EB-1A vs PERM
PERM is the labor-certification process used for many EB-2 and EB-3 cases. EB-1A does not go through PERM. That is a procedure difference, not a lower evidence bar.
What you skip, and what you do not
No labor market test. No requirement that an employer sponsor you. You still need three of the ten criteria, or one true major award, and final merits. People compare EB-1A with PERM because PERM is slow and employer-tied. Speed is not a reason the record will hold.
Green card without an employer sponsor
EB-1A and NIW are the two self-petition paths people mean by that phrase. They are not the same test. If the acclaim file is thin, read EB-1A vs NIW before you assume extraordinary ability is the only way to avoid PERM.
Related: EB-1A vs NIW, EB-1A vs EB-2 India, H-1B to EB-1A.
This is not a law firm and does not file petitions. USCIS decides each case on its own record.