Thanks again for the information.
For situation 1, I'm not eligible now because I didn't file a LC application or I-140 petition 365 days before the expiration of my current H1b.
For situation 2, I'm about to file an I-140 petition in the NIW/EB1 category in a few weeks (after I collect the recommendation letters and compile the cover-letter). I've been hoping that it can get approved before the end of this year, but I just heard that the current I-140 processing time is rather slow. That's why I posted this post here to ask more information on current I-140 processing time (for NIW/EB1), as well as how to handle the situation overall.
Thanks so much for your help so far...