Last updated: October 2026. Each policy statement below is dated and linked to the official page it comes from. Visa pauses, court orders and Visa Bulletin dates change, so recheck the linked pages before you act.
Yes, Bangladeshi professionals can apply for an EB2 NIW. For EB2 NIW Bangladesh applicants, three official facts frame the case in October 2026. Bangladesh was on the State Department’s January 2026 list of 75 countries whose immigrant visas were paused, but the Department says that pause has not been in effect since August 21, 2026, under a court order. Bangladesh is not named in Proclamation 10998. And Bangladesh uses the Rest of World Visa Bulletin chart, where the November 2026 EB-2 Final Action Date is 01APR25. Applicants living in Bangladesh then interview at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, which has used two-day processing since June 1, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Nationality does not change the NIW test. Bangladeshi engineers, scientists and health professionals meet the same EB-2 and Dhanasar standards as everyone else.
- Bangladesh was on the 75-country immigrant visa pause list. The State Department says the pause stopped applying on August 21, 2026.
- Rest of World is not “current”. In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin the EB-2 Final Action Date is 01APR25 (up from 01JAN25 in October) and the Date for Filing is 15MAR26.
- Dhaka needs at least two visits: a document review with fingerprints, then the interview, usually in the same week.
- Degree length can matter. A published precedent held that a three-year bachelor’s was not equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s, “usually requiring 4 years of study”.
EB2 NIW Bangladesh: policy status as of October 2026
We checked each measure against official pages on October 26, 2026. The table repeats only what those pages say.
| Measure | What the official source says (as of October 26, 2026) | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant visa pause for 75 countries (from January 21, 2026) | Bangladesh was on the list. Applicants could still apply and attend interviews, but no immigrant visas were issued. The State Department says that, as of August 21, 2026, the pause is no longer in effect under the court’s order in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio, et al. (page last updated August 28, 2026). | State Department |
| Proclamation 10998 (signed December 16, 2025; effective January 1, 2026) | Covers 39 countries plus Palestinian Authority travel documents. Bangladesh is not on the full or partial list, and it was not in Proclamation 10949 (June 2025). Neighbouring Burma is fully suspended. | White House (10998); White House (10949); State Department |
| USCIS adjudication hold policies (PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194) | USCIS ties them to nationals of the 39 countries in Proclamations 10949 and 10998, which do not name Bangladesh. A Rhode Island court vacated them on June 5, 2026, and a California court enjoined them on August 24, 2026. | USCIS (June 2026); USCIS (August 2026) |
| Interview location rule (from November 1, 2025) | NVC schedules immigrant visa interviews in your country of residence or, if you request it, your country of nationality. Rare exceptions apply. | State Department |
| Visa bond for Bangladeshi nationals | Bangladeshis found eligible for a B1/B2 visitor visa must post a bond of up to $20,000. The notice concerns B1/B2 visas and does not mention immigrant visas. | U.S. Embassy Dhaka |
Two cautions. The pause ended because of a court order, and the official pages do not say whether further litigation could change that, so recheck before your interview. If you interviewed during the pause or hold another nationality, speak with a licensed immigration attorney.
Who qualifies for EB2 NIW from Bangladesh
Under the January 15, 2025 USCIS guidance update, officers confirm EB-2 eligibility first and only then weigh the waiver. The USCIS Policy Manual accepts a U.S. master’s or higher or a foreign degree evaluated as its equivalent, or a U.S. bachelor’s or foreign equivalent plus five years of progressive, post-degree experience. It adds: “A beneficiary who does not possess at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree or a foreign equivalent degree is ineligible for this classification.” The alternative is exceptional ability: three of the six criteria in 8 CFR 204.5(k)(3)(ii).
Three-year vs four-year bachelor’s degrees: what official sources say
We found no USCIS guidance written specifically about Bangladeshi degrees. These official points apply:
- The precedent on three-year degrees. In Matter of Shah, 17 I&N Dec. 244 (Reg’l Comm’r 1977), a three-year B.S. from India was found “not equivalent to a United States baccalaureate degree, usually requiring 4 years of study.” The case concerned an Indian degree under an older visa category, but it is a published precedent decision.
- The evaluation is advisory. The Policy Manual chapter on evaluating education credentials says officers may favour an evaluation that makes “a credible, logical, and well-documented case”, that conclusory opinions without “a credible roadmap” are not persuasive, and that “the final determination continues to rest with the officer.”
- The five-year route depends on the bachelor’s. The experience “must occur after completion of the bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent degree”, so it only helps if that bachelor’s is accepted as a foreign equivalent degree.
- Provisional certificates count. If you had completed all degree requirements, USCIS “considers the date of the provisional certificate” when counting post-degree experience (Matter of O-A-, Inc., cited in the Policy Manual).
In practice, if your bachelor’s programme lasted three years, ask your evaluator to explain its reasoning in writing, and check whether a later master’s is evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. master’s. Our guide to the bachelor’s plus five years route covers how to document experience. Complex degree histories are a good reason to consult a licensed immigration attorney.
Bangladeshi engineers and the Dhanasar prongs
Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016) requires an endeavor of substantial merit and national importance, that you are well positioned to advance it, and that on balance a waiver benefits the United States. Work in Bangladesh supports prong 2; prong 1 concerns your planned U.S. work.
Hypothetical example: a Bangladeshi environmental engineer with a four-year BSc, an MSc and six years of water-treatment design experience proposes groundwater treatment work for small U.S. water systems. The petition proves degree equivalency, then ties past results to the U.S. plan. This is an illustration, not a client case. Our page on EB2 NIW for engineers shows how engineering endeavors are framed.
Step 1: file Form I-140 with USCIS
According to the USCIS EB-2 page, an NIW petition must include Form ETA-9089 Appendix A and a signed Final Determination, plus an “official academic record”. A USCIS policy update of August 5, 2026 lets officers deny without an RFE when required initial evidence is missing. Your priority date is the date USCIS accepts the I-140.
| Fee (official schedules, October 2026) | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-140 filing fee | $715 paper / $665 online | USCIS G-1055 |
| Asylum Program Fee (self-petitioner) | $300 | USCIS G-1055 |
| Premium processing (optional) | $2,965; USCIS takes action (approval, denial, RFE or NOID) within 45 business days | G-1055; USCIS |
| Immigrant visa application (employment-based) | $345 per applicant | State Department |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee | $235 per immigrant | USCIS G-1055 |
| Bangladesh Police Clearance Certificate | BDT 500 | State Department (Bangladesh) |
| Medical exam (basic, adult) | BDT 9,500, paid to the panel physician; tests and vaccines cost extra | Dhaka instructions |
A self-petitioner pays $965 in USCIS fees online ($1,015 on paper) before any premium processing.
Step 2: the Rest of World Visa Bulletin chart for Bangladesh
The Visa Bulletin has separate employment-based columns only for China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines, so Bangladesh falls under “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed”, usually called Rest of World. USCIS says your country of chargeability is usually your country of birth, so a Bangladeshi citizen born in India may be charged to India’s much longer queue.
| EB-2, Rest of World (includes Bangladesh) | November 2026 Visa Bulletin | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Final Action Date | 01APR25 | A visa can be issued only if your priority date is earlier than this date. |
| Date for Filing | 15MAR26 | If your priority date is earlier, you may submit documents to NVC once invited. USCIS says employment-based adjustment applicants must use this chart for November 2026. |
Sources: the November 2026 Visa Bulletin (the Final Action Date was 01JAN25 in the October 2026 bulletin) and the USCIS filing charts page. Some guides aimed at Bangladeshi applicants describe Rest of World EB-2 as current; the bulletin shows a cut-off date, not “C”. Our priority date guide explains how to track the queue.
Not sure whether your Bangladeshi degree and experience meet the EB-2 bar? Request a free profile evaluation and our petition team will review your background against the EB-2 and Dhanasar standards.
Step 3: EB2 NIW Bangladesh consular processing at the U.S. Embassy Dhaka
After I-140 approval, the National Visa Center (NVC) collects the $345 fee, your DS-260 and civil documents, and schedules the interview once your priority date is current. The embassy’s immigrant visa page says visas for citizens and residents of Bangladesh are processed in Dhaka. The Dhaka embassy immigrant visa steps below come from that page and the Dhaka instructions (last updated October 8, 2026).
Dhaka’s two-day process
- Visit 1 (your NVC appointment): upload everything to CEAC first, then bring originals and copies. The embassy reviews documents and collects fingerprints and photos.
- Nothing missing: you receive a letter for the interview, usually in the same week. The embassy keeps your originals except the passport.
- Documents missing: you receive a list, upload the documents to CEAC, then reschedule online.
- Passport return: register at ustraveldocs.com and choose a pick-up location in Dhaka, Chittagong or Sylhet.
Bangladeshi civil documents (State Department reciprocity schedule)
The State Department’s Bangladesh civil documents page and the Dhaka instructions set these rules:
| Document | Issuing authority and what to know |
|---|---|
| Birth certificate | City Corporation, Pourashava, Union Parishad or Cantonment Board, on Government Form 3 or 3A with the Registrar General’s seal. Certificates issued on or after July 2006 “must have the 17-digit identification number”; older ones without it must be reissued. Dhaka asks for the original “in both Bangla and English”. |
| Marriage | For Muslims, the Nikah Nama (blue Form 1601) from the Kazi office. Hindu marriage registration is not mandatory. Dhaka asks for “Original civil and religious marriage certificates, notarized English translations, and color photocopies”. |
| Divorce | For Muslims, the Talaknama (Form 1605) from the Kazi office, after a 90-day waiting period; for Christians, a court decree. |
| Police | Police Clearance Certificate (BDT 500) from the police station covering your residence, applied for through pcc.police.gov.bd. It must carry the officer-in-charge’s and police superintendent’s signatures and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs seal. From abroad, apply through a Bangladesh mission or authorize someone locally. |
| Passport | Embassy Dhaka “can print immigrant visas only in regular passports.” |
Police clearance if you have lived abroad
Dhaka requires an “Original Police clearance certificate issued within a year for all applicants 16 years of age or older”, and one is “Required for any country in which an applicant has lived for one year or longer since attaining the age of 16.” That one-year freshness rule is stricter than NVC’s general civil documents step, which says certificates generally expire after two years. If you have lived in another country for a year or more, request that certificate early.
Medical exam with a Dhaka panel physician
- Approved physicians: Dhaka (Green Crescent Health Services, IOM, Mercury Medical), Chattogram (Green Crescent Medical Diagnostic) and Sylhet (MHAC and Green Crescent Medilab).
- “Please schedule and complete your medical exam at least three weeks before your interview.”
- Keep the fee receipt, because you must bring it to the interview. Applicants whose completed medical reports are not available at the interview will not be interviewed.
Interview day in Dhaka
Bring a passport valid six months beyond your planned entry with a colour copy of the bio page, two 5 cm x 5 cm photos, the DS-260 confirmation, the medical receipt, and original documents with photocopies. Unpaid fees are cash only, in dollars or taka. Electronic devices are banned, and attorneys may not accompany you. The instructions ask employment-based applicants for a “Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago”; they do not address NIW self-petitioners without an employer, so ask the embassy in advance. After issuance, pay the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee before you travel.
Bangladeshis already in the United States
If you are in the U.S. in lawful status, you may be able to file Form I-485 instead of going through Dhaka once your priority date is current on the chart USCIS designates. The fee is $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online for applicants aged 14 or older (G-1055). Whether you can adjust depends on your status history, so ask a licensed immigration attorney.
Common mistakes in EB2 NIW Bangladesh cases
- Relying on pause-era advice. Read the current State Department page instead.
- Assuming a three-year bachelor’s will be treated as equivalent. Get an evaluation that explains its reasoning, and plan for the officer to decide.
- An old birth certificate without the 17-digit number. Have it reissued before NVC asks.
- A Bangladesh-only endeavor. Your record at home supports prong 2; prong 1 must describe U.S. work of national importance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the immigrant visa pause still in effect for Bangladesh?
According to the State Department, the January 2026 pause for 75 countries, including Bangladesh, has not been in effect since August 21, 2026, under the court order in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio. Check the page again before your interview.
Is a three-year bachelor’s degree enough for EB2 NIW?
It may not be. Matter of Shah held a three-year Indian degree was not equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s, and USCIS requires at least a bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree. A later master’s or the exceptional ability criteria may offer another route.
Which Visa Bulletin chart applies to Bangladesh?
Rest of World. In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, the EB-2 Final Action Date is 01APR25 (01JAN25 in October) and the Date for Filing is 15MAR26.
How does the Dhaka embassy immigrant visa process work?
Since June 1, 2026, Dhaka uses two-day processing: a document review with fingerprints, then the interview, usually in the same week if nothing is missing.
Where do Bangladeshis get a police clearance certificate?
From the police station covering your residence, applied for through pcc.police.gov.bd, for BDT 500. Applicants abroad can apply through a Bangladesh mission. Dhaka wants one issued within the past year.
Ready to see whether EB2 NIW fits your career? Evaluate your profile for free with Skycap’s petition team.
Related guides
This article is general information, not legal advice. Skycap Consultancy is a petition-preparation consultancy, not a law firm. Requirements and fees change; check the linked USCIS pages before filing.
