September 2016 Visa Bulletin: Modest Advancement for EB-2 India and Most Countries in EB-3; EB-1 India and China and EB-2 Worldwide Remain Backlogged
August 8, 2016

Country / Territory
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
United States
According to the State Department’s September Visa Bulletin, the cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa in the EB-2 category will advance for India by over three months, to February 22, 2005, but there will be no advancement for China or any other country in EB-2. In the EB-1 category, India and China will remain retrogressed at January 1, 2010, while all other countries will continue to be current.
Final action cutoff dates for EB-3 professionals, skilled workers and other workers will advance by over three months for India, to February 15, 2005, almost fourteen months for the Philippines, to July 1, 2010, and six weeks for all other countries except for China, to May 1, 2016. There will be no forward movement in the final action cutoff dates for EB-3 China, with professionals and skilled workers holding steady at January 1, 2010 and other workers holding steady at January 1, 2004.
The final action cutoff dates for EB-5 China, in both the Regional and non-Regional Center programs, will remain unchanged at February 15, 2014.
There will be no advancement in cutoff dates for eligibility to file an application for permanent residence in all backlogged employment categories. 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 September.
FINAL ACTION CUT-OFF DATES FOR SEPTEMBER 2016
EB-1
China: January 1, 2010
India: January 1, 2010
All other countries: Current
EB-2
China: January 1, 2010
India: February 22, 2005
All other countries: February 1, 2014
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: January 1, 2010
India: February 15, 2005
Philippines: July 1, 2010
All other countries: May 1, 2016
EB-3 Other Workers
China: January 1, 2004
India: February 15, 2005
Philippines: July 1, 2010
All other countries: May 1, 2016
EB-5
China: February 15, 2014
Current for all other countries and subcategories.
FILING ELIGIBILITY CUT-OFF DATES FOR SEPTEMBER 2016
EB-1
Current for all countries.
EB-2
China: June 1, 2013
India: July 1, 2009
All other countries: Current
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: May 1, 2015
India: July 1, 2005
Philippines: January 1, 2013
All other countries: Current
EB-3 Other Workers
China: August 1, 2009
India: July 1, 2005
Philippines: January 1, 2013
All other countries: Current
EB-5
China: May 1, 2015
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.
© 2016 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
Country / Territory
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
Related offices
- Fragomen in Atlanta, GA
- Fragomen in Bengaluru, India
- Fragomen in Boston, MA
- Fragomen in Chicago, IL
- Fragomen in Miami, FL
- Fragomen in Dallas, TX
- Fragomen in Houston, TX
- Fragomen in Irvine, CA
- Fragomen in Kochi, India
- Fragomen in Los Angeles, CA
- Fragomen in Matawan, NJ
- Fragomen in New York, NY
- Fragomen in Phoenix, AZ
- Fragomen in San Diego, CA
- Fragomen in San Francisco, CA
- Fragomen in Silicon Valley, CA
- Fragomen in Detroit, MI
- Fragomen in Washington, DC
Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions
Partner Marius Tollenaere and Associate Jamela Sharrock examine how employers in Germany can strengthen immigration compliance by embedding it into every stage of the employment lifecycle.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Partner Chad Blocker, Senior Counsel Mitchell Wexler and Associate Alex Kim discuss what prospective EB-5 applicants should know now, including source-of-funds documentation, project selection, concurrent filing, retrogression and upcoming program deadlines.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Jo Antoons and Senior Manager Marina Ocariz discuss the EU’s provisional agreement on revised social security coordination rules and what employers should know about the expected changes to A1 certificate requirements, posted worker rules and short-term cross-border work compliance.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Rahul Soni explains the EB-5 grandfathering provisions under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and why prospective investors should consider filing before the September 30, 2026 deadline to help preserve statutory protections and reduce exposure to future program uncertainty.
Video
In this video, Practice Leader Kate Praphakornphiphat explains the key requirements, documents, fees and processing time for a Thailand tourist visa, as well as stay duration and extension options for short-term travel.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries announce that they will jointly serve as co-chairs of the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility for a two-year term beginning in June 2026.
Blog post
In this blog, Manager Gillian Gibbons and Immigration Consultants Gemma Oliver and Larna Kate Hadfield examine how Barnsley’s designation as the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town reflects wider AI and digital growth across the North of England, and why immigration strategy will be critical for employers seeking to access the global talent needed to support regional innovation.
Media mentions
In this Hong Kong Business article, Managing Director Magdalene Tennant discusses Hong Kong’s recent decision to allow employment and dependent visa renewal applications to be filed up to three months before expiry, a change intended to reduce the risk of work disruptions and provide employers with greater flexibility in managing foreign talent.
Media mentions
In this article published by Professional Engineering, Senior Manager Nadine Barnole examines how UK engineering employers can continue to access international talent amid growing skills shortages and a rapidly evolving immigration landscape.
Media mentions
In this Times Brasil CNBC Real Tech interview, Partner Diana Quintas discusses Brazil’s recent visa exemption for Chinese nationals, what it signals for Brazil-China mobility and how technology is helping support more efficient cross-border movement.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Business Immigration Manager Ayana Ibrahimi is joined by Lara Dyer, Chief Solutions Officer (Americas) at Talent Beyond Boundaries; Stuart Szabo, CEO and Co-founder of Beacon; and Jessica Turner, Co-founder and CEO of ThriveON, to discuss refugee labour mobility and employment-based pathways for displaced talent.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Manager Maja Sugui provides an overview of key visa and compliance considerations for business travelers planning trips to China.

Media mentions
Partner Marius Tollenaere and Associate Jamela Sharrock examine how employers in Germany can strengthen immigration compliance by embedding it into every stage of the employment lifecycle.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Partner Chad Blocker, Senior Counsel Mitchell Wexler and Associate Alex Kim discuss what prospective EB-5 applicants should know now, including source-of-funds documentation, project selection, concurrent filing, retrogression and upcoming program deadlines.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Jo Antoons and Senior Manager Marina Ocariz discuss the EU’s provisional agreement on revised social security coordination rules and what employers should know about the expected changes to A1 certificate requirements, posted worker rules and short-term cross-border work compliance.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Rahul Soni explains the EB-5 grandfathering provisions under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and why prospective investors should consider filing before the September 30, 2026 deadline to help preserve statutory protections and reduce exposure to future program uncertainty.
Video
In this video, Practice Leader Kate Praphakornphiphat explains the key requirements, documents, fees and processing time for a Thailand tourist visa, as well as stay duration and extension options for short-term travel.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries announce that they will jointly serve as co-chairs of the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility for a two-year term beginning in June 2026.
Blog post
In this blog, Manager Gillian Gibbons and Immigration Consultants Gemma Oliver and Larna Kate Hadfield examine how Barnsley’s designation as the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town reflects wider AI and digital growth across the North of England, and why immigration strategy will be critical for employers seeking to access the global talent needed to support regional innovation.
Media mentions
In this Hong Kong Business article, Managing Director Magdalene Tennant discusses Hong Kong’s recent decision to allow employment and dependent visa renewal applications to be filed up to three months before expiry, a change intended to reduce the risk of work disruptions and provide employers with greater flexibility in managing foreign talent.
Media mentions
In this article published by Professional Engineering, Senior Manager Nadine Barnole examines how UK engineering employers can continue to access international talent amid growing skills shortages and a rapidly evolving immigration landscape.
Media mentions
In this Times Brasil CNBC Real Tech interview, Partner Diana Quintas discusses Brazil’s recent visa exemption for Chinese nationals, what it signals for Brazil-China mobility and how technology is helping support more efficient cross-border movement.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Business Immigration Manager Ayana Ibrahimi is joined by Lara Dyer, Chief Solutions Officer (Americas) at Talent Beyond Boundaries; Stuart Szabo, CEO and Co-founder of Beacon; and Jessica Turner, Co-founder and CEO of ThriveON, to discuss refugee labour mobility and employment-based pathways for displaced talent.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Manager Maja Sugui provides an overview of key visa and compliance considerations for business travelers planning trips to China.
