Simply stated, about 140,000 green cards are reserved for employment-based applications, as opposed to about 750,000 family based green cards. How many workers come in these ways? That depends in part on whether those dependents accompanying the primary applicants (about 50-50) are working age. A rough estimate is that 70% – 80% of those who get in with an employment based or a family based green card are of working age. That comes to about 650,000 – 750,000 a year. How many actually become employed? Perhaps 600,000 – 700,000. (if you include refugees and other green cards, these estimates of employed increase by about 70,000.)
Employment visas like most other visas have annual caps. These caps for each visa include dependents. Roughly half of these visas are issued to the primary individual seeking the visa, and half to their dependents. There is a 7% cap for each visa by country; i.e. only 40,040 x 7% = 2,828 can be awarded to any country (such as India). Actual numbers of visas awarded in any year vary due to several factors, such as access to visas what were not issued under the cap for other purposes, such as family-based visas.
It usually takes at least 12 months, if not two years or more, between the initial date of filing an application and the award of one of these visas. Over three quarters of EB visa awardees are already residing and working in the U.S. while they file and wait.
40,040 EB1 visa: persons with extraordinary ability, tenure track in academia, corporate executive, and other reasons
40,040 EB2 visa: professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. Need a job offer and cubject to wage evaluation (labor certification) by Dept, of Labor
40,040 EB3 visa skilled worked in name but basically plain ol’ highly desirable workers. .Perhaps a cook who skilled at one kind of ethnic dishes. Need a job offer and cubject to wage evaluation (labor certification) by Dept, of Labor
9,940 EB4 visa: special immigrants like religious workers.
9,940 EB5 visa: investors with at least $1 million to invest in a for-profit venture and create 10 jobs, plus other criteria.