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
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.
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