EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders)

EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders)
This is an employment-based, second preference visa category for professionals holding an advanced degree or its equivalent.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The job you apply for must require:
• An advanced degree (Master's or higher); or
• A baccalaureate degree and 5 years or more of progressive, post-baccalaureate, work experience in the field.
 

GENERALLY REQUIRED EVIDENCE

• Academic qualification
• History of work experience
• US employer’s legitimate entity
• US employer’s financial ability to pay the offered wage
 

PROCEDURE

 Stage 1: LC(PERM) Prevailing Wage Advertisement        
 Stage 2: Submit PERM Application        
 Stage 3: Submit I-140 & I-485 to USCIS        
 Stage 4: Fingerprint        
 Stage 5: Approval
 

TIME FRAMES

Stage 1 to Stage 2: about 4-6 months
Stage 2 to Stage 3: about 4-8 months
Stage 3 to Stage 4: about 2 months
Stage 4 to Stage 5: about 2-5 months (depends on whether you use premium processing)
 

EXCEPTIONS & NOTICE
 

A. The time period between Stage 2 and Stage 3 varies case by case and the Department of Labor's workload
B. A PERM application may get randomly selected by DOL for an audit between Stage 2 and Stage 3, which will cause a significant delay.
C. Even if you personally hold a Master's degree or the equivalent, you may not qualify for this category if the job does not require the same
D. You may request premium processing for the review of I-140
E. EB2 is sometimes affected by the visa quota, and depending on the visa availability, you may or may not file I-485 concurrently with I-140