I am retired but still work as a consultant. Does that hurt my EB-2 NIW?

No, being retired does not hurt your EB-2 NIW, especially if you remain active as a consultant. This visa does not require a formal employment relationship: what it evaluates is the merit, impact, and importance of your contributions in your field.

Retirement itself is not an obstacle. What matters is showing that your work remains relevant and continues to produce results. If your consulting activity keeps advancing the field, it can actually strengthen the argument that your expertise benefits the national interest of the United States.

To make that case clearly in the process, it helps to document the continuity of your work, for example:

• Recent consulting projects and the results achieved.
• The impact and relevance of that work in your field.
• Recognition from clients, peers, or institutions.

In other words, what counts is the consistency of your track record, not your retired status. Because each case is evaluated individually, it is worth checking the current requirements with USCIS and aligning your documentation with a specialist.

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.