June 2020 Visa Bulletin: Employment-based Categories Continue to Advance, Significant EB-3 Movement for Most Countries

A closer look 

According to the State Department’s June Visa Bulletin, cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa will be as follows: 

• EB-1: All countries except for China and India will remain current in June. China will advance by one month to August 15, 2017, while India will advance by more than 10 months to June 8, 2016.
• EB-2: China will advance by one month to November 1, 2015, and India will advance by 10 days to June 12, 2009. All other countries will remain current. 

• EB-3 Professional and Skilled Workers: All countries except India and China will advance by more than ten months to November 8, 2017. Cutoff dates for China and India will advance by one month, with China moving ahead to June 15, 2016, and India moving ahead to April 1, 2009. 
• EB-5: Most countries will remain current. China will advance by two weeks to July 15, 2015; India will advance by three months to January 1, 2020; and Vietnam will advance by three weeks to April 22, 2017. 

 

Though cutoff dates in the Dates for Filing chart for June remain mostly unchanged from May, EB-4 El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras will advance by four and a half months to February 1, 2017.

In the coming days, USCIS is expected to announce on its own Visa Bulletin web page the cutoff dates for acceptance of adjustment of status applications next month. That announcement will clarify whether USCIS will accept adjustment applications based on the Final Action dates chart, as it did last month, or on the Dates for Filing Chart.

Impact of Presidential Proclamation

As a reminder, President Trump’s April 22 proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain immigrants is expected to limit the number of immigrant visas issued by U.S. consulates abroad during the month of June. As the State Department begins to reopen U.S. Embassies and Consulates in certain countries, consular officers are expected to enforce the proclamation by refusing immigrant visa issuance to applicants who were outside the United States as of 11:59pm EDT on April 23, 2020, have not been issued an immigrant visa or similar U.S. travel document, and are not otherwise exempt from the proclamation. Applicants exempt from the proclamation and eligible for visa issuance in June include, but are not limited to:

• Foreign nationals seeking to enter on an immigrant visa as a physician, nurse or other healthcare professional, as well as their spouse and unmarried children under 21;
• Applicants for EB-5 immigrant visas;
• Spouses of U.S. citizens;
• Children under 21 of U.S. citizens and prospective adoptees in the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications;
• Foreign nationals whose entry would further important U.S. law enforcement objectives;
• Members of the U.S. armed forces and the spouses and children of such individuals;
• Foreign nationals seeking to enter as Special Immigrants in the SI or SQ classification, and the spouse and children of such individuals; and
• Foreign nationals whose entry is in the U.S. national interest.

 

Though the proclamation is set to expire in late June, the President may extend it beyond that date. 

Final Action cut-off dates for June 2020

EB-1 
China: August 15, 2017
India: June 8, 2016
All other countries: Current

EB-2  
China: November 1, 2015
India: June 12, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers  
China: June 15, 2016
India: April 1, 2009
All other countries: November 8, 2017

EB-3 Other Workers  
China: July 15, 2008
India: April 1, 2009
All other countries: November 8, 2017

EB-4 
El Salvador, Guatemala Honduras: December 15, 2016
Mexico: June 8, 2018
All other countries: Current

EB-5
China: July 15, 2015
India: January 1, 2020
Vietnam: April 22, 2017
All other countries: Current 

Dates for Filing cut-off dates for June 2020

EB-1  
China: October 1, 2017 
India: March 15, 2017
All other countries: Current

EB-2  
China: August 1, 2016
India: July 1, 2009 
All other countries: Current  

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers  
China: March 1, 2017
India: February 1, 2010
All other countries: April 1, 2019 

EB-3 Other Workers  
China: August 1, 2008
India: February 1, 2010
All other countries: April 1, 2019 

EB-4 
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: February 1, 2017
All other countries: Current 

EB-5  
China: December 15, 2015
All other countries: Current  

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.