The EB-2 category covers employer-sponsored green cards for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. For most applicants, the road starts with PERM labor certification, and the wait times at every step can shift without warning.
Knowing what to watch, and where to look, saves you from missing a critical window.
What Is PERM and Why Does It Matter?
PERM stands for Program Electronic Review Management. It is the process your employer goes through with the Department of Labor (DOL) before sponsoring you for an EB-2 green card. The DOL must certify that no qualified US worker is available for the role.
Your priority date, which is the date that holds your place in the green card line, is set the day your employer files the PERM application. That date stays with you even as you move through the rest of the process.
The Three Things That Move in EB-2
There are three separate timelines worth tracking in 2026:
- DOL PERM processing time. This is how long it takes the DOL to approve your employer's labor certification. It has ranged from a few months to well over a year depending on audit rates and staffing at the DOL.
- USCIS I-140 processing time. After PERM is approved, your employer files Form I-140 to formally petition for your green card. Premium processing (paying an extra fee for faster review) is available here.
- Visa Bulletin priority date movement. This is the monthly State Department chart that tells you how far the green card line has moved. If your priority date is "current," you can apply for your green card. If it is not, you wait.
The Backlog Problem for India and China
For EB-2 applicants born in India or China, the backlog is severe. Priority dates for these countries can be decades behind. The October 2025 Visa Bulletin showed the EB-2 India final action date stuck in the early 2010s. Movement is slow, sometimes just a few weeks per month, and sometimes it retrogresses (moves backward).
For applicants from most other countries, EB-2 dates are often current or close to current. Your country of birth, not citizenship, determines which line you are in.
What Changes to Watch in 2026
Policy and timing changes happen often. Here is what can shift:
- The Visa Bulletin releases a new chart around the 8th to 10th of each month
- DOL can announce changes to the PERM audit process or adjudication priorities
- Congress occasionally introduces legislation that could affect annual green card caps or per-country limits
- USCIS can change which Visa Bulletin chart (Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing) it allows people to use in a given month
Missing a bulletin movement or a filing window is a real risk if you are not paying attention.
A Copy-Paste AIDular Prompt for EB-2 Tracking
If you want weekly updates on EB-2 without checking government sites yourself, you can use AIDular. It searches the web on a schedule and emails you a sourced summary.
Here is a prompt you can copy and paste straight into AIDular:
"Send me a weekly update on EB-2 visa news. Include: the latest Visa Bulletin priority dates for EB-2 India, China, and all other countries; any DOL PERM processing time changes; USCIS I-140 processing time updates; and any policy announcements from USCIS or the State Department affecting employment-based green cards."
Set it to weekly, and you will get a clean email every week with what has changed. The Lite plan is free at aidular.com.
Where to Verify Everything
Always confirm information on official sources before making any filing decisions:
- Visa Bulletin: travel.state.gov
- PERM and DOL updates: dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor
- USCIS processing times: egov.uscis.gov/processing-times
And for anything specific to your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney. General information like this post is not legal advice and cannot replace professional guidance for your situation.
Staying on top of EB-2 news is genuinely hard to do manually. Try AIDular free at aidular.com and let it do the checking for you.