High-achiever visas spur pay-to-play credential schemes
Growing interest in the U.S. EB-1A “extraordinary ability” visa is driving a market for vanity awards, ghostwritten research papers and profile-building services. USCIS is reviewing petitions more closely and investigating possible fraud linked to purchased credentials. This report explains how the credential marketplace operates around EB-1A applications, the types of services being sold to prospective immigrants and how U.S. immigration authorities are responding with increased scrutiny and enforcement measures.