EB-2 green card: frequently asked questions

A master's or higher, or a bachelor's plus five years of progressive experience in the specialty. USCIS treats that combination as equivalent to a master's, so you do not need a formal postgraduate degree if your record shows the progression.

It is the alternative route within the EB-2, for those with a degree of expertise significantly above the average in the sciences, arts or business. It is established by meeting at least three of six criteria, including degrees, ten years of experience, professional licences, a salary reflecting the ability, memberships, and recognition by peers.

It is a waiver within the EB-2 that removes two requirements: the job offer and PERM certification. It is granted where the work has substantial merit and national importance, you are well positioned to advance it, and it benefits the United States to waive those requirements. It allows self-petition.

Usually, because it skips PERM, the longest stage. But it is not automatically easier: the merit-and-national-importance standard requires building a documented case, and the denial rate is higher than for a well-prepared EB-2 with PERM.

It depends on Department of Labor processing times, which vary considerably. It includes a prevailing wage determination beforehand and a mandatory recruitment period before the application is filed. Check current timelines before planning dates.

Not the kind affecting India and China. The system caps how many green cards each country receives per year, and those two exceed the cap comfortably. Chile does not approach it, so Chilean EB-2 priority dates are generally current in the Visa Bulletin.