August Visa Bulletin: EB-3 category: China to retrogress more than 7 years; Philippines to resume; India to advance slightly

The priority date for Chinese nationals in the EB-3 category will retrogress more than seven years from Sept. 1, 2011 to June 1, 2004, according to the State Department’s August Visa Bulletin. The adjustment was necessary because of an “extremely large increase in applicant demand” and to keep numbers within the annual limits. A rollback of this category was predicted in February as the anticipated result of large numbers of Chinese nationals downgrading from the slower-advancing EB-2 category. In August, EB-2 China will advance by more than two months from Oct. 1, 2013 to Dec. 15, 2013.

For Indian nationals, EB-3 will advance by four months from Feb. 1, 2004 to June 1, 2004, but EB-2 will remain unchanged from last month’s priority date of Oct. 1, 2008.

In other EB-3 categories, Mexico and Rest of World will advance by more than three months from April 1, 2015 to July 15, 2015. The Philippines EB-3 category, which was unavailable this month, will resume in August with a priority date of June 1, 2004.

In the EB-2 category, nationals of Mexico, the Philippines and Rest of World will remain current. All EB-1 categories will remain current.

Summary of August 2015 Visa Bulletin:

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