EB-2
Advanced degree or exceptional ability
The queue is moving faster than the calendar
Between September 2025 and March 2026, 6 months apart, the all-areas cut-off advanced 13.5 months. That is 2.25 months of queue per month of real time. A cut-off was published in 7 of the 13 issues in that span, so this figure covers the months in which one was published rather than the year as a whole. The queue gained ground on the calendar over the months measured.
By September 2026 it was current: the queue had caught up and the cut-off was withdrawn.
Across the record here the cut-off moved 27.3 months between October 2023 and March 2026, 29 months apart. A cut-off was published in 30 of the 36 issues in that span, so the figure covers the months in which one was published rather than the record as a whole. Past pace is a record of what happened, not a schedule.
Movement, all areas
Final Action Dates across the 36 published months.
By country of chargeability
| Area | Final Action Dates | Dates for Filing | Since August | Pace, 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All chargeability areas except those listed | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | still current | 2.25x in 6 mo |
| China, mainland born | 01 Sep 2021 | 01 Jan 2022 | no move | 0.71x |
| India | U (unavailable, no numbers being issued) | 15 Jan 2015 | still unavailable | 0.89x in 9 moretrogressed 1x |
| Mexico | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | still current | 2.25x in 6 mo |
| Philippines | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | still current | 2.25x in 6 mo |
What the record shows
Measured across the 36 issues published here, for this category alone.
How far apart the countries are
In September 2026 only one country in this category carries a dated cut-off, so there is no spread to measure. The rest are either current, with no cut-off at all, or unavailable.
How steady the movement is
The mean step is the average size of one month of movement, in either direction. A cut-off that averages sixty days a month but stands still half the time behaves nothing like one that advances thirty days every month, and the two figures together say which this is.
- All areas, Mexico and Philippines: 31.7 days of movement in an average month, standing still in 48 percent of them. The longest unchanged run was 5 months on 15MAR23, July 2024 to December 2024.
- China: 20 days of movement in an average month, standing still in 63 percent of them. The longest unchanged run was 8 months on 01SEP21, January 2026 to September 2026. Dates for Filing currently sits 4 months ahead of Final Action Dates.
- India: 38.8 days of movement in an average month, standing still in 53 percent of them. The longest unchanged run was 5 months on 01JAN13, April 2025 to September 2025. No numbers at all for 3 issues, July 2026 to September 2026.
The annual reset
The bulletin runs on a fiscal year beginning 1 October. Pooling every country across the 73 comparisons that fall in those two quarters, the October-to-December quarter advanced 21 days in an average month and the July-to-September quarter advanced 5.4 days.
The reset is measurable here, and it runs the way the calendar’s reputation suggests: a generous October and a flat August are the ordinary rhythm of this category’s year rather than news. That is the shape to hold in mind before reading anything into a single month.
Backward steps on record
- June 2026: India fell back 10.4 months, from 15JUL14 to 01SEP13.
- August 2025: All areas, Mexico and Philippines fell back 1.4 months, from 15OCT23 to 01SEP23.
Questions this page answers
- Why does EB-2 take so long?
- Between October 2023 and March 2026, 29 months apart, the all-areas cut-off moved 27.3 months, a pace of 0.94 months of queue for every month of real time. A cut-off was published in 30 of the 36 issues in that span, so the figure covers the months in which one was published rather than the record as a whole. Between September 2025 and March 2026, 6 months apart, it moved 13.5 months, a pace of 2.25; a cut-off was published in 7 of the 13 issues in that span. The all-areas cut-off moved backwards in 1 of those 36 issues, so neither figure describes a steady advance. The bulletin does not publish a reason for the pace, and this site does not infer one.
- Has EB-2 ever moved backwards?
- Yes. Across the 36 issues published here the cut-off fell back in 2 of them, across 4 country columns, and 4 backward steps in all. The largest was 10.4 months, for India, in June 2026. A cut-off retrogresses when demand for a category exceeds what remains of its annual limit, and the numbers already promised have to be taken back.
- Which country waits longest in EB-2?
- Nothing to compare in September 2026. Only one country in this category carries a dated cut-off; the rest are either current, with no cut-off at all, or unavailable.
- When will a particular priority date be reached?
- The bulletin does not answer that, and neither does this site on its own authority. Past pace is a record of what happened, not a schedule. The history page offers a projection driven by a pace you choose, alongside the measured error of that method, which on this data misses by a median of several months even one year out.
Current values from the September 2026 bulletin, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Movement computed across 36 published months, 12 for the headline pace.