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Analysis

EB-1 approvals: what extraordinary ability looks like in numbers

The three EB-1 sub-categories, and how the mix has shifted.

EB-1 is the only employment preference filed without a labour certification, and USCIS reports it in three sub-categories: extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers. The mix between them is the interesting part.

24,734

EB-1 filed FY2026

part year

7,866

Approved

in the same year

13,966

Pending

still awaiting a decision

What EB-1 approvals were granted under, FY2026

Multinational Executives or Managers 3,312 42.1%
Aliens with Extraordinary Ability 2,578 32.8%
Outstanding Professors or Researchers 1,976 25.1%

USCIS EB-1 approvals by sub-category

EB-1 filings by year

Fiscal year Filed Approved Denied Pending
FY2026 24,734 7,866 2,902 13,966
FY2025 51,370 26,572 8,877 15,921
FY2024 41,396 29,303 5,293 6,800
FY2023 37,493 30,923 5,319 1,251
FY2022 25,953 21,759 3,942 252
FY2021 22,021 18,471 3,428 122
FY2020 21,376 17,418 3,888 70
FY2019 24,130 19,309 4,755 66
FY2018 28,478 23,098 5,265 115
FY2017 32,066 27,117 4,765 184

The full pages

Read next

Source — USCIS, Form I-140 Receipts and Current Status by Preference and Country. Public domain.

Every figure above is read from the USCIS quarterly data release and rebuilt each time a new one is imported — this piece was last rebuilt 35 minutes ago. Nothing here is legal advice, and ImmigrationAll is not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency.