March Visa Bulletin: advancement in employment-based categories, Final Action Dates to control filing

Priority-date cutoffs will advance in most employment-based categories next month, according to the State Department’s March Visa Bulletin. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed Tuesday that it would continue using the Final Action Dates chart for adjustment-of-status applications in March.

Key Movements in Final Action Dates for March: 

EB-1

• China EB-1 will advance seven months to Aug. 1, 2020.
• India EB-1 will advance seven months to Aug. 1, 2020.
• All other countries under EB-1 will remain current.

EB-2

• China EB-2 will advance one month to July 15, 2016.
• India EB-2 will advance more than three months to Jan. 15, 2010.

• All other countries under EB-2 will remain current.

EB-3

• China EB-3 will advance more than five weeks to Feb. 8, 2018.
• India EB-3 will advance three months to July 1, 2010.
• All other countries under EB-3 will remain current.

Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases:

Additional Information: Priority-date cutoffs advanced dramatically in the October Visa Bulletin, did not change in November and advanced modestly in most categories in December. Priority-date cutoffs retrogressed sharply in January following USICS’s switch to the Final Action Dates after it used Dates for Filing for the first three months of the fiscal year. Dates advanced modestly in most categories in February.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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