EB-2 China current posture
EB-2 China priority dates have generally moved between mid-2019 and early-to-mid 2020 in recent Visa Bulletins. Movement is uneven — months of forward motion alternate with retrogression as USCIS balances per-country and category limits.
China-born petitioners filing EB-2 NIW today should file the I-140 immediately to lock in priority and plan for a multi-year wait before I-485 filing.
STEM-focused NIW evidence for China-born candidates
USCIS guidance issued in January 2022 explicitly recognizes STEM endeavors aligned with U.S. competitiveness in critical and emerging technologies as carrying national importance under Dhanasar Prong 1. China-born petitioners working in AI, semiconductors, biotech, quantum, and advanced manufacturing routinely satisfy this prong.
Letters of support should map specific past work to the petitioner's proposed endeavor and to U.S. national-interest priorities — not generic praise.
Status maintenance during the wait
China-born F-1 STEM-OPT holders have up to three years of work authorization (12 months OPT + 24-month STEM extension). H-1B holders use AC21 § 104(c) for three-year extensions once the I-140 is approved and the priority date is not current.
J-1 researchers may need a Section 212(e) two-year home-residency waiver before filing I-485. The waiver is independent of the I-140 itself but must be resolved before the I-485 can be approved.