US EB-2: National Interest Waiver
EB-2 is the second preference employment-based immigrant (permanent) category in the US. The National Interest Waiver is a waiver within EB-2, not a separate category.
GTJ is not an official service. This page is general information written from the official pages listed below. It does not say whether you qualify, and it does not estimate anyone’s chances. The official page is always the authority; read the current version before you rely on anything.
What the USCIS page says
The page places the national interest waiver under the exceptions to the labour certification requirement, not among the EB-2 eligibility groups. It describes the requirement being waived because it is in the interest of the United States
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The page says people seeking a national interest waiver may file for themselves, without an employer sponsoring them.
What this page does not establish
- “NIW” and “EB-2 NIW” are common abbreviations and GTJ uses one in its web address, but neither appears on the USCIS page. USCIS says “National Interest Waiver”.
- GTJ does not summarise how USCIS evaluates a waiver request. Read the current page and its linked policy material.
- The US Department of State’s visa pages (travel.state.gov) refused GTJ’s automated check, so nothing here is cross-checked against them. Everything on this page rests on the USCIS page alone.
- An approved petition, a visa issued by a consulate, admission at the border and a change of status are separate steps. This page does not describe them.
- No fees, form editions, priority dates or processing times are given here.
Official sources
- USCIS · Employment-Based Immigration: Second Preference EB-2 https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-second-preference-eb-2
Editorial status
Written by the GTJ team from the official pages listed on this page, using route record version 2026-09-12.3. It has not been reviewed by a lawyer or a regulated immigration adviser.