July 2017 Visa Bulletin: Retrogression for EB-3 China; Modest Advancement in Most Other Categories; EB-1 India and China Remain Backlogged

According to the State Department’s July Visa Bulletin, final action cutoff dates for EB-3 China in the professional and skilled worker subcategory will retrogress by nearly three years, to January 1, 2012. The other worker subcategory for EB-3 China will remain unchanged, at July 15, 2006. Final action cutoff dates will advance in the EB-3 professional, skilled worker and other worker category for all other countries. India will advance by nine months, to February 15, 2006; the Philippines will advance by one year, to May 15, 2014; and all other countries will advance by nearly two months, to June 8, 2017.

In the EB-2 category, final action cutoff dates will advance by three weeks for India, to July 22, 2008, and by three weeks for China, to March 22, 2013. In the EB-1 category, India and China will remain retrogressed at January 1, 2012.

The final action cutoff date for EB-5 China, in both the Regional and Non-Regional Center programs, will remain unchanged at June 8, 2014.

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 July. The dates for filing will remain unchanged next month, with the exception of India and the Philippines in the EB-3 professional, skilled worker and other worker category, where India will advance by over five months, to October 1, 2016, and the Philippines will advance by one year, to July 1, 2015.

Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Availability in the Coming Months

The EB-3 China professional and skilled worker retrogression is the result of the large number of EB-2 China applicants continuing to downgrade to EB-3. The subcategory is expected to remain retrogressed until October 2017 when it should return to October 1, 2014.

FINAL ACTION CUT-OFF DATES FOR JULY 2017

EB-1
China: January 1, 2012
India: January 1, 2012
All other countries: Current

EB-2
China: March 22, 2013
India: July 22, 2008
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: January 1, 2012
India: February 15, 2006
Philippines: May 15, 2014
All other countries: June 8, 2017

EB-3 Other Workers
China: July 15, 2006
India: February 15, 2006
Philippines: May 15, 2014
All other countries: June 8, 2017

EB-5
China: June 8, 2014
Current for all other countries.

FILING ELIGIBILITY CUT-OFF DATES FOR JULY 2017

EB-1
Current for all countries.

EB-2
China: October 1, 2013
India: February 1, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: September 1, 2015
India: October 1, 2006
Philippines: July 1, 2015
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Other Workers
China: June 1, 2008
India: October 1, 2006
Philippines: July 1, 2015
All other countries: Current

EB-5
China: September 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.