The difference between EB license and EB1 is costing talented professionals like you years of wasted time, and you’re about to find out why.

Right now, thousands are searching for the difference between EB license and EB1. They’re reading articles. Asking questions in forums. Talking to consultants who don’t give straight answers. And while they’re stuck in this confusion, their competitors are already living in the United States, building businesses, earning in dollars, and securing green cards.

Here’s what nobody is telling you about the difference between EB license and EB1: one of these terms is completely fake.

There is no “EB license” in U.S. immigration law. It doesn’t exist in any USCIS handbook. No government document mentions it. Zero immigration officers recognize it. Yet you’re here searching for it because someone, somewhere, used that term, and now you’re lost.

And that confusion is expensive.

Every month you spend trying to understand the wrong terminology is a month you’re not building your case. Every conversation with the wrong consultant is money down the drain. Every delay means watching others move ahead while you’re still stuck at step one.

You have the talent. You have the achievements. You might even have international recognition in your field. But the immigration system feels like it was designed to keep you confused, to make you give up, to force you into expensive mistakes.

I’m going to fix that right now.

In this article, I’ll show you exactly what people mean when they say “EB license,” why this confusion exists, what the EB-1 visa actually is, and most importantly, how you can stop wasting time and start moving toward your future in the United States. No fluff. No confusing jargon. Just the truth you need to make the right decision.

Let’s end this confusion today.

Read Also: EB-2 Green Card Interview Questions: 10 Proven Strategies

Understanding the Confusion: What Is “EB License” Really?

The difference between EB license and EB1 starts with understanding what people mean when they say EB license.

Here’s what’s happening: people are mixing up three completely different things.

1. Work Authorization Documents (EADs) vs. Immigration Status

Some people call their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) a “work license” or “EB license.” This is wrong, but understandable.

An EAD is a card that proves you’re allowed to work in the United States. You can get an EAD with many different visa types. It’s proof of permission, not the visa itself.

The EB-1 visa is an immigration status. It’s a pathway to permanent residence (a green card). When you get an EB-1 visa approved, you can then apply for an EAD as part of the process.

So when someone says “EB license,” they might mean the work authorization card you get after your EB-1 visa is approved. But that’s not the visa itself.

2. Professional Licenses vs. Immigration Status

Here’s another source of confusion in the difference between EB license and EB1.

Professional licenses are what you need to practice certain professions in the United States. Doctors need medical licenses. Lawyers need bar admission. Engineers might need professional engineering licenses depending on the state.

These are completely separate from your immigration status.

You can have an EB-1 visa (immigration status) and still need to get a professional license to work in your field. They’re two different government processes with two different purposes.

Some people hear “license” and “EB” together and assume there’s something called an “EB license” that lets them work. That doesn’t exist. You need both: the right immigration status (like EB1) AND the right professional license if your field requires it.

3. Visa Categories That People Shorten or Misremember

Sometimes people just get the terminology wrong.

They hear “EB1” and remember it as “EB license” because their brain connects “permission to work” with “license.”

Or they hear about different EB categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) and the subcategories within EB-1 (EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-1C), and everything blurs together into “EB license.”

The difference between EB license and EB1 is simple: one doesn’t exist, and the other is one of the most valuable immigration pathways in the world.

What the EB-1 Visa Actually Is

Now that we’ve cleared up the confusion, let’s talk about what the EB-1 visa actually is and why it matters to you.

The EB-1 visa is an employment-based immigrant visa. It’s in the “first preference” category, which means it gets priority over other employment-based visas.

The EB-1 visa leads directly to a green card. This means permanent residence. You can live and work in the United States permanently. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come with you.

There are three types of EB-1 visas, and understanding these three types is part of understanding the difference between EB license and EB1:

EB-1A: Extraordinary Ability

This is for people who have extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics. You need sustained national or international acclaim.

You prove this through evidence like major awards (think Nobel Prize, Oscar, Olympic medal) or by meeting at least three out of ten specific criteria. These criteria include things like:

• Major awards in your field
• Membership in organizations that require outstanding achievement
• Published material about you in major media
• Your work is being cited by others
• High salary compared to others in your field
• Serving as a judge of others’ work

The EB-1A doesn’t require a job offer. You can apply for yourself (self-petition). This is powerful because you’re not tied to an employer.

EB-1B: Outstanding Professors and Researchers

This is for academics who have international recognition in their field. You need at least three years of teaching or research experience.

You must be coming to the United States for a tenure-track teaching position or a comparable research position at a university or research institution.

Unlike EB-1A, you need a job offer. Your employer petitions for you.

EB-1C: Multinational Executives and Managers

This is for executives and managers who work for multinational companies. You must have worked for at least one year in the past three years for a company outside the United States, and now you’re being transferred to a U.S. branch, subsidiary, or parent company.

You need a job offer. The U.S. company petitions for you.

Your position in the U.S. must also be executive or managerial.

Why the Difference Between EB License and EB1 Matters for Your Future

Understanding the difference between EB license and EB1 matters because getting this wrong could cost you years.

Here’s what happens when people don’t understand this:

1. They apply for the wrong visa. They spend money and time on a visa that doesn’t match their qualifications or goals.
2. They miss opportunities. While they’re figuring out the terminology, visa slots fill up, job offers expire, or priority dates move backward.
3. They waste money on bad advice. Some immigration services take advantage of confusion. They sell services for visas that don’t exist or don’t match what you need.
4. They get stuck in a temporary status. They end up with temporary work visas when they could have applied for permanent residence directly.

Let me be clear about something: the EB-1 visa is one of the fastest paths to a green card for qualified professionals. Processing times average 6 to 12 months. Compare that to EB-2 visas (18 to 24 months) or the uncertainty of temporary work visas.

The EB-1 visa doesn’t require labor certification. This is huge. Labor certification is a process in which your employer must prove that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the job. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain. EB-1 skips all of that.

If you qualify for EB-1, you should pursue EB-1. Understanding the difference between EB license and EB1 helps you see that there’s no mysterious “EB license” standing in your way, just a clear path to permanent residence if you meet the requirements.

How EB-1 Compares to Other Visa Options You’ve Heard About

Part of understanding the difference between EB license and EB1 is seeing how EB-1 compares to other real visa options.

EB-1 vs. O-1 Visa

The O-1 visa is for people with extraordinary ability or achievement. It’s similar to EB-1A in requirements, but it’s a temporary work visa.

With O-1, you can work in the United States for up to three years (with extensions possible). But it doesn’t lead directly to a green card. You’re tied to your employer or agent. If you change jobs, you need a new petition or amendment.

Many people use O-1 as a stepping stone to EB-1. You come on O-1, build your profile further in the United States, then apply for EB-1A or transition to EB-2 NIW.

The O-1 visa has no annual cap (unlike H-1B), which makes it more accessible. But if your goal is permanent residence, EB-1 is the better target.

EB-1 vs. EB-2 Visa

The EB-2 visa is for people with advanced degrees (master’s or higher) or exceptional ability. There’s also the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) option, which lets you self-petition if your work benefits the United States.

EB-2 generally requires labor certification unless you get the NIW. Processing times are longer than EB-1. Priority dates can be backlogged depending on your country of birth.

If you qualify for both EB-1 and EB-2, EB-1 is usually faster and has fewer requirements.

EB-1 vs. H-1B Visa

The H-1B visa is for specialty occupations. It requires employer sponsorship and is subject to an annual lottery. Only 85,000 H-1B visas are issued each year.

H-1B is temporary (three years, extendable to six). It doesn’t lead directly to a green card, though many people use it as a bridge while pursuing EB-2 or EB-3.

EB-1 is better than H-1B in almost every way if you qualify. No lottery, no cap, direct path to green card, faster processing.

The difference between EB license and EB1 becomes clearer when you see these comparisons: EB-1 is a permanent residence pathway, not a temporary work permission or mysterious “license.”

The Real Requirements: Can You Actually Qualify for EB-1?

Understanding the difference between EB license and EB1 only matters if you can actually qualify.

Let’s be honest about this. EB-1 has high standards. It’s meant for people at the top of their fields.

But “top of your field” doesn’t always mean what you think it means.

You don’t need to be a Nobel laureate. You don’t need to be a household name. You need to show sustained acclaim and recognition in your specific field or industry.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

For EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability):

You need one major internationally recognized award (like a Nobel Prize or Oscar) OR you need to meet at least three of these ten criteria:

1. Lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence
2. Membership in associations that require outstanding achievement
3. Published material about you in professional or major trade publications or major media
4. Participation as a judge of the work of others in your field
5. Original contributions of major significance to your field
6. Authorship of scholarly articles in professional journals or other major media
7. Display of your work at artistic exhibitions or showcases
8. Performance in a leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation
9. High salary or remuneration compared to others in your field
10. Commercial success in the performing arts

Most people meet several of these criteria without realizing it. The key is documentation and presentation.

For EB-1B (Outstanding Professors and Researchers):

You need international recognition in your academic field, plus at least three years of teaching or research experience. You must have a job offer for a tenure-track or comparable research position.

For EB-1C (Multinational Executives and Managers):

You need at least one year of work in the past three years for a company outside the United States in an executive or managerial role. The U.S. company must be related to your foreign employer (parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate). Your U.S. position must also be executive or managerial.

The difference between EB license and EB1 includes understanding that EB-1 is achievable for more people than you might think, but only if you document your case properly.

Common Mistakes People Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Now that you understand the difference between EB license and EB1, let’s talk about the mistakes people make when pursuing EB-1.

Mistake 1: Not Documenting Achievements Properly

You might qualify for EB-1, but if you can’t prove it with documentation, it doesn’t matter.

Letters of recommendation need to be from recognized experts who can speak to your impact. Awards need context, who gave them, how selective were they, and what do they mean in your field?

Many qualified people get denied because they submitted weak documentation, not because they didn’t qualify.

Mistake 2: Applying for the Wrong EB-1 Category

EB-1A, EB-1B, and EB-1C have different requirements. Applying for EB-1B when you should apply for EB-1A (or vice versa) wastes time and money.

You need to assess your situation honestly. If you’re an academic with a job offer, EB-1B might be easier than EB-1A. If you’re self-employed or want flexibility, EB-1A is better.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Alternative Paths

Sometimes O-1 followed by EB-1 is smarter than going straight for EB-1. Sometimes, EB-2 NIW is more realistic for your profile.

The difference between EB license and EB1 is just one piece of a larger strategy. You need to look at your complete situation.

Mistake 4: Doing This Alone

The immigration system is complex. One mistake in your petition can lead to a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a denial. Reapplying takes more time and money.

This is where Veripass comes in.

How Veripass Helps You Get from Confusion to Approval

You’ve spent enough time confused about the difference between EB license and EB1. Now it’s time to move forward.

Veripass specializes in helping high-achieving professionals get O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 NIW visas.

Here’s how Veripass works:

Step 1: Clear Assessment

First, you get a consultation with immigration experts who assess your qualifications. They tell you honestly which visa you should pursue. If you don’t qualify for EB-1, they’ll tell you. If you do, they’ll tell you which category (EB-1A, EB-1B, or EB-1C) makes sense.

No confusion. No wasted effort on the wrong visa.

Step 2: Strategy and Documentation

Veripass doesn’t just fill out forms. They build your case.

They help you gather evidence that meets USCIS standards. They connect you with experts who can write strong recommendation letters. They organize your achievements in a way that demonstrates you meet the EB-1 criteria.

This is where most people fail on their own; they have the qualifications, but don’t present them correctly.

Step 3: Legal Expertise

Veripass connects you with immigration lawyers who specialize in your specific visa type. These aren’t general immigration lawyers. These are specialists who know what USCIS looks for in EB-1 petitions.

The team includes former USCIS officers who understand how applications are reviewed from the inside.

Step 4: Complete Management

You upload your documents to Veripass’s secure platform. They track everything. They handle communication with USCIS. If you get an RFE (Request for Evidence), they respond with additional documentation and legal arguments.

You focus on your work. They focus on your visa.

Step 5: Beyond the Visa

Veripass doesn’t just get you a visa. They help with business incorporation in the United States if you need it. They can assist with PR campaigns to build your profile (which helps with both the visa application and your career in the United States).

This comprehensive approach is why Veripass clients see high approval rates.

Understanding the difference between EB license and EB1 was step one. Working with Veripass is step two.

Your Next Step: Stop Searching and Start Moving

You came here searching for the difference between EB license and EB1.

Now you know the truth: there is no EB license. There’s just the EB-1 visa, a clear, proven path to permanent residence in the United States for qualified professionals.

You also know you probably have more options than you realized. EB-1A if you have extraordinary ability. EB-1B if you’re an academic with a job offer. EB-1C if you’re an executive or manager at a multinational company. And if EB-1 isn’t the right fit, O-1 or EB-2 NIW might be better paths.

But knowledge without action doesn’t change anything.

You could spend months researching more about the difference between EB license and EB1. You could try to navigate the system yourself. You could hire a general immigration lawyer and hope for the best.

Or you could book a consultation with Veripass and get a clear answer about your best path forward.

Here’s what happens when you book a consultation:

• You talk to an expert who’s helped hundreds of professionals just like you
• You get an honest assessment of your qualifications and which visa makes sense
• You learn exactly what documentation you need and how to get it
• You see a timeline for your case and what to expect

The consultation doesn’t obligate you to anything. It just gives you clarity.

The difference between EB license and EB1 was confusing. Your next step shouldn’t be.

Book your consultation with Veripass today.

Your future in the United States starts with one conversation.