Department of State September 2018 Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State has released the September 2018 Visa Bulletin.  D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the family and employment-based priority dates.  

EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Worldwide will no longer be current in September, retrogressing to June 1, 2016, January 1, 2013, and November 1, 2016 respectively. They are expected to become progress or become current again at the start of the new fiscal year in October.  EB-1 China remains unchanged, EB-2 China retrogressed more than 2 years to January 1, 2013, and EB-3 China progressed 4 months to November 1, 2014. EB-1 India remained unchanged, EB-2 India retrogressed more than 2 years to January 1, 2007, and EB-3 India retrogressed 6 years to January 1, 2003.  EB-5 regional center and non-regional center filings remain current except for China and Vietnam, both of which progressed one week to April 8, 2014.

Application Filing Dates remain unchanged across all areas of chargeability for September 2018, with exception of F2B Worldwide, China and India, which progressed over 2 years from January 8, 2012 to March 22, 2014.

As of today, August 9, 2018, USCIS has not advised whether, in September 2018, it will accept adjustment of status applications for family and employment-based petitions based on final action dates or application filing dates.

Department of State August 2017 Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State has released the August 2017 Visa Bulletin.  D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the family and employment-based priority dates.  

With respect to Final Action Dates, there is significant retrogression in the EB-2 worldwide category to April 1, 2015.    EB-1 China and EB-1 India remain unchanged at January 1, 2012. EB-2 China progressed by one month to April 22, 2013 and EB-3 China remains unchanged at January 1, 2012.  EB-2 India remains unchanged at July 22, 2008 and EB-3 India progressed by five months to July 15, 2006.  EB-3 worldwide is current. EB-2 Mexico and Philippines have retrogressed to April 1, 2015 and EB-3 Mexico is now current.  EB-3 Philippines has progressed one year to June 1, 2015.

EB-5 for both regional centers and non-regional centers remains current, with the exception of China, which has progressed by one week to June 15, 2014.

Application Filing Dates for EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 Worldwide are current.  Additionally, Application Filing Dates for China remain unchanged in both the EB-2 and EB-3 categories with EB-2 China at October 1, 2013 and EB-3 China at September 1, 2015.  Similarly, Application Filing Dates for India in the EB-2 category remains unchanged at February 1, 2009.  The EB-3 India category progressed by three months to January 1, 2007.  Application Filing Dates for EB-3 Philippines progressed by six months to January 1, 2016.  Application Filing Dates for EB-5 China remain unchanged at September 1, 2014.

USCIS has announced that both family-based and employment-based adjustment of status applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for August 2017.

Department of State May 2017 Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State has released the May 2017 Visa Bulletin.  D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the family and employment-based priority dates.  The Application Filing date for EB-2 China progressed 7 months to October 1, 2013 and EB-3 China progressed 4 months to September 1, 2015.  The Application Filing date for EB-2 India retrogressed just under 3 months to February 1, 2009 and EB-3 India progressed nearly 10 months to April 22, 2006.  The Application filing date for EB-3 Philippines progressed 10 months to July 1, 2014 and EB-5 China progressed nearly 3 months to September 1, 2014.

The Final Action date for EB-3 Worldwide progressed one month to March 15, 2017.  EB-2 China progressed 24 days to February 8, 2013 and EB-3 China progressed 1.5 months to October 1, 2014.  EB-2 India remains unchanged and EB-3 India progressed 1 day March 25, 2005.  EB-2 Mexico remains current and EB-3 Mexico progressed 1 month to March 15, 2017.  EB-2 Philippines remains current and EB-3 Philippines progressed 3.5 months to January 1, 2013.

All non-regional center EB-5 categories remain current, with the exception of EB-5 China, which progressed 10 days to June 1, 2014.  There are no available EB-5 visas for Regional Center filings in May.

As of today, April 12, 2017, USCIS has not advised whether, in May 2017, it will accept adjustment of status applications for family and employment-based petitions based on final action dates or application filing dates.