July 2020 Visa Bulletin: Modest Advancement for Most Employment-based Categories, Significant EB-1 India Movement, EB-5 India to Become Current

A closer look 

According to the State Department’s July 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 July. China will advance by one week to August 22, 2017, while India will advance by 11 months to May 8, 2017.
• EB-2: China will advance by one week to November 8, 2015, and India will advance by just under four weeks to July 8, 2009. All other countries will remain current. 

• EB-3 Professional and Skilled Workers: All countries except India and China will advance by almost five months to April 15, 2018. Cutoff dates for China will advance by one week to June 22, 2016, and for India by two months to June 1, 2009. 
• EB-5: India will become current, joining all other countries except for China and Vietnam.  China’s cutoff date will advance by one week to July 22, 2015, while Vietnam’s cutoff date will advance by three weeks to May 15, 2017. 

Though cutoff dates in the Dates for Filing chart for July remain mostly unchanged from June, EB-1 China will advance by one month to November 1, 2017, EB-1 India will advance by four and a half months to August 1, 2017, and EB-2 India will advance by six weeks to August 15, 2009.

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

President Trump’s April 22 proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain immigrants is set to expire on June 22, but could be extended. If extended without change, the proclamation would continue to limit the issuance of immigrant visas by U.S. consulates abroad.

Final Action cut-off dates for July 2020

EB-1 
China: August 22, 2017
India: May 8, 2017
All other countries: Current                                                                            

EB-2  
China: November 8, 2015
India: July 8, 2009
All other countries: Current

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers  
China: June 22, 2016
India: June 1, 2009
All other countries: April 15, 2018

EB-3 Other Workers  
China: July 22, 2008
India: June 1, 2009
All other countries: April 15, 2018

EB-4 
El Salvador, Guatemala Honduras: February 1, 2017
Mexico: June 15, 2018
All other countries: Current

EB-5
China: July 22, 2015
India: Current
Vietnam: May 15, 2017
All other countries: Current 

Dates for Filing cut-off dates for July 2020

EB-1  
China: November 1, 2017 
India: August 1, 2017
All other countries: Current

EB-2  
China: August 1, 2016
India: August 15, 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: May  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.