an objective form of peer recognition.

How to answer：State what you judged (journal peer review, grant panel, competition jury, thesis committee), the date, who invited you, and the level of the work reviewed. Note whether invitation records exist.

5. Original contributions of major significance

Why this is asked：Usually the heaviest criterion: not what you did, but what effect it had on the field and who adopted it.

How to answer：For each entry state what you did AND the verifiable impact: who adopted it, citation record, measurable technical or financial change, whether a patent was actually implemented. A patent number or paper title alone does not show significance.

6. Authorship of scholarly articles

Why this is asked：This evidences your published output and professional standing as an author in the field.

How to answer：Give the venue, title, date, issue and your authorship position; for books add publisher and print run. Put citation counts in the notes field below.

7. Display of your work at artistic exhibitions

Why this is asked：Mainly for applicants in the arts: whether the work was shown in venues that apply a selection standard.

How to answer：Give the work, exhibition name and date, organizer, and how it was selected (juried versus self-funded). Leave blank outside the arts.

8. Leading or critical role for distinguished organizations

Why this is asked：Two layers: the organization must have a recognized reputation, and your role must be leading or critical. A title alone proves neither.

How to answer：Give the organization, your role and dates, why the organization is distinguished (scale, standing, external assessments), and what your role was critical to.

9. High salary or remuneration relative to others

Why this is asked：This compares your pay against others in the same occupation, level and region, so comparative data is required.

How to answer：Give the year, gross total compensation including bonus, equity and royalties, the currency, and any wage-comparison source you know of. Expand on income listed in the employment section here.

10. Commercial success in the performing arts

Why this is asked：For performing-arts applicants: quantifiable commercial results such as box office or sales.

How to answer：Give the work, the box-office or sales figures, the source of those figures and the dates. Leave blank if not applicable.

Anything else and recommendation letters

Anything else that may help

Information outside the categories above, including the points you feel least sure about.

Recommendation letters

Why this is asked：EB-1A letters corroborate how your achievements are regarded in the field; they do not replace objective evidence. Start by listing who could write for you.

How to answer：No drafts needed yet. Note who the writer would be, how they know you, and which specific fact they can attest to. Independent experts with no direct working relationship often carry more weight.

Visa and family background

Why this is asked：Prior visa applications and refusals affect how the consular or adjustment stage is handled, and that needs to be known at the outset rather than discovered before an interview. Relatives in the U.S. can indicate parallel options or a family timeline that must be planned alongside your case.

How to answer：Approximate dates are fine. A past refusal does not by itself end a case, but report it accurately — an undisclosed record causes far more trouble than the record itself.

Have you applied for immigrant, student or visitor visas before?

YesNo

Have you ever been refused an immigrant, student or visitor visa?

YesNo

Spouse and children, if any

Include birth years. If a child is approaching 21, the family timeline needs separate planning.

Do you or your spouse have relatives in the United States? Note the relationship and where they live.

Submit to TIHU for review

We will prepare an initial review based on the facts you entered and reply through the contact details you leave. Please double-check your name and contact information before submitting.

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