Priority cutoff dates for India EB-2, China EB-2 and most EB-3 categories will advance modestly, according to the State Department’s January Visa Bulletin.

Key movements in priority cutoff dates:

  • India EB-2 will advance 2 ½ months to April 15, 2008, while India EB-3 will remain set at March 15, 2005.
  • China EB-2 will advance by more than three weeks to Oct. 15, 2012, while China EB-3 will advance more than two months to Sept. 8, 2013.
  • The Philippines EB-3 category will advance nearly two months to July 22, 2011.
  • EB-3 categories for Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and All Other Chargeability Areas will advance by one month to Aug. 1, 2016.

Additional notes: All EB-1 categories will remain current. All EB-2 categories other than India and China will also remain current.

Application Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases:

Preference China El Salvador Guatemala Honduras India Mexico

 

 Philippines

 

 All Other Countries
EB-1 Current Current Current Current Current Current
EB-2 Oct. 15, 2012 Current April 15, 2008 Current Current Current
EB-3 Sept. 8, 2013 Aug. 1, 2016 March 15, 2005 Aug. 1, 2016 July 22, 2011 Aug. 1, 2016

The State Department also released its Dates for Filing chart for January 2016. Applicants seeking to file for adjustment of status are reminded that the chart does not take effect until USCIS confirms it via a web posting in the next week or so. BAL will update clients once the State Department confirms whether the chart can be used in January.

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

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