Office of the Provost
Outstanding Professors and Researchers
This immigrant classification is for professors and researchers who have achieved peer recognition based on respected published work or other distinctions. No labor certification is required for this classification.
To qualify, the individual must be internationally recognized as outstanding in a specific academic area; have a minimum of three years of experience teaching or researching in that area and be immigrating to the U.S. in one of three types of positions:
- a tenured or tenure-track teaching position;
- permanent research position in the area of expertise.,
- a comparable position to conduct research within a department, division, or institute of a private employer.
Experience in teaching or research while working on an advanced degree will only be acceptable if the person has achieved the degree and the research conducted toward the degree has been recognized as outstanding, or, if the teaching duties involved full course responsibility (not merely grading papers or routine TA work assisting the professor).
The term permanent in reference to a research position is defined as either tenured or tenure track, or, if the employment is for a term of indefinite or unlimited duration, one in which the employee will ordinarily have an expectation of continued employment.
In addition, applicants must document that they have at least three years of teaching and/or research experience in the academic field. This evidence must be in the form of letters from current and/or former employers and must include the name and address of the writer, the dates of employment and a description of the duties performed.
Evaluation of a Foreign National's Eligibility for Classification as an "Outstanding Professor or Researcher"
While the term "Outstanding" is not defined by USCIS, the regulations detail six categories of evidence which are required to be submitted with the application. To document that an individual is recognized internationally as outstanding in his or her field, the petition must include documentation of a minimum of two of the following six:
- Receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievements in the academic field;
- Membership in associations in the academic field which require outstanding achievements of their members
- Participation on a panel, or individually, as the judge of the work of others in the same or an allied academic field;
- Published material in professional publications written by others about the individual's work in the academic field. This material must include the title, date, and author of the material, and any necessary translation. (A footnoted reference to the individual's work without evaluation, an un-evaluated listing in a subject matter index, or a negative or neutral review of his or her work is of little value.) However, peer reviewed articles in scholarly journals, letters from other scholars on how the professor or researcher has contributed to the field and entries in a citation index citing the work as authoritative in the field are solid pieces of evidence;
- Authorship of scholarly books or articles, in scholarly journals with international circulation, in the academic field;
- Original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field.
To support this petition, the foreign national must provide:
Substantial evidence from at least two of the above six categories. Examples of evidence from each of the six categories are listed below:
- Documentation of the receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievements in the academic field;
- Documentation of membership in associations in the academic field which require outstanding achievements of their members;
- Documentation of participation on a panel, or individually, as the judge of the work of others in the same or an allied academic field. (This can be satisfied by showing that the foreign national has reviewed articles, served as a "referee" in scientific debates, served as a Ph.D. advisor, etc.)
- Published material in professional publications written by others about the individual's work in the academic field (including the title, date, and author of the material and any necessary translation) (Please note: a footnoted reference to the individual's work without evaluation, an unevaluated listing in a subject matter index, or a negative or neutral review of his or her work would be of little value.) However, peer reviewed articles in scholarly journals, letters from other scholars on how the professor or researcher has contributed to the field and entries in a citation index citing the work as authoritative in the field are solid pieces of evidence;
- Evidence of the authorship of scholarly books or articles, in scholarly journals with international circulation, in the academic field, or;
- Evidence of the foreign national's original scientific or scholarly research contributions to the academic field. (This can be evidenced by patents awarded, letters from other scholars in the field, etc.)
The alien must also provide three to five letters from senior people in the field attesting to the alien's significant contributions to and international reputation in the field. We recommend a variety of letters from people outside UNCG and outside the U.S. and from senior people in US government and industry. Basic contents of the letter should include:
- the position of the writer of the letter in the field (include a copy of the writer's CV);
- how the writer knows of the alien's work;
- how the alien's work has made significant or outstanding contributions to the field;
- references to the alien's outstanding reputation such as evidenced by presentations at national or international conferences, publications in national or international juried journals, memberships in selective associations or societies; receipts of prizes or awards;
- references or descriptions as to how the alien may benefit the U.S. in the future;
- a statement which refers to the alien as an "outstanding professor in the field of _____" or as an "outstanding researcher in the field of ______."
The Department Head or Dean must provide:
A summary letter describing the alien's outstanding achievements, recognition in the field, and future potential for outstanding contributions.