May Visa Bulletin: Modest advancement in most employment-based categories

Priority-date cutoff dates for most employment-based categories will advance modestly next month, according to the Final Action Dates chart published in the May 2019 Visa Bulletin.

Key movements:

EB-1

• China EB-1 and India EB-1 will not move, with both categories remaining at Feb. 22, 2017.
• All other EB-1 categories will advance one month to March 1, 2018.

EB-2

• China EB-2 will advance six weeks to May 15, 2016.
• India EB-2 will advance four days to April 16, 2009.
• All other EB-2 countries will remain current.

EB-3

• China EB-3 will advance three weeks to Aug. 22, 2015.
• India EB-3 will advance nine days to July 1, 2009 .
• The Philippines EB-3 will advance three months to June 1, 2018.
• All other EB-3 countries will remain current.

Additional notes: The EB-4 category for religious workers (other than ministers) and the EB-5 Regional Center (I5 and R5) Immigrant Investor program will be funded through the remainder of the fiscal year under the budget bill President Donald Trump signed in February. The EB-4 category will remain current for May for all countries except El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which will be subject to a March 8, 2016 final action date, and Mexico, which will be subject to an Aug. 1, 2018 date. In the EB-5 category, final action dates will remain current in May for all countries except China I5 and R5, which will be subject to a Sept. 22, 2014 final action date, and Vietnam I5 and R5, which will be subject to a Sept. 22, 2016 final action date.

Application Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed that it will only accept employment-based adjustment-of-status applications based on the Final Action Dates chart in May. The Dates for Filing chart, also published in visa bulletin, will not apply.

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

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