How many employment-based green cards are there each year?

140,000 plus any family preference numbers unused the year before.

How many EB-2 visas per year?

28.6% of the employment-based limit plus unused EB-1 numbers, about 40,000 when the limit is exactly 140,000.

Yes. Spouses and children who immigrate with the principal use numbers from the same category.

History, predictions & alerts

How many green cards does each Visa Bulletin category get per year?

Updated November 12, 2026 · Not legal advice

Family preference gets at least 226,000 visas a year, split F1 23,400, F2 114,200, F3 23,400 and F4 65,000 (each plus numbers unused higher up). Employment gets 140,000 plus family numbers unused the year before, split EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 at 28.6% each and EB-4 and EB-5 at 7.1% each.

Statutory annual limits (INA 201 and 203). Spouses and children use numbers too.
Category	Annual limit	Plus
F1	23,400	Numbers not required for F4
F2 (F2A + F2B)	114,200	Any family level above 226,000, and unused F1; at least 77% to F2A
F3	23,400	Unused F1 and F2
F4	65,000	Unused F1 to F3
EB-1	28.6% of the EB limit	Unused EB-4 and EB-5
EB-2	28.6%	Unused EB-1
EB-3	28.6% (Other Workers max 10,000)	Unused EB-1 and EB-2
EB-4	7.1%	-
EB-5	7.1% (20% rural, 10% high unemployment, 2% infrastructure reserved)	-

Immediate relatives are outside these limits

Spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of adult U.S. citizens are not counted against the preference limits and do not wait for the bulletin.

Why the real number changes each year

The employment limit grows by any family numbers unused in the previous fiscal year (see spillover), and categories receive numbers unused by others. The State Department states each year's actual limits in the bulletin notes early in the fiscal year.

Quick answers

How many employment-based green cards are there each year?: 140,000 plus any family preference numbers unused the year before.
How many EB-2 visas per year?: 28.6% of the employment-based limit plus unused EB-1 numbers, about 40,000 when the limit is exactly 140,000.
Do dependents count?: Yes. Spouses and children who immigrate with the principal use numbers from the same category.

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Sources

Checked: November 12, 2026