November 2019 Visa Bulletin: Modest Advancement for Most Countries, Except India

---

At a glance

• All EB-1 countries except for China and India will advance by more than a month to June 1, 2018. China will advance to February 1, 2017, while India will remain at January 1, 2015.
• EB-2 China will advance to March 15, 2015.
• EB-3 China and India will remain the same in November.

---

A closer look 

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

• EB-1: All countries except for China and India will advance by more than a month to June 1, 2018. China will advance by three months to February 1, 2017. India will remain at January 1, 2015.
• EB-2: China will advance by about ten weeks to March 15, 2015, while India will advance by one day, to May 13, 2009.  All other countries will remain current.
• EB-3 Professional and Skilled Workers: China and India will remain the same at November 1, 2015, and January 1, 2009, respectively. The Philippines will advance by about three and half months to February 1, 2018. All remaining countries will remain current.
• EB-5: The Non-Regional Center categories will remain current for most countries. China will advance about one week to November 1, 2014. India will advance by about two weeks to December 8, 2017. Vietnam will advance by one month to November 15, 2016. The Regional Center categories will also follow these cut-off dates until November 21, 2019, when the program is set to expire. Unless reauthorized, the Regional Center categories will become unavailable on November 22.

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. It is not yet known whether USCIS will again accept adjustment applications based on the Dates for Filing chart, rather than the Final Action chart, as it did last month. The Dates for Filing – listed below – remain unchanged from last month and are more favorable than the Final Action dates.

Impact of possible program expirations

The EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker and EB-5 Regional Center programs are set to expire on November 21, 2019. Until that date, the categories will follow the cut-off dates listed below.  Unless Congress reauthorizes these programs or passes a temporary spending measure, immigrant visas in the EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker category will become unavailable on November 21, 2019, and those in the EB-5 Regional Center category will become unavailable on November 22, 2019. The EB-5 Non-Regional Center program will not be affected.

FINAL ACTION CUT-OFF DATES FOR NOVEMBER 2019

EB-1 
India: January 1, 2015
China: February 1, 2017
All other countries: June 1, 2018

EB-2  
China: March 15, 2015
India: May 13, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers  
China: November 1, 2015
India: January 1, 2009
Philippines: February 1, 2018
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Other Workers  
China: February 1, 2008
India: January 1, 2009
Philippines: February 1, 2018
All other countries: Current

EB-4* 
El Salvador, Guatemala Honduras: July 1, 2016
Mexico: July 22, 2017
All other countries: Current
*Non-minister special immigrant religious worker program will become unavailable on November 21, 2019 unless reauthorized by legislation

EB-5* 
China: November 1, 2014 
Vietnam: November 15, 2016
India: December 8, 2017
All other countries: Current 
*Regional Center program will become unavailable on November 22, 2019 unless reauthorized by legislation

DATES FOR FILING CUT-OFF DATES FOR NOVEMBER 2019

EB-1  
China: September 1, 2017 
India: March 15, 2017
All other countries: July 1, 2019

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: Current 

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

EB-4 
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: August 15, 2016
All other countries: Current 

EB-5  
China: January 1, 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.