United States: July Visa Bulletin
Due to continued high demand, the State Department will retrogress the EB-2 category for all countries other than India and mainland China, which will remain unavailable through the end of the current fiscal year. Priority dates for the EB-3 professional and skilled worker subcategory will move ahead by one to six weeks for all countries.
The State Department will next month impose an EB-2 cut-off date of January 1, 2009 for all countries except India and mainland China, according to the July Visa Bulletin. EB-2 will remain unavailable for India and mainland China through the end of this fiscal year.
Qualified EB-2s who were born in an affected country and have a priority date of January 1, 2009 or later will need to file an application for adjustment or an immigrant visa by June 30, 2012, or will be required to wait until more EB-2 numbers become available on October 1, 2012, the beginning of FY 2013.
In the EB-3 subcategory for professionals and skilled workers, priority dates will advance by one week for India, to September 22, 2002; two weeks for China, to September 22, 2005; and two weeks for the Philippines, to June 8, 2006. All other countries will advance by six weeks, to July 22, 2006.
If demand continues to be high, EB-2 could become unavailable for all countries before the end of the current fiscal year. A State Department official has informally indicated that EB-1 immigrant visas are likely to be used up by the end of the fiscal year.
July 2012 Priority Date Cut-Offs
In July 2012, EB immigrant visa priority date cut-offs will be:
EB-1
Current for all countries.
EB-2
India: Unavailable
China: Unavailable
All other countries: January 1, 2009
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
India: September 22, 2002
China: September 22, 2005
Philippines: June 8, 2006
All other countries: July 22, 2006
EB-3 Other Workers
India: September 22, 2002
China: June 15, 2003
Philippines: June 8, 2006
All other countries: July 22, 2006
EB-5
Current for all countries and subcategories.
Source: Fragomen