EB-2 NIW for Turkish Professionals: No Backlog, Faster Processing

Why Turkey's EB-2 category moves differently

The Department of State's monthly Visa Bulletin allocates immigrant visa numbers by country of chargeability — generally the country of birth, not citizenship. A handful of countries with high demand (currently China and India, and historically a few others) get their own line on the EB-2 chart because so many petitions are chargeable to them that a separate cutoff date is needed to manage the annual numerical limit. Turkey has no such line. Turkish-born applicants are chargeable under the catch-all row labeled 'All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed' — the same row used by most of the world's countries.

This matters practically: it means Turkish applicants are not competing against a country-specific queue the way applicants born in China or India are. But 'no separate line' does not mean 'always current' — the worldwide row can still retrogress or carry a cutoff date depending on overall demand that month.

Two charts, two purposes

Each Visa Bulletin publishes two EB-2 charts: Final Action Dates, which governs when a visa can actually be approved or a green card issued, and Dates for Filing, which governs when an I-485 adjustment application can be submitted. USCIS announces monthly which chart applies to I-485 filing eligibility.

Check the current bulletin directly at travel.state.gov before relying on any date — do not use a figure from a prior month or from a secondary source.

Step 1: Confirm your priority date is current

Before assembling or filing anything, establish where your case stands relative to the current Visa Bulletin.

Find your priority date

Your priority date is the receipt date USCIS assigned to your Form I-140, shown in the top right of Form I-797C, Notice of Action. If you have not yet filed the I-140, your priority date will be the date USCIS receives that petition — you have nothing to compare yet, but the steps below still tell you what to expect.

Locate the relevant chart entry

1. Go to travel.state.gov and open the current month's Visa Bulletin.
2. Find the section titled "Employment-Based" preference categories.
3. Locate the row labeled "2nd" (EB-2).
4. Find the column headed "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" — this is the column that applies to Turkish nationals, since Turkey has no separate line.
5. Read the date listed in that cell.

Compare and check the operative chart

Compare the date in that cell to your I-140 priority date. If your priority date is earlier than the listed date, it is considered current for that chart.

Separately, check the USCIS website's monthly announcement on filing Form I-485. Each month, USCIS states whether applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart to determine I-485 filing eligibility — this designation can change month to month, so recheck it every cycle rather than assuming it stays the same.

Step 2: Build the I-140 petition package in the right order

USCIS adjudicators work through a petition sequentially. Assembling components in a predictable order reduces the chance a reviewer misplaces evidence or issues an RFE for something that was actually included but not found.

Filing order

1. Self-petition cover letter — summarizes the petition, identifies the beneficiary, and maps each exhibit to the three Dhanasar prongs.
2. Form I-140 — confirm you are using the current edition listed on uscis.gov before filing; an outdated edition can result in rejection.
3. Form G-28 — only if represented by an attorney of record.
4. Filing fee — check the current fee schedule on uscis.gov; do not rely on a remembered figure, as fees change periodically.
5. Evidence for Prong 1 (substantial merit and national importance).
6. Evidence for Prong 2 (well positioned to advance the endeavor).
7. Evidence for Prong 3 (balance favors waiving the job offer requirement).
8. Supporting exhibits — CV, degree evaluations, letters, publications, and similar documentation, ordered to match the exhibit index.

File naming

Use a consistent numeric prefix so files sort correctly in any viewer:

• 01-Cover-Letter.pdf
• 02-Form-I140.pdf
• 03-Filing-Fee-Receipt.pdf
• 04-Evidence-Prong1.pdf
• 05-Evidence-Prong2.pdf
• 06-Evidence-Prong3.pdf
• 07-Exhibit-List.pdf

Physical assembly

For paper filings, insert tabbed dividers labeled to match the exhibit numbers in your index exactly. A mismatch between tab labels and the written exhibit list is a common source of confusion during review.

Step 3: Assemble the evidence exhibit index

Every exhibit needs a single-page index that lets an officer find any document without searching the whole package. Place this index immediately after the cover letter, before Form I-140 itself, as its own tabbed section (e.g., 00-Exhibit-Index.pdf if you're numbering the cover letter 01).

Sample layout

Matching tabs to the index

The exhibit numbers in this index must correspond exactly to physical or PDF tabs inserted at each document's starting page. If the index lists Exhibit 4 as pages 10–12, the divider or bookmark labeled

Step 4: Decide between concurrent filing and waiting for a current date

Once the priority date is confirmed against the correct chart, decide whether Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) can be filed at the same time as Form I-140, or whether the I-140 has to be filed alone first.

Path A: Concurrent filing

This is available when the USCIS-designated chart for that month — check the monthly announcement on the USCIS website — shows a current date in the Dates for Filing chart for EB-2, All Other Countries. If current, Form I-485 can be submitted in the same package as Form I-140, or shortly after. Concurrent filing packages typically require:

1. Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon.
2. Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, if the case involves a sponsoring relationship requiring one — confirm applicability on uscis.gov.
3. Biometrics services appointment, scheduled after USCIS issues a notice.

Path B: I-140 alone, then wait

If the Dates for Filing chart is not current for that category and country combination, file Form I-140 by itself. Form I-485 is filed later, once the applicable chart shows a current date.

Ongoing monitoring

For any I-140 or I-485 left pending, re-check the Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov every month, including which chart USCIS has designated for filing purposes that month. Dates can retrogress as well as advance, and the designated chart itself can change from one month to the next.

Step 5: Track processing times and avoid common delays

Check the USCIS Case Processing Times page

Go to uscis.gov and locate the "Check Case Processing Times" tool. Select Form I-140 (or I-485, once filed) from the form dropdown, then select the service center or field office actually handling your case — this appears on your Form I-797C receipt notice. The tool displays a historical range (for example, "X to Y months") based on how long USCIS took to complete a set percentage of recently adjudicated cases. Treat this as a rough planning window, not a guarantee; re-check it monthly, since ranges shift as USCIS adjusts staffing and caseloads.

Common RFE triggers to avoid

Several issues recur often enough to be worth checking before filing:

1. Mismatched exhibit numbering — the cover letter, exhibit index, and physical tabs must all reference the same numbers. A discrepancy between the index and the actual tab in the package is a frequent source of confusion for adjudicators.
2. Missing or incomplete translations — any Turkish-language document submitted without a certified English translation can trigger a request. Certified translation requirements are set out in federal regulation; check the current text at 8 CFR before assembling exhibits, since citation numbering can be updated.
3. Priority date confusion — do not conflate the I-140 receipt date with I-485 filing eligibility. The receipt date establishes the priority date; whether that date is current for filing or approval depends on the Visa Bulletin chart in effect that month, checked separately each time.

Step 6: Prepare certified translations for Turkish-language documents

Any diploma, transcript, reference letter, award certificate, or other document issued in Turkish must be accompanied by a complete English translation before it goes into the exhibit package. Partial translations, summaries, or translations of "relevant portions only" are a common source of RFEs — USCIS expects a full, word-for-word rendering of the original text, including letterhead, stamps, and signature blocks.

Who can translate

The translator does not need to be a certified court interpreter, but must be competent in both Turkish and English and must attest to that competency in writing. Petitioners commonly use a professional translation service, a bilingual colleague, or the applicant themselves if someone else signs the certification. Check 8 CFR for the current standard governing foreign-language document submissions before finalizing your approach.

Certification statement template

Attach this statement, signed and dated, to the top of each translated document:

Certification of Translation I, [Full Name], certify that I am fluent in both the Turkish and English languages, and that the above/attached document is a complete and accurate translation of the document titled "[Original Document Title]."

Signature: ___________________ Printed Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________

Pairing originals with translations

Place the certified English translation immediately after the certification statement, followed by a copy of the original Turkish-language document, within the same exhibit tab. Label both with the same exhibit number (e.g., Exhibit 6a: Translation, Exhibit 6b: Original) so the pairing is unambiguous to the reviewing officer.

Building a tracking worksheet for the whole process

A case that spans many months across several forms is easier to manage in a spreadsheet than in memory or email threads. Set up one sheet with six columns and update it every time something happens — a filing, a receipt notice, a Visa Bulletin check, or an RFE.

Columns to use

1. Task — a short label for the action item.
2. Form/Document — which form or exhibit it relates to.
3. Status — Not Started, Filed, Pending, RFE Received, Responded, Approved.
4. Date Sent — the date you mailed or submitted it.
5. Receipt Number — the USCIS receipt number once issued, used later for case-status lookups.
6. Next Action Date — the date you need to act again, even if that action is just "check Visa Bulletin."

Example rows

Keep this sheet updated after every mail run or online status check, and store it alongside the exhibit index so both documents reference the same receipt numbers.