EB-1C Multinational Manager or Executive Green Card: Requirements, Corporate Proof, and RFE Traps
EB-1C is a first-preference green card category for multinational managers and executives transferring to a qualifying U.S. company.
EB-1C can be a powerful option for companies expanding U.S. operations or moving senior leadership to the United States.
The biggest EB-1C risk is not the title. It is whether the record proves qualifying corporate relationship and primarily managerial or executive duties in both the foreign role and the U.S. role.
If your transfer is currently through L-1, see:
L-1 Visas (L-1A / L-1B).
For the broader EB overview, see:
Employment-Based Green Cards.
Quick takeaways
- Employer petition required: EB-1C is filed by the U.S. company (not self-petition).
- One year abroad rule: the beneficiary must typically have worked abroad for a qualifying related company for at least one year within the relevant look-back period.
- Corporate relationship proof matters: parent/subsidiary/affiliate structure must be documented cleanly.
- Duties matter more than job titles: USCIS evaluates whether the roles are primarily managerial or executive.
What USCIS is looking for in EB-1C
EB-1C generally requires proof of: (1) a qualifying U.S. employer offering a permanent managerial/executive position, (2) a qualifying relationship between the U.S. employer and the foreign entity (parent, subsidiary, affiliate, branch), and
(3) the beneficiary’s qualifying foreign employment in a managerial or executive capacity, along with the U.S. role being primarily managerial or executive.
Official references:
USCIS Policy Manual: EB-1C Multinational Manager/Executive
and
USCIS EB-1 overview.
The four EB-1C proof buckets (how strong cases are built)
1) Qualifying corporate relationship
USCIS expects clean documentation of ownership and control (organizational charts, corporate filings, share ledgers, operating agreements, stock certificates, and where applicable, audited statements or tax records).
“Affiliate” arguments often fail when the control story is not documented precisely.
2) Doing business (U.S. and abroad)
EB-1C is stronger when the file shows real operations: payroll, contracts, invoices, bank activity, leases, tax filings, and evidence of active services or goods.
“Paper entities” attract scrutiny.
3) Qualifying foreign employment (manager/executive duties)
USCIS will look beyond the title. We typically build duty proof using: detailed duty charts, org charts with reporting lines,
headcount and function descriptions, budgets, and examples of high-level decisionmaking.
A common RFE theme is: “You are a working manager.” The record needs to show primarily managerial/executive work.
4) The U.S. role must also be primarily managerial/executive
The U.S. job offer should match the duty reality: who reports to the beneficiary, what functions are managed, what budgets exist,
and what high-level authority the role includes. A good EB-1C filing makes USCIS’s “primary duties” question easy to answer.
EB-1C vs PERM vs EB-2/EB-3 (strategy angle)
- No PERM required: EB-1C is first-preference and generally does not rely on labor certification, unlike many EB-2/EB-3 pathways. See: PERM Labor Certification.
- Corporate proof is the tradeoff: EB-1C swaps the recruitment focus of PERM for corporate relationship and managerial/executive duty proof.
- L-1 planning: Many EB-1C candidates come through L-1A. See: L-1 Visas.
Free consultation
EB-1C often turns on documentation quality: corporate ownership/control proof, doing business evidence, and a clear “primary duties” story.
Schedule here:
Free Consultation.