USCIS asks Indian professionals to seek green cards in EB-2 category

Call comes after State Department advances date for filing in EB-2 category for India from Sep 1, 2013, to Sep 1, 2014

The US immigration agency wants Indian professionals with approved immigrant visa petitions in the EB-2 category and a priority date earlier than Sep 1, 2014 to apply for green cards in April.

The advice from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came as the State Department advanced the date for filing applications for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status in EB-2 category for India from Sep 1, 2013, to Sep 1, 2014.

The employment-based, second preference EB-2 category includes members of the professions holding advanced degrees or their equivalent, and individuals with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business.

Read: Green card applicants advised to switch categories for better chances (February 21, 2022)

The State Department announced the change in Date for Filing (also known as the application date) applications in the recently published April Visa Bulletin.

“If you are a noncitizen who has an approved immigrant visa petition in the EB-2 category chargeable to India and a priority date earlier than Sept. 1, 2014, USCIS encourages you to consider applying for adjustment of status in April by filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status,” the agency announced Thursday.

Applicants should include their Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with the Form I-485 to save time, USCIS said.

Applicants are not required to file Form I-693 at the same time they file Form I-485, but filing both forms at the same time may eliminate the need for USCIS to issue a Request for Evidence to obtain their Form I-693.

This may also help avoid adjudication delays if the USCIS decides that the applicant does not need to be interviewed, it said.

As previously announced, USCIS said it continues to encourage eligible applicants to consider requesting to transfer the underlying basis of their pending adjustment of status applications in the EB-3 category to the EB-1 or EB-2 category if they meet the required criteria.

Read: Work visa holders question new USCIS mission statement (February 10, 2022)

The criteria are: a visa is unavailable to them in the EB-3 category; they have a pending or approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers; and a visa is available in the EB-1 or EB-2 category.

For more information, please see the Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants page and the Visa Availability and Priority Dates page.