The EB-1A immigrant visa, designated for individuals demonstrating “extraordinary ability,” represents one of the most esteemed immigration routes under U.S. law. To be eligible, applicants are required to show sustained national or international recognition and prove that their presence will significantly benefit the United States. Although the evidentiary threshold is elevated, employees of SLB (previously known as Schlumberger) are particularly well-equipped to excel in this category. SLB stands as the largest oilfield services firm globally, a leader in reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing technologies, and its professionals frequently hold positions that naturally align with the extraordinary ability criteria. Through their leadership in technical advancements, original scientific contributions, judging roles, scholarly publications, and acknowledgment for promoting U.S. energy independence, SLB employees often cultivate careers that fulfill or surpass the EB-1A classification requirements.

A significant advantage that SLB employees possess is the company’s esteemed global standing. SLB operates in over 85 nations, employs more than 100,000 individuals, and is regularly featured on Fortune 500 lists and in prominent financial publications. When USCIS assesses whether an applicant has played a leading or essential role in an organization of notable reputation, the SLB brand carries considerable weight. Professionals who have directed critical drilling initiatives, managed teams across various continents, or implemented new maintenance systems can directly link their accomplishments to the reputation of the world’s leading energy services company, thus fulfilling one of the most compelling EB-1A criteria.

Equally significant, SLB professionals play a direct role in enhancing the energy independence and national security of the United States. Over the last twenty years, the U.S. has evolved from a country that relied heavily on foreign oil to becoming one of the foremost producers of crude oil and natural gas globally. This transformation has been facilitated not only by shale reserves but also by the capacity of companies like SLB to sustain and implement advanced technologies in challenging environments. SLB engineers and managers reorganize maintenance strategies, develop process enhancements, and enforce reliability standards that ensure cutting-edge drilling equipment operates safely and efficiently in Arctic, offshore, and deepwater settings. In a time when energy resilience has a direct bearing on national security and economic stability, SLB employees can convincingly assert that their expertise holds significant national relevance.

Another vital element is that SLB employees consistently produce original scientific and business contributions of considerable importance to the industry. Engineers have restructured maintenance systems in extended-reach drilling wells to achieve reliability benchmarks that have never been attained before in the sector. Maintenance and quality assurance leaders have established failure investigation protocols that have subsequently been adopted across various global locations. Service quality teams have launched tool champion initiatives to reduce workmanship errors and devised performance-based bonus systems that link reliability metrics to employee rewards. These innovations are not merely incremental; they signify original contributions that enhance safety, efficiency, and profitability throughout the entire oilfield services industry. Frequently, they receive internal recognition through accolades such as the Performed by Schlumberger CEO Award, and external acknowledgment through publication and replication in global operations, thus fulfilling the EB-1A criteria of originality and major significance.

The leadership aspect of SLB roles positions employees favorably for EB-1A petitions. In contrast to many organizations where technical specialists may remain in narrowly defined roles for years, SLB empowers its professionals with leadership responsibilities over large teams and significant projects early in their careers. Maintenance supervisors and service quality managers frequently oversee numerous technicians and engineers, manage multimillion-dollar operations, and ensure adherence to international safety and reliability standards. Even during crises, such as the oil price decline from 2014 to 2016 or the COVID-19 pandemic, SLB professionals were charged with maintaining operational excellence despite budget reductions and workforce limitations. Their leadership facilitated the achievement of milestones, including one thousand consecutive days without a maintenance-related incident in high-risk drilling environments. Documenting these accomplishments through job descriptions, expert letters, and internal recognition serves as compelling evidence of their leading and critical roles.

SLB employees also often meet the EB-1A requirement of acting as judges of the work of others. This is evident through their involvement in promotion panels, technical evaluations, career orientation reviews, and maintenance audits. Seasoned engineers are frequently responsible for assessing whether junior technicians or engineers have acquired the necessary skills for advancement, conducting 5S audits to ensure compliance with safety standards, or serving as evaluators in internal review processes. These judging duties not only affirm the acknowledgment of an employee’s expertise but also illustrate the trust placed in them to uphold quality and safety across global operations. In the context of EB-1A, such evidence directly supports the regulatory criterion of participation as a judge of the work of others in the same or a related field.

Another consistent benefit is the academic and professional publication history that employees of SLB cultivate. Numerous individuals contribute technical articles to prominent trade journals like Maintworld or OILMAN Magazine, share their findings at Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) conferences, or produce industry-specific training resources. SLB’s internal knowledge management systems, including the InTouch database, also serve as a venue for employees to create comprehensive technical documentation and failure analysis reports. Although internal publications alone may not be adequate, when combined with external trade articles and conference proceedings, these contributions offer substantial evidence of scholarly output. This academic authorship, along with published content regarding the work of SLB professionals in esteemed media outlets, further enhances EB-1A petitions.

In addition to these professional accomplishments, salary levels for SLB employees frequently surpass industry averages, especially for those in technical leadership roles. Compensation data, when analyzed against U.S. Department of Labor statistics and industry surveys, generally indicates that SLB professionals earn significantly higher salaries than their counterparts in similar positions. This information, along with expatriate assignments in demanding locations such as Sakhalin, the Middle East, or the Gulf of Mexico, highlights both the exceptional demand for their expertise and the considerable value attributed to their contributions. USCIS consistently acknowledges high salaries and distinctive global assignments as persuasive indicators of extraordinary ability.

In addition to fulfilling specific requirements, the EB-1A category necessitates that a petitioner demonstrate their ongoing presence in the United States will yield significant prospective advantages. In this context, SLB employees are particularly well-suited. The U.S. oil and gas sector is currently experiencing a notable workforce crisis, often referred to as the “Great Crew Change,” characterized by the retirement of senior engineers and a decline in student enrollment in petroleum engineering programs. This shortage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in U.S. companies facing challenges in filling roles that demand extensive technical expertise. Professionals at SLB, with their extensive experience, are exceptionally qualified to address this gap. Their capacity to mentor emerging engineers, adopt digital technologies, and uphold operational safety directly contributes to the resilience of U.S. energy and its national competitiveness.

Furthermore, the connection between the work of SLB employees and U.S. policy objectives is clear. Energy independence, modernization of infrastructure, and resilience of supply chains have all been underscored by federal agencies as critical national issues. SLB employees play a vital role in achieving these objectives by implementing cutting-edge drilling technologies, predictive maintenance initiatives, and digital oilfield solutions that lower costs and guarantee a dependable supply. Their efforts not only bolster U.S. competitiveness within the energy sector but also help to alleviate risks linked to geopolitical instability, as evidenced by recent disruptions in global oil markets.

In conclusion, employees of SLB are exceptionally well-suited to qualify for EB-1A petitions due to the nature of their careers, which inherently produce the types of evidence required by USCIS. Their professional journeys frequently encompass original scientific contributions, leadership positions within a globally recognized organization, judging roles, scholarly publications, substantial compensation, and acknowledged achievements. More significantly, their efforts directly contribute to U.S. objectives in energy independence, supply chain resilience, and technological advancement. In an industry experiencing significant talent shortages and global challenges, the contributions of SLB professionals are not only remarkable but also essential. For SLB employees contemplating an EB-1A petition, their association with the world’s leading oilfield services company, along with their personal track record of innovation and leadership, offers a strong basis for success.

By: Karim Jivani

Karim Jivani is an Associate Attorney at Reddy Neumann Brown PC who focuses on employment-based non-immigrant visas. Karim’s practice covers all phases of the EB-1A and EB-2 NIW visa process including filing petitions, responding to Requests for Evidence (RFE), and drafting motions and appeals. Karim has also worked on all aspects of H-1B, L-1, I-140, and VAWA petitions.