If I may verify the processing times involved in NIW. Since it falls under EB2 category, I am assuming it may be a long time before I can get my EAD card and be able to change employers. Also, I want to confirm if there could be issues if I change employers during the process - If so, I'd prefer to change my current employer before starting with it.
You can change employers any time if you are a self-applicant and will continue to work in your stated area of national interest. But NIW priority date will take the same time as a normal EB-2 application does. See:
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We won this case stressing the international scope of the extraordinary work that this applicant had done over the course of many years. He was identified by experts around the world as belonging to the top 5% of scientists in his field. His innovative and pioneering work was admired by his research peers around the globe. Many U.S. educational institutes were seeking his services as a research professor. This applicant was "invited" to present his research findings on countless occasions to an audience of the top researchers in the world.
We won this case for the applicant who had over 40 publications at the time of filing. Referees identified him as an outstanding researcher of international reputation in the field of plant science. Leading experts stated that his academic record and scientific achievements were remarkable. We provided evidence to show that his innovative work was highly supported by both government and industry experts. He truly was improving food production in the world which experts emphasized in their recommendation letters.