USCIS has to meet a quota of 280,000 green cards to issue before the end of the fiscal year on September 30th, 2022. USCIS and U.S. Department of State have issued 149,733 employment-based visas as they are in high demand due to the pandemic. This grant of employment-based U.S. Green Cards includes applicants, the applicants’ spouses, and their children that can accompany them immediately or reunite with them later on. To add on, the U.S. had 66,781 unused green cards in the year 2021 because of limited operations and backups that the pandemic has provoked.
These employment-based immigrant visas could be provided to investors, priority workers and people of extraordinary ability, professionals with degrees, skilled and unskilled workers, and more.
Employment-based immigrant visas, come under five different categories:
- Priority workers and Persons of Extraordinary ability
- Professionals holding advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability
- Skilled workers, professionals and unskilled workers
- Certain special immigrants
- Immigrant investors
The wait time for these green cards in 2022 is three years, but the wait time could be refused if the applicants pay a fee of $2,500.
