The Department of State (DOS) has issued its October 2016 Visa Bulletin for Fiscal Year 2017. With the October 2017 Visa Bulletin, some categories returned to their “current status.”
EB-1 (Priority Workers) is current worldwide as predicted. EB-2 (Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) India, an advancement of 1 year 10 months 25 days, China, an advancement of 2 years 1 month 15 days, while current worldwide. For EB-3 (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) categories there is advancement for all categories: Worldwide by one month, India by 15 days, and the Philippines by five months. China significantly advanced by 3 years 21 days.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept cases for the following:
EB-1-Worldwide: Priority dates are current
EB-2-Worldwide: Priority date is current, except:
India: Priority date of January 15, 2007,
Advancement of: 1 year, 10 months, 25 days.
China: Priority date of February 15, 2012,
Advancement of: 2 years, 1 month, 15 days.
EB-3-Worldwide: Priority date of June 1, 2016, except:
Advancement of 1 month.
India: Priority date of March 1, 2005,
Advancement of 15 days.
China: Priority date of January 22, 2013,
Advancement of 3 years, 21 days.
Philippines: Priority date of December 1, 2010,
Advancement of 5 months.
USCIS PREDICTION OF POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT BASED MONTHLY MOVEMENTS
- EB-1 Will remain current for all countries.
- EB-2 Worldwide: Current, except
China: Up to three months.
India: Up to four months.
- EB-3 Worldwide: Will be necessary to limit movement with the significant amount of demand for numbers.
China: Up to three months.
India: Up to one week.
Mexico: Will remain at the worldwide date.
Philippines: Up to three weeks.
NOTE: The USCIS will only accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action (not Dates for Filing).
Please contact SW Law Group if you have any further questions regarding these developments.