What are «contributions in the field»?
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The official wording on the USCIS website is: «The person's original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance in the field.»
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Contributions to the industry refer to significant innovations, groundbreaking technologies, scientific discoveries, unique techniques, or other achievements that have had a substantial impact on your professional area. Whether your field is scientific, artistic, athletic, or business-related, to obtain an EB-1 visa to the USA, you must show that you are not just a skilled specialist but an exceptional professional who has introduced something new to your industry.

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How to prove the originality and significance of the contributions for an EB-1 visa?
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It’s crucial to focus on two aspects: the originality of your contributions — meaning the innovation and uniqueness of your idea — and its significance — meaning the impact it has had on your industry.
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To meet this criteria for an EB-1 visa to the United States, you can provide the following types of evidence:

• Patents, licenses, or copyrights confirming your authorship or development of a new product, technology, or idea.
• Examples of your developments being used by major companies.
• Published materials in professional or scientific publications or major media discussing the significance of your contributions.
• Testimonials and letters of recommendation from respected experts and authorities in your industry (with confirmation of their credibility) stating that your method or invention is widely used and has significant importance in this field.
• If the primary product of the company you work for was created by you or with your significant involvement, you can present evidence of the company’s success (e.g., substantial revenue, partnerships with major companies, venture capital funding, acceptance into accelerators, etc.).
• For scholarly research, success can be demonstrated through a high citation index and extensive discussion of your research in the academic community

For the EB-1 visa application, it’s essential that the evidence provided is not only convincing but also well-documented. General statements without supporting facts, statistics, or references to authoritative sources are unlikely to be accepted.

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Examples
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If you are a startup founder who developed a unique product to meet the "Contributions in the Field" criteria of the EB-1 visa, you will need to demonstrate the uniqueness and innovation of your product, how it has been implemented in practice, and its impact on the industry. This could include a book you’ve written on a professional topic, the growth of your company to certain economic benchmarks, or the development of a unique international agreement. If you’re a coach and your athlete won an Olympic medal under your guidance, that would also be considered evidence of your contribution.

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Important points
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To enhance the importance of your contribution, actively publish and speak at industry conferences. This not only strengthens your reputation but also helps to document the importance of your work for an EB-1 visa.
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The "Contributions in the Field" criteria is one of the most challenging for the EB-1 visa application because it requires not only significant achievements but also proper documentation to support them. Often, "Contributions to the Field" is closely related to other criteria like "Employment in a critical or essential capacity," "Authorship of scholarly articles," or "Published material about you," as they all pertain to the impact you’ve had in your field. Our attorneys can help you present your achievements as a crucial contribution to your industry. We will gather all necessary documents and organize them into a cohesive and well-structured narrative to maximize your chances of obtaining the EB-1 visa to the United States.