The United States has hit the cap for issuing visas in the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category for fiscal year 2024. The U.S. State Department, along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), confirmed that all available visas in the EB-2 category for FY 2024 have been fully issued.
The yearly cap for EB-2 visas is set at 28.6 percent of the global employment-based preference level, along with any unused numbers from the first preference category.
For fiscal year 2024, the limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is set at 226,000, while the cap for employment-based preference immigrants is 160,791. The per-country limit for preference immigrants is established at 7% of the combined annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference totals, which amounts to 27,075 for FY 2024. The limit for dependent areas is fixed at 2%, or 7,736.
As all EB-2 visas for FY 2024 have been exhausted, embassies and consulates will no longer issue visas under this category for the remainder of the fiscal year. The annual cap will reset at the beginning of the new fiscal year (FY 2025) on October 1, 2024. At that time, embassies and consulates will be able to resume issuing immigrant visas in this category to eligible applicants.
The Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category permits individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities to legally travel to the U.S., where they make valuable contributions to a wide range of industries within the economy.
A second-preference employment-based visa can be issued to individuals who possess advanced degrees or demonstrate exceptional abilities in their field of expertise.
The eligibility requirements for EB-2 visas fall under two distinct sub-categories: Advanced Degree and Exceptional Ability.
To qualify for an EB-2 visa under the Advanced Degree category, applicants must have an advanced degree or its foreign equivalent, along with at least 5 years of relevant work experience in their field.
To qualify for an EB-2 visa under the Exceptional Ability category, you must prove outstanding proficiency in the sciences, arts, or business, showing a level of expertise that surpasses the norm, and fulfill the relevant labor certification requirements.
The spouse and any unmarried children under 21 of an EB-2 visa holder may be eligible for admission to the U.S. under E-21 and E-22 immigrant statuses, respectively, provided the I-140 petition is approved.
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