I-485 Approval Timeline: EB-2 NIW ROW Applicant (Priority Date Sept 2023)

An EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) applicant from a Rest of World (ROW) country recently received their green card approval and shared their timeline on Reddit to help others navigating the process. The applicant had a priority date of September 14, 2023, and filed their I-485 adjustment of status application on October 6, 2025, with a receipt date of October 9, 2025. Biometrics were completed on October 31, 2025, and the case was processed through the NBC field office before being transferred to Providence. Key case events included an Initial Action Filed (IAF) on October 13, 2025, followed by multiple FTA0 and no-code events through December 2025 and into early 2026. The final H008 events were recorded on March 4, 2026, the same day the green card was approved — representing approximately five months from filing to approval. While this case is EB-2 NIW rather than EB-3, the timeline data is directly relevant to EB-3 applicants as both categories share similar I-485 adjudication workflows, field office processing patterns, and USCIS case event codes. ROW applicants in both EB-2 and EB-3 currently benefit from current priority dates, making such real-world timelines particularly useful for planning purposes.