January 2018 Visa Bulletin - EB-2 and EB-3 China and India Continue to Advance

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Executive Summary

• EB-2 China will advance by five weeks, to August 8, 2013. EB-2 India will advance by three weeks, to November 22, 2008.
• EB-3 cutoff dates for professionals and skilled workers will advance by five weeks for China, to April 15, 2014, and by two weeks for India, to November 1, 2006.
• The EB-5 Regional Center Program is set to expire on December 22, 2017 and will be unavailable unless reauthorized by Congress.

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According to the State Department's January Visa Bulletin, cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa will advance as follows:

• EB-2: China will advance by five weeks, to August 8, 2013. India will advance by three weeks, to November 22, 2008. 
• EB-3 (Professional and Skilled Workers): China will advance by five weeks, to April 15, 2014. India will advance two weeks to November 1, 2006.
• EB-3 (Other Workers): China will advance by almost six months, to December 22, 2006. India will advance two weeks to November 1, 2006.
• EB-5: China will advance by one week, to July 22, 2014. The Regional Center Program may become unavailable for all countries after December 22, 2017 unless Congress reauthorizes it.

 

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 is current for filing eligibility in January. Dates for filing will remain unchanged from December.

Possible Unavailability for the EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker and EB-5 Regional Center Programs 

The EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker and EB-5 Regional Center programs are set to expire on December 22, 2017 under a temporary federal spending measure signed into law on December 7, 2017. Unless Congress reauthorizes these programs or passes another temporary spending measure, immigrant visas in these EB-4 and EB-5 subcategories will become unavailable on December 22 and 23 respectively. The EB-5 non-Regional Center program will not be affected.

FINAL ACTION CUT-OFF DATES FOR JANUARY 2018

EB-1 
Current for all countries

EB-2
China: August 8, 2013
India: November 22, 2008
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers 
China: April 15, 2014
India: November 1, 2006
Philippines: February 15, 2016
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Other Workers 
China: December 22, 2006
India: November 1, 2006
Philippines: February 15, 2016
All other countries: Current

EB-4*
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: December 1, 2015
Mexico: June 1, 2016
All other countries: Current
* The EB-4 Non-Religious Worker program may become unavailable for all countries after December 21, 2017 unless Congress reauthorizes it.

EB-5* 
China: July 22, 2014
Current for all other countries and subcategories
* The Regional Center program may become unavailable for all countries after December 22, 2017 unless Congress reauthorizes it. 

FILING ELIGIBILITY CUT-OFF DATES FOR JANUARY 2018

EB-1
Current for all countries

EB-2
China: November 15, 2013
India: February 8, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers 
China: September 1, 2015
India: January 1, 2008
Philippines: August 1, 2016
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Other Workers 
China: June 1, 2008
India: January 1, 2008
Philippines: August 1, 2016
All other countries: Current

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

EB-5 
China: October 1, 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.