United States: September Visa Bulletin: Slight EB-3 Advancement for All Countries Next Month
Priority date cut-offs for the EB-3 professional and skilled worker subcategory will advance modestly for all countries next month, according to the State Department’s September Visa Bulletin. EB-3 will move ahead by one week for India, to October 8, 2002; five weeks for mainland China, to December 15, 2005; approximately six weeks for the Philippines, to August 1, 2006; and three weeks for all other countries, to October 1, 2006.
The EB-2 cut-off date will remain at January 1, 2009 for all countries except mainland China and India, which will continue to be unavailable. When the Fiscal Year 2013 immigrant visa quota opens in October, EB-2 is expected to resume availability for China and India and become current for all other countries. A senior State Department officer has estimated that China and India priority dates could return to August 15, 2007, the most recent cut-off date before the two countries became unavailable last June, but that date could change depending on immigrant visa demand.
September 2012 Priority Date Cut-Offs
In September 2012, EB immigrant visa priority date cut-offs will be:
EB-1
Current for all countries.
EB-2
China: Unavailable
India: Unavailable
All other countries: January 1, 2009
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: December 15, 2005
India: October 8, 2002
Philippines: August 1, 2006
All other countries: October 1, 2006
EB-3 Other Workers
China: June 22, 2003
India: October 8, 2002
Philippines: August 1, 2006
All other countries: October 1, 2006
EB-5
Current for all countries and subcategories.
Source: Fragomen