Foreign Workers’ Pursuit of ‘Extraordinary’ Visa Options Grows

High-skilled foreign workers faced with mounting wait times for employment-based green cards are pursuing long-term permanent residency in the US without a company sponsoring them.

Recent guidance from the Department of Homeland Security has highlighted pathways to green cards for workers with “extraordinary ability” or those making contributions in the national interest. However, delays in clearing labor certification hurdles and anxieties over a change in administration are also fueling attempts by many workers to self-petition for tougher green card categories, attorneys say.

“It means having some way to control your immigration journey where a lot of it feels out of ...