December Visa Bulletin Update: USCIS to Honor Dates for Filing for Employment-Based Categories Next Month
November 23, 2020
At a Glance
USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment applications in December from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Dates for Filing listed in the State Department's December Visa Bulletin.
Employment-Based Priority Date Cut-offs for December 2020
To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment application in December, employer-sponsored foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for their preference category and country.
USCIS has chosen the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based applications for the third month in a row. While the December Dates for Filing chart shows moderate advancement from last month in most employment-based categories, there is notably a one-year retrogression in the EB-3 India category, from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2014.
USCIS Cutoff Dates for December 2020
EB-1
China: November 1, 2020
India: November 1, 2020
All other countries: Current
EB-2
China: October 1, 2016
India: May 15, 2011
All other countries: Current
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: June 1, 2018
India: January 1, 2014
All other countries: Current
EB-3 Other Workers
China: May 1, 2009
India: January 1, 2014
All other countries: Current
EB-4*
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: May 1, 2018
All other countries: Current
*Non-minister special immigrant religious worker program will become unavailable at midnight on December 10 unless reauthorized by legislation.
EB-5*
China: December 15, 2015
All other countries: Current
*Regional Center program will become unavailable at midnight on December 11 unless reauthorized by legislation.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
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