Does EB-1 typically experience retrogression?

The EB-1 is a first-preference employment-based category and, for that reason, has a reputation for moving faster than others. Even so, saying it never experiences retrogression would be inaccurate: the availability of visa numbers shifts over time, with demand and with the applicant’s country of birth.

Retrogression occurs when demand for a category exceeds the available visa numbers in a given period and priority dates move backward. Even categories that are usually current can retrogress at certain times, particularly for countries with high petition volumes.

For that reason, the safest approach is not to assume a fixed scenario. The official, up-to-date picture is in the Visa Bulletin, published periodically by the U.S. Department of State, which shows the current dates by category and by country.

To plan timelines with confidence, it is worth following the official bulletin and, if you need to interpret your specific situation, speaking with a specialist before making decisions.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.