U.S. immigration law stipulates that the annual family or employment immigration quota for each country shall not exceed 7% of the total quota. Some countries (such as mainland China, India, Mexico, etc.) have a large number of immigrants exceeding the country quota, so a waiting period has occurred.

How are green cards allocated?

The green card quota for employment-based immigration is 140,000 per year, while the green card quota for family-based immigration is 226,000 per year.

The annual green card quotas for different categories of employment-based immigrants are as follows:

• EB-1: About 40,000 quotas each year (accounting for 28.6% of the total employment-based immigration quotas) + the remaining quotas for EB-4 and EB-5 this year.

Applicable to: EB-1A outstanding talents, EB-1B outstanding professors/scholars and EB-1C multinational company managers/presidents.

• EB-2: About 40,000 quotas each year (accounting for 28.6% of the total number of employment-based immigration quotas) + the remaining quotas for EB-1 this year.

Applies to: Professional/special skills immigrants with advanced degrees, and national interest waiver applications.

• EB-3: About 40,000 quotas each year (accounting for 28.6% of the total number of employment-based immigration quotas) + the remaining quotas for EB-1 and EB-2 this year.

Applies to: skilled technical, professional/unskilled worker immigration applications.

• EB-4: Approximately 9,940 visas are available each year (accounting for 7.1% of the total number of employment-based immigration visas).

Applicable to: immigration applications for special persons.

• EB-5: Approximately 9,940 visas are available each year (accounting for 7.1% of the total number of employment-based immigration visas).

Applicable to: investment immigration applications.

The annual green card quotas for different categories of family-based immigration are as follows:

• F1 category: 23,400 places per year + unused places in the F4 category of the previous year.

Applies to: Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens who are 21 years of age or older.

• F2 category: 114,200 places per year + unused places in the F1 category.

Applicable to: spouse, unmarried children under 21 years old, and unmarried children over 21 years old of U.S. permanent residents (green card holders). Among them, F2 is divided into two categories: F2A and F2B.

• F3 category: 23,400 places per year + unused places in F1 and F2 categories.

Applies to: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (regardless of age) .

• F4 category: 65,000 places per year + unused places in F1, F2 and F3 categories.

Applies to: Immediate siblings of U.S. citizens who are 21 years of age or older.