Employment based EB2 vs. NIW EB2

Hi Everyone,

I’m currently working full-time at a company that started my green card process (EB2 ROW) in June 2024 (I’m on an H1-B right now). As far as I know, my case is still in the PWD stage, and the PERM process hasn’t started yet. Recently, after talking to a few immigration lawyers, I was told I have a strong chance of getting my green card through the NIW process too. I have a PhD in engineering, and my citations have gone up a lot over the past year.

At this point, I’m deliberating whether I should start the NIW process while continuing with the employment-based EB2. I’m not sure if there will be a big difference in the timeline for getting my green card if I go with NIW. I know the PERM process can take a while, but if it gets approved, my priority date might be earlier than it would be with NIW if I start now. Has anyone been in a similar situation and can share their experience?

A couple of other things I’m thinking about: going the NIW route adds extra costs for me right now. My company is paying for all the fees for my employment-based green card, including premium processing for the I-140 when we get there. Also, I’m wondering if the PERM EB2 process could make my wife wait longer to get her green card. All the lawyers I talked to said NIW is faster and better, but I’m wondering if they might just be saying that to get me to hire them.

Appreciate everyone's help in this!