Employment-based green card backlogs and priority date retrogression require strategic planning. Employers can maintain work authorization for sponsored employees by maximizing the duration of nonimmigrant status—such as extending H-1B status beyond the standard six-year limit under AC21 provisions when a green card is pending, or recapturing time spent abroad to extend status. Many employers also pursue “downgrade” or “upgrade” filings to benefit from shifts in visa bulletin cut-off dates. Once an adjustment of status application is filed, employees can obtain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and advance parole, helping mitigate the impact of retrogression. Companies may also move workers into other visa categories with longer or unlimited durations as a temporary measure. Keeping employees in valid status or on EAD throughout the backlog period is essential to avoid disruption. Employers should also anticipate and plan for delays operationally and financially, and consider offering benefits such as green card portability assistance or housing stipends. Many companies additionally engage in advocacy efforts, including lobbying Congress or joining industry coalitions, to push for legislative solutions to per-country caps and employment-based quota limitations.