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USCIS Fact Sheet - STEM Petition Trends: EB-2 NIW and O-1A (FY 2018-2023)

Updated: Author: Alina Kanametova

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Official USCIS statistics on approval trends for STEM-field EB-2 NIW and O-1A petitions over FY 2018-2023, including the impact of the January 2022 policy...

EB-2 NIW O-1 EB-1A Original contribution Engineering / STEM Science / research

Official source of the document ↗verified 2026-09-09

About this document

A USCIS fact sheet on STEM-related petition trends in EB-2 NIW and O-1A from FY 2018-FY 2023. It explains the January 2022 policy update and presents receipts, approvals, denials, and approval rates for Form I-140 and Form I-129, with STEM, non-STEM, and unknown job-type breakdowns. It also shows how NIW filings grew sharply in FY 2023 and how O-1A receipts and approvals rose after the guidance change.

Key points

  • USCIS says the January 2022 guidance clarified how STEM professionals can show eligibility for EB-2 NIW and O-1A.
  • EB-2 Form I-140 total receipts rose 20% from FY 2021 to FY 2022, then another 10% in FY 2023.
  • STEM EB-2 receipts fell about 13% from FY 2022 to FY 2023, while non-STEM receipts rose 28%.
  • NIW receipts grew from 21% of EB-2 receipts in FY 2021 to 43% in FY 2023; NIW filings nearly doubled from FY 2022 to FY 2023.
  • O-1A Form I-129 receipts increased 29% from FY 2021 to FY 2022 and edged up again in FY 2023.
  • O-1A approvals followed the same pattern, and the overall approval rate stayed at 90% or above across FY 2018-FY 2023.

What is inside

  1. Updated policy guidance
  2. EB-2 receipts increased
  3. STEM receipts decreased
  4. NIW share increased
  5. O-1A receipts increased
  6. O-1A STEM approvals increased
  7. Appendix tables 1-5 and notes

When it helps

Provides statistical background for an EB-2 NIW or O-1A case, showing USCIS trend data after the January 2022 STEM guidance change. It can support a filing by documenting how USCIS reports receipt and approval patterns for these categories.

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Source: USCIS / official source. The material opens on the site. Reference material, not legal advice.

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