The US has reached the maximum cap for the issuance of visas under the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category for the fiscal year 2024. The US State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the issuance of all available visas in the EB-2 category for fiscal year 2024.

The annual limit for EB-2 visas is 28.6 percent of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

The fiscal year 2024 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000. The fiscal year 2024 limit for employment-based preference immigrants is 160,791. The per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 27,075 for FY-2024. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,736.

Since all available EB-2 visas for FY 2024 have been used, embassies and consulates may not issue visas in this category for the remainder of the fiscal year. The annual limit will reset with the start of the new fiscal year (FY 2025) on October 1, 2024. At that point, embassies and consulates may resume issuing immigrant visas in this category to qualified applicants.

Employment-Based Second Preference or the EB-2 category allows for the legal travel of individuals with advanced degrees and exceptional abilities, who significantly contribute to various industries in the U.S. economy.

An employment-based, second-preference visa may be granted to individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities in their profession.

The eligibility criteria for EB-2 visas is determined under two sub-categories – Advanced Degree and Exceptional Ability.

EB-2 visa under the Advanced Degree requires an advanced degree or foreign equivalent degree plus 5 years of work experience in the field.

EB-2 visa under the Exceptional Ability requires you to demonstrate exceptional ability in sciences, arts, or business, demonstrating expertise significantly above standard, and meeting applicable labor certification requirements.

EB-2 visa holder’s spouse and any unmarried children under 21 may be able to seek admission to the US in E-21 and E-22 immigrant status, respectively, if their I-140 petition is granted.