Advanced degree means any U.S. academic or professional degree or a foreign equivalent degree above that of a Baccalaureate. A U.S. Baccalaureate Degree or a Foreign Equivalent Degree followed by at least five years of progressive experience in the specialty shall be considered the equivalent of a Master's Degree. If a Doctoral Degree is customarily required by the specialty, the alien must have a United States Doctorate or a Foreign Equivalent Degree.

To show that the alien is a professional holding an advanced degree, the petition must be accompanied by:

1. An official academic record showing that the alien has a U.S. advanced or foreign equivalent degree; or
2. An official academic record showing that the alien has a U.S. Baccalaureate Degree or foreign equivalent degree, and evidence in the form of letters from current or former employer(s) showing that the alien has at least five years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience in the specialty.

NOTE ABOUT ADVANCE DEGREE PROFESSIONALS: To qualify for the EB-2 advanced professional category, the employment opportunity (as expressed in the underlying labor certification application) must require an advanced degree or equivalent AND the foreign national must possess the advanced degree or equivalent. If the foreign national possesses an advanced degree but the employment opportunity does not require it, then the EB-2 category is not the appropriate designation.

Every petition under this classification must be accompanied by an individual labor certification from the Department of Labor. EXCEPTION: The EB-2 category also includes individuals from whom the labor certification requirement has been waived because the foreign national's employment is determined to be in the national interest.