U.S. Employment-Based Green Card Categories: EB-1 to EB-5 Compared for Bangladeshi Applicants

Employment based green card categories in 2026: the five routes

The employment based green card categories give Bangladeshi professionals, executives, skilled workers, religious workers and investors five distinct routes to permanent residence in the United States. They are not interchangeable. EB-1 rewards the top of a field and skips the labour market test; EB-2 and EB-3 usually depend on a US employer completing PERM labour certification; EB-4 serves special immigrants such as religious workers; and EB-5 turns on a qualifying investment. Choosing the wrong category can cost years in the queue or a denied petition.

For Bangladeshi applicants the choice is sharpened by the visa bulletin. Bangladesh is not listed separately, so its nationals queue in the rest-of-world column. In October 2026 that column showed EB-1 and EB-5 as current, while EB-2, EB-3 and EB-4 carried cut-off dates stretching back as far as 2022.[8]

This guide compares the categories on eligibility, PERM, fees, processing, priority dates and the choice between adjustment of status and consular processing in Dhaka. Our separate guides cover the EB-1A visa from Bangladesh and the EB-2 NIW in depth. TRW is a Bangladesh law firm, not a US law firm. We prepare and verify the Bangladeshi side of a case and work alongside US-licensed immigration counsel, who advise on US law and represent applicants before US agencies.

Summary: US law allocates employment-based immigrant visas across five preferences: EB-1 for priority workers, EB-2 for advanced-degree professionals and people of exceptional ability, EB-3 for skilled workers, professionals and other workers, EB-4 for special immigrants and EB-5 for investors. EB-2 and EB-3 normally require a Department of Labor PERM certification before the employer files Form I-140, unless a national interest waiver or Schedule A applies. Bangladeshi nationals use the rest-of-world column of the visa bulletin, where in October 2026 EB-1 and EB-5 were current and the other categories were backlogged. The green card is then completed by adjustment of status in the United States or by consular processing at the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Key point: Pick the category that matches both the evidence and the queue. A Bangladeshi engineer who qualifies for EB-2 but could credibly meet EB-1 may save years by filing in the higher category; an employer-sponsored EB-3 case filed now still waits for a priority date that, in October 2026, sat in 2024.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

How the employment based green card categories are structured

Section 203(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, codified at 8 USC 1153(b), divides employment-based immigrant visas into five preferences. EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 may each use up to 28.6 per cent of the worldwide employment-based level. EB-4 and EB-5 may each use up to 7.1 per cent.[1] Each preference contains sub-categories with their own eligibility rules, evidence and filing party.

Every case needs a petition (Form I-140 for EB-1 to EB-3, Form I-360 for most EB-4 cases, an investor petition for EB-5), a visa number, and a final stage in the United States or abroad.

Where Bangladesh sits in the queue

Annual numbers are shared among all countries, subject to per-country limits. Countries with heavy demand, such as China and India, have their own columns in the visa bulletin. Bangladesh does not, so Bangladeshi nationals use the "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" column, often called rest of world.[8] That is an advantage: in October 2026 the EB-2 final action date for rest of world was 1 January 2025, against 1 November 2013 for India.[8]

Chargeability follows country of birth, not citizenship: a Bangladeshi citizen born in India may be charged to India. US counsel should confirm it before fixing a strategy.

Comparing the employment based green card categories side by side

The table below sets out the main sub-categories, the labour certification position, who files, the premium processing timeframe and the October 2026 rest-of-world final action date. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

Three conclusions follow. The self-petition routes, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, avoid PERM and employer control. The employer routes depend on a US sponsor and, outside EB-1, on PERM. And the visa bulletin, not USCIS processing, is the longest step in most EB-2, EB-3 and EB-4 cases.[8] [10]

EB-1: priority workers without labour certification

EB-1 has three sub-categories. None requires PERM, and EB-1 was current for rest of world in October 2026 under both visa bulletin charts.[8] That combination makes EB-1 the fastest employment route for a Bangladeshi applicant who genuinely qualifies, and the one most often attempted by those who do not.

EB-1A: extraordinary ability

EB-1A covers people with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, shown by sustained national or international acclaim, who will continue working in the field in the United States to its substantial benefit.[1] No job offer is needed and the applicant may self-petition. The evidentiary test, with its regulatory criteria and final merits review, is set out in our guide to the EB-1A visa from Bangladesh.

EB-1B: outstanding professors and researchers

EB-1B requires international recognition as outstanding in a specific academic area and at least three years of teaching or research. The applicant must be coming to a tenured or tenure-track teaching post, a comparable research position at a university, or a research role with a qualifying private employer.[1] The employer files. For Bangladeshi academics with a US offer, EB-1B often demands less than EB-1A, but ties the case to that institution.

EB-1C: multinational executives and managers

EB-1C serves executives and managers transferred within a corporate group. The beneficiary must have been employed abroad by a qualifying organisation for one year out of the previous three; the US and foreign entities must be the same employer or related as parent, subsidiary or affiliate; the US employer must have been doing business for at least one year; and the US role must be primarily managerial or executive. No labour certification is required.[2]

EB-1C is underused by Bangladeshi business groups. A group with a genuine, operating US subsidiary can move a senior manager to permanent residence without PERM and in the current EB-1 queue. Bangladesh-side corporate records, including RJSC filings, share registers and board minutes, carry much of the burden of proving the relationship and the role.

EB-2: advanced degrees, exceptional ability and the NIW

EB-2 covers members of the professions holding advanced degrees or their equivalent, and people of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business, whose services are sought by a US employer.[1] It is the main category for Bangladeshi doctors, engineers and IT professionals; in October 2026 its rest-of-world final action date was 1 January 2025.[8]

Advanced degree professionals

A US master's degree or higher, or a foreign equivalent, qualifies. So does a US bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent followed by at least five years of progressive experience in the specialty, which USCIS treats as the equivalent of a master's degree. The labour certification must itself require an advanced degree.[3] Bangladeshi degrees need a credential evaluation, and the question whether a particular degree equals a US bachelor's should be resolved before the PERM job requirements are written.

Exceptional ability

Exceptional ability means expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered in the sciences, arts or business. The applicant must meet at least three of six criteria, which include a relevant academic credential, at least ten years of full-time experience and membership of professional associations, with comparable evidence allowed where the criteria do not readily apply.[3]

The national interest waiver

The national interest waiver removes the job offer and labour certification requirements. USCIS asks whether the proposed endeavour has substantial merit and national importance, whether the applicant is well positioned to advance it, and whether, on balance, waiving the requirements benefits the United States. The applicant may self-petition.[3] The Dhanasar test, evidence strategy and approval trends are covered in our EB-2 NIW visa Bangladesh guide, and are not repeated here.

EB-3: skilled workers, professionals and other workers

EB-3 is the broadest of the employment based green card categories and the one most dependent on a US employer. It shares EB-2's 28.6 per cent allocation level, but its queue is longer: the October 2026 rest-of-world final action date was 15 May 2024 for skilled workers and professionals, and 1 January 2022 for other workers.[1] [8]

The three sub-categories

• Skilled workers: positions requiring at least two years of training or experience, not temporary or seasonal, for which qualified US workers are not available.[1]
• Professionals: members of the professions holding a baccalaureate degree.[1]
• Other workers: unskilled labour, not temporary or seasonal, for which qualified US workers are not available, capped at 10,000 visas a fiscal year.[1]

The statute bars a visa in any EB-3 sub-category until the Department of Labor has made its labour certification determination.[1] In practice, every EB-3 case begins with PERM unless the occupation is on Schedule A.

Schedule A and Bangladeshi nurses

Schedule A lists occupations for which the Department of Labor has pre-certified a shortage. Group I covers professional nurses and physical therapists; Group II covers certain people of exceptional ability in the sciences or arts and in the performing arts. Schedule A cases do not need a DOL-approved PERM certification and are filed directly with USCIS.[3] For Bangladeshi nurses, that removes the slowest pre-petition stage.

Bangladeshi degrees and experience letters

A degree that a credential evaluator does not accept as equivalent to a US bachelor's may push the case into the skilled worker sub-category. Prior experience must be proved by letters from former employers stating the title, duties, dates and hours. Bangladeshi employers that have closed, merged or changed names make this harder, and institutional name changes are explained in our analysis of university name changes and legal documents.

PERM labour certification: the employer's gateway

PERM is the Department of Labor process that allows an employer to hire a foreign worker permanently. Before the immigrant petition reaches USCIS, the Department of Labor must certify that there are not sufficient able, willing, qualified and available US workers, and that employing the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers. The employer files, not the employee.[5]

Prevailing wage determination

The employer first obtains a prevailing wage determination for the position, and advertisements may not state a wage lower than the prevailing wage.[6] As of 30 September 2026 the Department of Labor was processing prevailing wage requests for PERM received in June 2026.[7] A March 2026 proposal to raise the wage levels is discussed below under the 2026 changes.

Recruitment

For professional occupations the employer must place a job order with the state workforce agency for 30 days and two print advertisements on two different Sundays in a newspaper of general circulation, and complete three additional steps chosen from a regulatory list that includes job fairs, the employer's website, job search websites, campus recruiting and employee referral programmes.[6] The mandatory steps must take place at least 30 days, but no more than 180 days, before filing, and only one additional step may fall within the final 30 days.[6] Non-professional positions need the job order and the two Sunday advertisements.[6]

Filing Form ETA-9089 and the priority date

The employer then files Form ETA-9089. The date the Department of Labor receives it becomes the priority date used by USCIS and the State Department. An approved certification is valid for 180 days and expires if the I-140 is not filed with USCIS within that period.[5] An early, clean PERM filing is therefore the most valuable step in an EB-2 or EB-3 case.

PERM processing in 2026

PERM remains slow. As of 5 October 2026 the Department of Labor's analyst review was processing applications filed in December 2025, with an average of 336 calendar days; audited cases were also at December 2025 filings.[7] With the prevailing wage stage and recruitment, PERM alone now takes well over a year.

EB-4: special immigrants

EB-4 is a collection of special immigrant classifications, most filed on Form I-360, rather than a single route. It receives 7.1 per cent of the worldwide level, with a sub-limit of 5,000 for non-minister religious workers.[1] No PERM is required. Its sub-categories include religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain international organisation employees and certain members of the US armed forces.[12]

Religious workers

Religious workers, including imams and religious teachers, use the EB-4 route most relevant to Bangladeshi applicants. The worker must have been a member of the religious denomination for at least two years immediately before filing and must have worked continuously in the religious vocation or occupation for at least two years immediately before filing. The petition may be filed by the US religious organisation or by the worker, and USCIS may inspect the petitioning organisation.[4]

The programme for non-minister religious workers depends on temporary extensions by Congress. H.R. 6500, signed on 2 September 2026, extended it through 11 December 2026; ministers are not affected by the sunset.[8] [4] The EB-4 final action date for rest of world in October 2026 was 15 December 2022, so even an approved petition faces a substantial wait.[8]

Other EB-4 routes

Special immigrant juvenile classification, for certain abused, neglected or abandoned children in the United States, is a specialist US process. The I-360 filing fee is generally $515, although special immigrant juveniles pay a separate statutory fee.[11]

EB-5: investment as the route

EB-5 grants permanent residence to investors in a new commercial enterprise that creates full-time jobs for at least ten US workers. The statutory investment is $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or an infrastructure project, with 20 per cent of visas reserved for rural projects, 10 per cent for high-unemployment areas and 2 per cent for infrastructure.[1] The amounts adjust for inflation from 1 January 2027, and the regional centre programme is authorised through 30 September 2027.[1] EB-5 was current for rest of world in October 2026, including the unreserved category and all three set-asides.[8]

For Bangladeshi investors the hard part is usually not the US petition but the money. USCIS requires a documented lawful source and path of funds, while Bangladesh keeps capital account transactions by residents under Bangladesh Bank control, so a resident cannot simply remit investment capital to the United States. Our guide to foreign exchange regulations in Bangladesh explains the framework.

Priority dates and the October 2026 visa bulletin for Bangladesh

The priority date is the applicant's place in the queue. For PERM cases it is the date the Department of Labor received the ETA-9089.[5] For EB-1, NIW and other cases without PERM, it is generally the date USCIS received the petition. A visa can be issued only when the priority date is earlier than the cut-off date for the category and chargeability.

Final action dates and dates for filing

Each monthly bulletin contains two charts. Final action dates determine when a visa can be issued or adjustment approved. Dates for filing determine when applicants can submit documents to the National Visa Center or, if USCIS so designates, file Form I-485.[8] For October 2026, USCIS designated the dates for filing chart for employment-based adjustment applications.[9]

The October 2026 rest-of-world position

• EB-1: current under both charts.[8]
• EB-2: final action 1 January 2025; dates for filing 15 March 2026.[8]
• EB-3: final action 15 May 2024; dates for filing 1 August 2024.[8]
• EB-3 other workers: final action 1 January 2022; dates for filing 1 June 2022.[8]
• EB-4 and religious workers: final action 15 December 2022; dates for filing 1 January 2025.[8]
• EB-5: unreserved and all set-asides current under both charts.[8]

The October bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, warned that some rest-of-world employment categories had retrogressed and that dates would be monitored and adjusted.[8]

The November 2026 bulletin

As at 20 October 2026 the State Department had not published the November 2026 visa bulletin, so the October dates remain the operative position. EB-2 and EB-3 applicants planning a November adjustment filing should check the new bulletin and USCIS's chart designation first.

Fees and processing across the employment based green card categories

Fees must be paid correctly or the filing is rejected. The figures below reflect the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, edition dated 7 October 2026.[11]

• Form I-140 (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3): $715 on paper or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $600 for most employers, $300 for employers with 25 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees and for self-petitioners, and nothing for non-profits.[11]
• Form I-360 (most EB-4 cases): generally $515.[11]
• Premium processing (Form I-907) for I-140 petitions: $2,965.[11]
• Form I-485 adjustment: $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online for applicants aged 14 and over; $950 on paper for a child under 14 filing with a parent.[11]
• Work permit and advance parole with a pending I-485: $260 for Form I-765 and $630 on paper for Form I-131.[11]
• USCIS immigrant fee for consular cases: $235, paid before travel.[11]

Premium processing timeframes

Premium processing is available for I-140 petitions in EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3, but not for I-360 or EB-5 investor petitions. USCIS commits to act within 15 calendar days for most I-140 classifications and within 45 calendar days for EB-1C multinational managers and EB-2 national interest waivers. A request for evidence stops the clock.[10] Premium processing speeds the petition, not PERM or the visa bulletin.

Adjustment of status or consular processing in Dhaka

Every case in the employment based green card categories ends in one of two ways. An applicant lawfully in the United States can usually apply to USCIS to adjust status on Form I-485. An applicant in Bangladesh, or one who cannot or does not wish to adjust, completes the case through the National Visa Center and an immigrant visa interview at the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Adjustment of status in the United States

Most employment-based applicants may file Form I-485 together with the immigrant petition, or while it is pending, when a visa number is immediately available. Concurrent filing is possible only for applicants adjusting status inside the United States, not in consular cases.[12] For a Bangladeshi applicant in H-1B, F-1, L-1 or O-1 status, adjustment of status brings a work permit and advance parole while the case is pending.

Adjustment carries its own risks. Status violations must be checked against the INA 245(k) allowance, explained in our EB-1A guide, and J-1 holders may be subject to the two-year home residence requirement. Since 18 September 2026 the new public charge rule applies to adjustment applications postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date, giving USCIS officers broader discretion over a wider range of benefits.[13]

Consular processing through Dhaka

After USCIS approves the petition and the priority date is current, the case moves to the National Visa Center for fees, Form DS-260 and civil documents, and then to the immigrant visa unit in Dhaka. The Bangladeshi civil documents the embassy expects, the medical examination, the two-visit interview format and the 2026 interruptions to immigrant visa scheduling are covered in our guide to the US green card from Bangladesh. The 2026 public charge rule does not itself govern consular cases, which the State Department handles separately.[13]

Choosing between the two

For applicants in valid US status, adjustment of status is usually the safer route in 2026 because it does not depend on the consular appointment calendar. Consular processing suits applicants living in Bangladesh, those with a status problem adjustment cannot cure, and J-1 holders bound by the home residence requirement. Decide when the I-140 is filed, not when the priority date becomes current.

2026 policy changes affecting the categories

Several 2026 developments affect the employment based green card categories. Check each on the day of filing.

• Retrogression for rest of world: the October 2026 bulletin moved some rest-of-world employment categories backwards at the start of fiscal year 2027, and EB-2 and EB-3 filing dates retrogressed moderately.[8] [9]
• Proposed prevailing wage increases: on 27 March 2026 the Department of Labor proposed raising the wage levels used for PERM and H-1B, with Level I moving from the 17th to the 34th percentile and Level IV from the 67th to the 88th. Comments closed on 26 May 2026. If finalised, required wages for EB-2 and EB-3 positions would rise.[14] We have not seen a final rule as at 20 October 2026.
• Other moving parts: the public charge rescission for adjustment from 18 September 2026, the religious worker sunset on 11 December 2026, the EB-5 inflation adjustment from 1 January 2027 and a PERM analyst review averaging 336 days, each discussed above.[13] [8] [1] [7]

Consular operations are a separate risk: immigrant visa interruptions during 2026 are tracked in our US immigration from Bangladesh guide, and where there is a choice they favour adjustment of status.

Step-by-step: from category choice to green card

Run the US process and the Bangladesh document work in parallel, so nothing on the Bangladeshi side delays a current priority date.

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Matching Bangladeshi profiles to the employment based green card categories

A researcher with a doctorate and strong citations should test EB-1A, EB-1B if a US university offers a permanent post, and the NIW; because EB-1 was current in October 2026 and EB-2 was not, a credible EB-1 filing often makes sense even where the NIW is the safer legal case.[8]

An executive of a Bangladeshi group with a genuine US subsidiary should look first at EB-1C.[2] A software engineer with a bachelor's degree and five years of progressive experience may qualify for EB-2 through PERM, and with less experience for EB-3.[3] Nurses benefit from Schedule A, religious workers use EB-4 despite its sunset risk, and investors with lawfully held funds outside Bangladesh may find EB-5 the fastest route while it remains current.[3] [8]

Mistakes to avoid

Most problems in the employment based green card categories come from early choices that are hard to reverse later.

• Defaulting to EB-2 or EB-3: failing to test whether the record supports EB-1, which was current for rest of world in October 2026.[8]
• Late credential evaluation: writing PERM job requirements before confirming that a Bangladeshi degree is accepted as the required US equivalent.
• Weak experience letters: Bangladeshi employer letters without titles, duties, dates and hours.
• Letting PERM lapse: missing the 180-day window to file the I-140 after certification.[5]
• Misreading the bulletin: using the final action chart when USCIS has designated dates for filing, or the reverse.[9]
• Chargeability errors: assuming Bangladeshi citizenship decides the column when country of birth governs.

Who does what: US counsel, TRW and the agencies

An employment-based case involves three US agencies, a US employer and two sets of lawyers. Clear roles prevent duplicated work and missed deadlines.

TRW is a Bangladesh law firm and does not give advice on US immigration law. Our role is the Bangladeshi half of the file: verifying degrees, experience letters and corporate records, obtaining certified copies from Bangladeshi institutions and the RJSC, reconciling discrepancies, coordinating translations, and advising on Bangladeshi foreign exchange and corporate questions. Your US-licensed immigration attorney advises on the category, prepares PERM and the I-140, files any I-485 and represents you before US agencies. Our global mobility and business immigration practice and immigration and visa services team coordinate directly with US counsel.

Final checks before you choose

Before committing to a category, answer five questions with evidence. Does my record support EB-1, and if not, EB-2? Will a US employer run PERM, or do I need a self-petition? Is my Bangladeshi degree accepted as the required equivalent? What does the current visa bulletin show under my country of birth? Will I adjust status or interview in Dhaka? To prepare the Bangladesh side of your case or coordinate with your US attorney, contact TRW.

Frequently asked questions

What are the employment based green card categories?

There are five preferences: EB-1 for priority workers, EB-2 for advanced-degree professionals and people of exceptional ability, EB-3 for skilled workers, professionals and other workers, EB-4 for special immigrants and EB-5 for investors.[1]

Which visa bulletin column applies to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is not listed separately, so applicants born in Bangladesh use the "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" column, often called rest of world.[8]

Which categories were current for Bangladesh in October 2026?

EB-1 and EB-5 were current. EB-2 had a final action date of 1 January 2025, EB-3 of 15 May 2024 and EB-4 of 15 December 2022.[8]

Has the November 2026 visa bulletin been published?

Not as at 20 October 2026. Until it is, the October 2026 dates apply.

Which categories need PERM labour certification?

Most EB-2 and all EB-3 cases, unless the occupation is on Schedule A or, for EB-2, a national interest waiver is granted. EB-1, EB-4 and EB-5 do not use PERM.[1] [2] [3]

How long does PERM take in 2026?

As of 5 October 2026, analyst review was processing December 2025 filings, averaging 336 days, after a prevailing wage stage and at least 30 days of recruitment.[7] [6]

Can I self-petition for an employment-based green card?

Yes, under EB-1A and the EB-2 national interest waiver, and religious workers may file their own I-360. Other categories require a US employer or, for EB-5, an investment.[1] [3] [4]

What does an I-140 cost in 2026?

$715 on paper or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $600, $300 or nothing depending on the petitioner, and $2,965 if premium processing is requested.[11]

Can I adjust status instead of interviewing in Dhaka?

If you are lawfully in the United States and a visa number is available, usually yes, and you may file the I-485 with or after the immigrant petition. Concurrent filing is not available in consular cases.[12]

Can TRW file my green card petition?

No. TRW is a Bangladesh law firm and does not practise US immigration law. We prepare and verify the Bangladeshi documents and corporate and financial records, and work alongside your US-licensed immigration attorney, who files the petition and represents you.