EB-2 Advanced Degree

This information is for the University of Houston hiring departments who have hired or are interested in hiring a foreign national. This information does not constitute legal advice.

This classification is for individuals of the professions holding advanced degrees (higher than a bachelor's degree) in the field of intended employment.  The position with the employer must typically require the advanced degree. The worker must have an advanced U.S. degree or the equivalent.  A U.S. bachelor's degree, or the equivalent, plus five years of progressive professional experience in the field are normally equivalent to a master's degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university.

This petition requires sponsorship by a U.S. employer.  It also requires the filing of a labor certification application with the Department of Labor.

Labor Certification "Special Handling" for UH teachers: Optional special recruitment and documentation procedures may be available to college and university teachers.  In this case, the employer must show that a "competitive recruitment and selection process" took place and the criteria that made the sponsored employee more qualified than any of the U.S. workers that applied for the job.  To qualify for special handling, the job must have been advertised in a national professional journal and the PERM application filed within 18 months after the selection process described above was completed.