EB-2 / NIW — Advanced Degree & National Interest Waiver

Second-preference employment green card for advanced-degree professionals or those with exceptional ability; the National Interest Waiver (NIW) lets qualifying applicants self-petition without an employer or PERM.

Who it is for

• Advanced-degree professionals (master's+ or bachelor's + 5 years progressive experience)
• Researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals whose work has national importance (NIW)

Key requirements

• EB-2: advanced degree or exceptional ability + (normally) a PERM-certified job offer
• NIW: the endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, you are well positioned to advance it, and a waiver of the job-offer/PERM benefits the US

Per-country backlogs (e.g., India/China) can lengthen the wait significantly.