U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reported movement in the numbers of O-1A and EB-2 visa applications and approvals since Biden administration guidance was released in early 2022, along with an overall increase in applications for national interest waivers, although the approval rate for the latter declined. The approval rate for both O-1A and EB-2 applications remained at 90 percent or above in fiscal years (FYs) 2018 through 2023. Below are highlights.

O-1A Visas: Applications and Approvals Increased

According to reports, after the Biden administration announced new guidance in January 2022, there were significant increases in applications and approvals for high-skilled visas, including O-1A visas for individuals with an extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (not including the arts, motion pictures, or television industry).

The 2022 guidance provided “examples of evidence that may satisfy the O-1A evidentiary criteria and discusse[d] considerations that are relevant to evaluating such evidence, with a focus on the highly technical nature of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] fields and the complexity of the evidence often submitted.”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported that from FY 2021 to FY 2022, total receipts of Forms I-129 for O-1A petitioners increased 29 percent, from 7,710 to 9,970. They continued to increase slightly from 9,970 in FY 2022 to 10,010 in FY 2023. Approvals followed a similar trend by increasing by 25 percent from FY 2021 to FY 2022, from 7,320 to 9,120. They continued to increase slightly from 9,120 in FY 2022 to 9,490 in FY 2023. The approval rate remained stable at 90 percent or above in FYs 2018 through 2023.

EB-2 Receipts Increased; Approvals Increased, Then Decreased

There were also increases in EB-2 receipts, although approvals declined after increasing. USCIS reported that from FY 2021 to FY 2022, total receipts of Forms I-140 with and without waivers (combined) increased by 20 percent, from 70,600 to 84,470. Receipts continued to increase by another 10 percent from FY 2022 to FY 2023. Approvals increased by 60 percent from 57,810 in FY 2021 to 92,280 in FY 2022 but decreased about 12 percent from 92,280 in FY 2022 to 81,380 in FY 2023. The approval rate remained at 90 percent or above in FYs 2018 through 2023.

USCIS also noted that total EB-2 receipts in STEM job categories decreased by almost 13 percent, from 61,790 in FY 2022 to 53,960 in FY 2023. Receipts in non-STEM job categories increased by 28 percent during that time. Increasing numbers of EB-2 petitioners are requesting national interest waivers.

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