Employment-based: summary, tools, and updates

Summary

EB-1 through EB-5 categories for workers and investors, tied to annual per-country numerical limits.

Latest updates and official context for Employment-based.

What this topic is

EB-1 through EB-5 categories for workers and investors, tied to annual per-country numerical limits.

Employment-based green cards are issued to priority workers (EB-1), advanced degree professionals (EB-2, including National Interest Waiver), skilled and other workers (EB-3), certain special immigrants (EB-4), and investors (EB-5). Most EB-2 and EB-3 cases require a PERM labor certification from the Department of Labor before USCIS will accept the I-140 immigrant petition.

The feed below lists dated items we have tagged for this topic. Informational only, not legal advice: confirm requirements on official government sites before you rely on anything here.

Activity · daily, last 90 days

3 indexed updates

Mar 19, 2026 → Jun 16, 2026 · 90 days

Policy climate · last 90 days

Tone of coverage

67% neutral33% favorable

Based on 3 indexed updates in the last 90 days

Last 90 days

What matters for Employment-based

Highest-signal items for Employment-based from roughly the last three months, when we have enough coverage (impact, open comments, fees, or processing shifts).

Published Fed. Register
Open for commentsProposed rule
Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States
The Department of Labor is proposing new rules to strengthen wage protections for foreign workers on EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards and certain temporary work visas obtained through the PERM labor certification process. The changes aim to ensure prevailing wages are…
Published State Dept
Processing
India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category
India has reached the per-country limit for EB-5 immigrant investor green cards in the unreserved category, meaning no more visas are currently available for Indian nationals in this category. This creates a significant backlog for Indian EB-5 applicants who must now wait for…
Published State Dept
Processing
India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category
India has reached its per-country limit for EB-2 (employment-based second preference) green cards, meaning Indian nationals in this category will face significant delays in obtaining their green cards. This occurs because a large backlog of Indian applicants has exhausted the…
Published State Dept
Processing
Annual Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category
The annual visa cap for the EB-5 immigrant investor green card category has been reached, meaning no additional EB-5 petitions can be approved under the unreserved visa allotment for the current fiscal year. Applicants who have not yet received approval should monitor future…
Published Fed. Register
Open for comments
Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program
USCIS is revising the information collection procedures for the Immigrant Investor Gold Card Program (EB-5 green cards). The agency is accepting an additional 30 days of public comments on the form and data collection requirements. Public comments accepted until 2026-06-29.
Public comments accepted through .
Published State Dept
Annual Limit Reached in the EB-3 and EW Categories
The EB-3 and EW (Employment-Based Third Preference and Exceptional Worker) green card categories have reached their annual numerical limits for the current fiscal year. This means no additional applicants can be approved under these categories until the next fiscal year begins.…
Published Fed. Register
Open for comments
Agency Information Collection Activities for Application for Prevailing Wage Determination; Comment Request
The Department of Labor is seeking public comments on its information collection request for the Prevailing Wage Determination application (Forms ETA-9141), which is used in the PERM labor certification process for employment-based green cards. This administrative request covers…
Published State Dept
Annual Limit Reached in the EB-1 Category
The annual visa cap for the EB-1 category (employment-based first preference, covering individuals with extraordinary ability and certain researchers) has been reached for the current fiscal year. No further EB-1 petitions can be approved until the new fiscal year begins. This…

SentimentAll Positive Negative Neutral

Updates

Latest updates

All items tagged for Employment-based, newest first. Open a row for the summary and source.

DATESUBTOPICTITLETONE

Neg

EB-5

India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category

India has reached the per-country limit for EB-5 immigrant investor green cards in the unreserved category, meaning no more visas are currently available for Indian nationals in this category. This creates a significant backlog for Indian…

High impactProcessing

State Dept

EB-5India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category

High impactProcessing

State Dept

Neg

Neu

EB-5

Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program

USCIS is revising the information collection procedures for the Immigrant Investor Gold Card Program (EB-5 green cards). The agency is accepting an additional 30 days of public comments on the form and data collection requirements. Public…

Open for comments

Act by Jun 29, 2026 (public comments)

Fed. Register

EB-5Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program

Open for comments

Act by Jun 29, 2026 (public comments)

Fed. Register

Neu

Neg

EB-2

India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category

India has reached its per-country limit for EB-2 (employment-based second preference) green cards, meaning Indian nationals in this category will face significant delays in obtaining their green cards. This occurs because a large backlog…

High impactProcessing

State Dept

EB-2India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category

High impactProcessing

State Dept

Neg

Neu

EB-1

Annual Limit Reached in the EB-1 Category

The annual visa cap for the EB-1 category (employment-based first preference, covering individuals with extraordinary ability and certain researchers) has been reached for the current fiscal year. No further EB-1 petitions can be approved…

State Dept

EB-1Annual Limit Reached in the EB-1 Category

State Dept

Neu

EB-2

Annual Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category

The annual visa cap for the EB-2 category (employment-based second preference, covering professionals with advanced degrees and skilled workers) has been exhausted for the current fiscal year. No further EB-2 petitions can be approved…

State Dept

EB-2Annual Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category

State Dept

Neu

Neg

EB-3

Annual Limit Reached in the EB-3 and EW Categories

The EB-3 and EW (Employment-Based Third Preference and Exceptional Worker) green card categories have reached their annual numerical limits for the current fiscal year. This means no additional applicants can be approved under these…

High impact

State Dept

EB-3Annual Limit Reached in the EB-3 and EW Categories

High impact

State Dept

Neg

EB-5

Annual Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category

The annual visa cap for the EB-5 immigrant investor green card category has been reached, meaning no additional EB-5 petitions can be approved under the unreserved visa allotment for the current fiscal year. Applicants who have not yet…

High impactProcessing

State Dept

EB-5Annual Limit Reached in the EB-5 Unreserved Category

High impactProcessing

State Dept

Neg

Pos

Employment-based

Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States

The Department of Labor is proposing new rules to strengthen wage protections for foreign workers on EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards and certain temporary work visas obtained through the PERM labor certification process. The…

High impactOpen for commentsProposed rule

Fed. Register

Employment-basedImproving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States

High impactOpen for commentsProposed rule

Fed. Register

Pos

Neu

PERM

Agency Information Collection Activities for Application for Prevailing Wage Determination; Comment Request

The Department of Labor is seeking public comments on its information collection request for the Prevailing Wage Determination application (Forms ETA-9141), which is used in the PERM labor certification process for employment-based green…

Open for comments

Fed. Register

PERMAgency Information Collection Activities for Application for Prevailing Wage Determination; Comment Request

Open for comments

Fed. Register

Neu

EB-5

Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program

USCIS is seeking public feedback on changes to the paperwork and information collection process for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor (Gold Card) Program. The agency is updating how applicants submit and report information as part of the…

Open for comments

Fed. Register

EB-5Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program

Open for comments

Fed. Register

Neu

O-1

USCIS Clarifies Requirements for Professional Athletes

USCIS updated its policy manual to clarify visa requirements for professional athletes in response to the Department of Labor's adoption of the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system. The guidance addresses how the new FLAG system…

Processing

USCIS

O-1USCIS Clarifies Requirements for Professional Athletes

Processing

USCIS

Neu

Pos

EB-5

Court Order on Partial Stay of DHS 2024 USCIS Fee Rule

A federal court in Colorado has issued a partial stay blocking certain EB-5 immigrant investor visa fees that were raised under the 2024 DHS fee rule effective April 2024. The decision in Moody v. Noem means those specific fees cannot be…

Fees

USCIS

EB-5Court Order on Partial Stay of DHS 2024 USCIS Fee Rule

Fees

USCIS

Pos

Neu

EB-2

USCIS Updates Guidance on EB-2 National Interest Waiver Petitions

USCIS has issued updated policy guidance on how to evaluate EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petitions for employment-based green cards. The guidance clarifies eligibility standards for EB-2 NIW applicants. This affects skilled workers…

Processing

USCIS

EB-2USCIS Updates Guidance on EB-2 National Interest Waiver Petitions

Processing

USCIS

Neu

PERM

USCIS Updates Filing Procedures for Form I-140

USCIS announced updated procedures for submitting Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers) when accompanied by permanent labor certification, Schedule A designation, or National Interest Waiver requests. The procedures are…

Processing

USCIS

PERMUSCIS Updates Filing Procedures for Form I-140

Processing

USCIS

Neu

Pos

EB-1

USCIS Issues New Guidance on EB-1 Eligibility Criteria for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability

USCIS has issued new policy guidance clarifying what types of evidence it will evaluate when determining eligibility for EB-1 extraordinary ability green cards. This guidance helps applicants and attorneys better understand which…

Final rule

USCIS

EB-1USCIS Issues New Guidance on EB-1 Eligibility Criteria for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability

Final rule

USCIS

Pos

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Tools

Official resources

Filing, fees, appointments, and case status. Government sites only; confirm details before you file.

Policy Manual FAQs (employment-based)
Q&A from synced USCIS Policy Manual chapters (I-140, PERM, EB-1/2/3, AC21 portability, and related employment-based rules).
Visa Bulletin
Monthly priority date chart; check before filing I-485 or scheduling consular processing.
USCIS I-485 processing
Current wait times for adjustment of status applications.
DOL PERM program
PERM labor certification requirements, processing, and audits.
EB-5 program (USCIS)
Investor program requirements, regional centers, and TEA designation.
NVC case status
Track consular processing of immigrant visa cases.

Guides and reference

Cross-check eligibility and forms on official sites before filing.

USCIS
Forms, fees, policy manual, and filing instructions.
Travel.State.gov: U.S. visas
Visa classes, reciprocity, and consular processing overview.
Federal Register (immigration)
Proposed and final agency rules.

Act now: public comments

What this topic is

What matters for Employment-based

Latest updates