April 2017 Visa Bulletin: Final Action Dates Advance for EB-2 China and India, EB-3 China and Worldwide

United States

According to the State Department’s April Visa Bulletin, immigrant visa availability dates for final action will advance by one month for EB-2 China, to January 15, 2013, and by three weeks for EB-2 India, to June 22, 2008.

The EB-3 subcategory for professionals and skilled workers will advance by five months for China, to August 15, 2014; two days for India, to March 24, 2005; six months for the Philippines, to September 15, 2012; and two and a half months for all other countries, to February 15, 2017. The EB-3 other worker subcategory will advance by one month for China, to March 1, 2006; two days for India, to March 24, 2005; six months for the Philippines, to September 15, 2012; and two and a half months for all other countries, to February 15, 2017.

Final action dates for the Regional Center and non-Regional Center EB-5 subcategories will remain current for all countries but China, which will advance by three weeks, to May 22, 2014.  As a reminder, the EB-5 Regional Center program is set to expire on April 28, 2017, and therefore, visas in this subcategory will become unavailable as of April 29 unless the program is reauthorized by Congress. The non-Regional Center program will not be affected.

There will be no advancement in cutoff dates for eligibility to file an application for permanent residence in any backlogged employment category.  In the coming days, USCIS is expected to announce on its own Visa Bulletin web page whether it will accept adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that makes them eligible to file in March.

 

FINAL ACTION CUT-OFF DATES FOR APRIL 2017

EB-1
Current for all countries. 

EB-2
China: January 15, 2013
India: June 22, 2008
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: August 15, 2014
India: March 24, 2005
Philippines: September 15, 2012
All other countries: February 15, 2017

EB-3 Other Workers
China: March 1, 2006
India: March 24, 2005
Philippines: September 15, 2012
All other countries: February 15, 2017

EB-5
China: May 22, 2014
Current for all other countries.

FILING ELIGIBILITY CUT-OFF DATES FOR APRIL 2017

EB-1
Current for all countries.

EB-2
China: March 1, 2013
India: April 22, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China:  May 1, 2014
India: July 1, 2005
Philippines: September 1, 2013
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Other Workers
China: August 1, 2009
India: July 1, 2005
Philippines: September 1, 2013
All other countries: Current

EB-5
China: June 15, 2014
Current for all other countries and subcategories.

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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