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E26
CATEGORYCategory Code on the Card

Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments

Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments

✓ ReviewedPathway availableCode source confirmedEB-2Adjustment of statusPrincipal applicantPermanent resident
UNITED STATES OF AMERICAPERMANENT RESIDENTSurname—Given Name—USCIS#—Country of Birth—Date of Birth—Card Expires:—Resident Since—CategoryE26Sex—TEACHING SAMPLE · NOT A VALID DOCUMENT
Cartoon category illustration, not an actual document
01Immigrant Category
Employment-based immigration—EB-2—advanced-degree professionals (no longer subdivided)
02Method of Obtaining Status
Adjustment of status
03Applicant Role
Principal applicant
04Nature of Residency
Permanent resident

Code source:Code source confirmed

This code appears in an official code table or official announcement; this establishes only that the code exists, not that all fields have been verified or that applications are currently open.

Notes on Code and Data Sources

Availability status (code and pathway assessed separately)

Code status

Available in official code tables/announcements

The code's presence in official materials proves only that the code exists; it does not indicate whether the pathway is open.

Underlying pathway status

Pathway available

Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.

Pathway:EB-2 Second-Preference Employment-Based Immigration (Including NIW)。USCIS EB-2 page: Advanced-degree professionals, exceptional ability, and the national interest waiver remain current; spouses and children may derive status. Evidence valid through 2026-12-31.

Verification date2026-10-11; independent of the difficulty-of-obtaining-status score; the absence of a score does not affect this status.

02One-Sentence Status Summary

Professionals holding advanced degrees (adjustment of status within the United States)

05Pathway Family and Related Immigration Pathways

Pathway family (working classification):Employment-based immigration—EB-2—advanced-degree professionals (no longer subdivided)

The specific subpathway cannot be determined solely from the code on the card. The following are representative possible pathways, not an exhaustive list.

  • EB-2 · Labor Certification (PERM) PathwayAmbiguous correspondence

    An employer-sponsored EB-2 employment-based immigration pathway involving the labor certification process.

    The following are representative possible pathways, not an exhaustive list of all combinations of eligibility and procedures; E26 alone cannot establish the specific pathway.

    Difficulty（Principal applicant）：Difficulty 50 / 99

  • EB-2 · National Interest Waiver (NIW) PathwayAmbiguous correspondence

    Either self-petitioning or employer petitioning is permitted; an approved NIW may waive the job offer and labor certification (PERM) requirements.

    The following are representative possible pathways, not an exhaustive list of all combinations of eligibility and procedures; E26 alone cannot establish the specific pathway.

    Difficulty（Principal applicant）：Difficulty 50 / 99

Difficulty-of-Obtaining Scorev1

Pathway Assessed:EB-2 Advanced-Degree Professionals · Employer PERM Pathway (Principal Applicant, Adjustment of Status within the United States)

50/ 99
Difficulty 50 / 99Pathway available

Mapping Explanation:Only the standard employer labor certification (PERM) pathway is assessed. The E26 card code itself does not distinguish NIW cases; the national interest waiver (NIW) pathway has not been assessed, and this score must not be applied to it.

  • QEligibility entry threshold×0.450
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Must hold a U.S. degree above the bachelor's level or an equivalent foreign degree, or a bachelor's degree plus 5 years of progressive experience in the specialty; the position must be in a professional occupation, and the applicant must meet the job requirements specified in the labor certification.

    Anchor:A combination of several statutory conditions that can be planned for (such as education + a specialty occupation position, or compliant capital investment + job creation).

    Reason:Education/experience and the employer's position form a combination of requirements that can be planned for.

  • VNumerical-limit competition and waiting×0.2550
    Reasons and Evidence
    • The annual cap for employment-based immigrant preference categories is 140,000, allocated by subcategory and per-country percentages and subject to the priority-date system.

    Anchor:Subject to a statutory annual cap (allocation through priority dates/the visa bulletin, or a cap on total annual approvals/status grants).

    Reason:Subject to statutory caps and the priority-date system; an individual's wait depends on country and priority date. This site does not provide individual waiting times.

  • EEvidentiary burden×0.1550
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Official academic records, or a bachelor's degree plus employer-issued documentation of 5 years of progressive experience, must be submitted, along with an approved labor certification.

    Anchor:Two to three independent elements, each requiring dedicated documentation.

    Reason:Education, experience, and labor certification constitute two to three independent requirements.

  • CStatutory financial threshold×0.125
    Reasons and Evidence
    • The statutory financial requirements on the applicant's side consist solely of government filing fees (the G-1055 fee schedule lists I-140 and I-485).

    Anchor:Government application/visa fees only.

    Reason:There is no statutory investment or statutory sponsorship amount; attorney fees are not estimated.

  • PProcedural dependencies×0.175
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Generally, an ETA-9089 labor certification approved by the Department of Labor must first be obtained, followed by the employer's filing of I-140 and then the green card process.

    Anchor:Dependent on a third party (employer/project entity) in a multistage process, such as PERM → I-140 → green card.

    Reason:Depends on the employer to complete the multistage PERM → I-140 → green card process.

An assessment under this site's editorial rules, not a government score, probability of approval, or individualized legal conclusion. Assessed 2026-10-11; valid through 2027-04-11.Scoring Methodology

06Applicant Role

Legally reviewed characterization:Principal applicant

Source catalog's working classification:Principal applicant

07Method of Obtaining Status

Legally reviewed characterization:Adjustment of status

Source catalog's working classification:Adjustment of status within the United States

08Conditional Resident Status and Permanent Nature of Residence

Conditional resident:No

Residence category (working classification):Permanent resident

09Principal Applicant / Derivative Relationship

Distinction Between EB-2 Advanced-Degree Professional Principal Applicants and Derivative Family Members

The four derivative definitions for E22/E27/E23/E28 all read “spouses/children of E21 or E26”; the source does not specify which particular principal applicant code the derivative status is based on.

Verification of a Newly Added Pathway:Pathway available

Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.

USCIS EB-2 page: Advanced-degree professionals, exceptional ability, and the national interest waiver remain current; spouses and children may derive status.

Verification2026-10-11· Valid through2026-12-31 · eb2

Limitations of the Original Relationship Snapshot

The source is the DHS/OHSS master COA table's directory of definitions and establishes only that the definition exists; OHSS does not provide an active status, and whether the status can still be newly obtained requires separate verification of the governing legal authority.(As of the original snapshot, not a current conclusion)

This code belongs to a “set of possible principal applicants”Source-linked · pending review (set of multiple principal applicants)

Derivative codeE22（Spouse) has a principal applicant who is one member of the following set; the source does not specify which one:

The official definition of E26 establishes only “Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments”. E26 alone does not establish whether the principal applicant pursued the PERM labor certification pathway, the NIW national interest waiver pathway, or another more specific subpathway.

This code belongs to a “set of possible principal applicants”Source-linked · pending review (set of multiple principal applicants)

Derivative codeE27（Spouse) has a principal applicant who is one member of the following set; the source does not specify which one:

The official definition of E26 establishes only “Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments”. E26 alone does not establish whether the principal applicant pursued the PERM labor certification pathway, the NIW national interest waiver pathway, or another more specific subpathway.

This code belongs to a “set of possible principal applicants”Source-linked · pending review (set of multiple principal applicants)

Derivative codeE23（Children) has a principal applicant who is one member of the following set; the source does not specify which one:

The official definition of E26 establishes only “Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments”. E26 alone does not establish whether the principal applicant pursued the PERM labor certification pathway, the NIW national interest waiver pathway, or another more specific subpathway.

This code belongs to a “set of possible principal applicants”Source-linked · pending review (set of multiple principal applicants)

Derivative codeE28（Children) has a principal applicant who is one member of the following set; the source does not specify which one:

The official definition of E26 establishes only “Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments”. E26 alone does not establish whether the principal applicant pursued the PERM labor certification pathway, the NIW national interest waiver pathway, or another more specific subpathway.

  • The relationships in this version come only from the verbatim definitions in the source text; no principal/derivative relationship is inferred from code prefixes or suffixes, numerical magnitude, or adjacent numbering.
  • “Principal applicant / derivative” describes only the classification in the source directory at the time permanent resident status is obtained; it does not mean that, after becoming an LPR, the principal applicant retains any ongoing control over family members' status.
  • The OHSS master table establishes only the existence of a definitions catalog; it does not automatically establish that status under the code can still be newly obtained today.
  • Relationships marked “Source-linked · pending review” have not yet undergone completed independent legal review and are listed solely according to the original source text.

04Time Period and Evidentiary Limits on “Whether It Can Still Be Newly Obtained Today”

Time-period notation:OHSS master table combining current and historical entries (status not identified by OHSS)

Verification of a Newly Added Pathway:Pathway available

Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.

USCIS EB-2 page: Advanced-degree professionals, exceptional ability, and the national interest waiver remain current; spouses and children may derive status.

Verification2026-10-11· Valid through2026-12-31 · eb2

Status recorded at the time of the original snapshot (not a conclusion about current status)
  • The source does not provide an active status; whether the status can still be newly obtained requires item-by-item verification of the governing legal authority.

Fields that were unverified at the time of the original snapshot remain unchanged. See the newly added pathway verification for current status; other fields are not thereby elevated to verified status.

Annual Card Issuance Statistics (Independent Facts, Not Used in Scoring)

No reliable data currently available.

03Official English and Chinese Working Translation

  • Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments

    Working Chinese name (translated): Professionals holding advanced degrees (adjustment of status within the United States)

10Same-Code / Cross-Era Notice

The source does not flag any risk of cross-era confusion.

The same code may have different meanings in different eras. The source and era are preserved for each entry below; entries are not merged across eras, nor does their inclusion indicate current validity.

  • E26OHSS master table combining current and historical entries (status not identified by OHSS)OHSS-0138-E26

    Professionals holding advanced degrees, adjustments

    Official Grouping
    Immigration for Employment
    Original Snapshot Notes (Not Current Status)

    The OHSS page does not provide an active/status field; the existence of a source does not mean the pathway is currently open.

11General Limitations for Existing Holders

  • Discontinuation of a code does not automatically revoke LPR status previously lawfully obtained; an individual's status still depends on subsequent facts.

This page compiles code reference materials. It does not constitute legal advice or determine any individual's current immigration status.

01Code and Original Source Notation

Normalized code:E26

The source contains no other notation differing from the normalized code.

12Sources, Dates, and Review Status (Entry by Entry)

  • OHSS-0138-E26

    DHS/OHSS COA master table · accessed 2026-08-12

    Original snapshot review status:Official English and working Chinese fields reviewed; whether the pathway is open remains subject to separate verification against legal sources(As recorded at the time; for current status, see the newly added pathway verification below)

    • ✓ Original English text：Verified as matching the official English original
    • · Chinese name：Working Chinese translation, not subjected to word-by-word legal review
    • · Legal Authority：No official basis found during this review (field retained, unverified)
    • · Status in the original snapshot：Current availability was not officially confirmed in the original snapshot only; see the added pathway verification for current status.
    • ✓ Applicant Role：Role supported by an official label
    • ✓ Method of Obtaining Status：Method of obtaining status supported by an official label
    • · Status category：Listed in the official LPR code table (conditional status not separately verified)

    Verification of a Newly Added Pathway:Pathway available

    Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.

    USCIS EB-2 page: Advanced-degree professionals, exceptional ability, and the national interest waiver remain current; spouses and children may derive status.

    Verification2026-10-11· Valid through2026-12-31 · eb2

Reviewed Sources

Every fact in this overlay comes from published coa_codes / pathway_variants / coa_pathway_map / issuance_statistics / sources rows in this repository's supabase/migrations; no conclusions that have not undergone review are added. 2026-10-10 correction: the official labels for RR6/RR7/RR8 were changed to the original wording of FY2024 Table 7, and the citation was changed to that table (the OHSS master COA table does not contain RR codes); annual figures are official approximate values rounded to the nearest 10.

Principal applicant code. E26 alone does not establish the specific subpathway (employer-sponsored PERM or NIW).

READING NOTES / Scope of Reading

AboutE26, you may want to know

Green Card Knowledge Base / RELATED READING

UnderstandingE26Related Information

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