The July 2015 Department of State Visa Bulletin reveals steady forward movement in most family- and employment-based immigration categories, as well as a few surprises.
EB-2
The biggest movement we see this month is for Chinese nationals in the second employment-based immigration category – EB-2. EB-2 China has moved four months – from June 1, 2013 to October 1, 2013. In liaison meetings, the Department of State notes movement will continue, but more slowly, in this category for the remaining months of this fiscal year. EB-2 India stayed at October 1, 2008 for July 2015. Because of high demand in the EB-2 category generally, no further movement is expected in this category for the rest of the fiscal year.
EB-3
EB-3 Philippines is now totally unavailable, and is expected to stay this way for the rest of the fiscal year. This follows a serious retrogression last month and a warning that high demand from EB-3 Philippines cases recently caught the Department of State off guard. Worldwide EB-3, and EB-3 Mexico, remain almost current, moving six weeks from February 15, 2015, to April 1, 2015. The extremely short wait list for EB-3 worldwide and Mexico are expected to remain through the end of the fiscal year, which is great news for employers looking for alternatives to the H-1B cap situation. Forward movement is expected to freeze, however, starting in approximately October 2015. EB-3 India remains quite backlogged, moving only two weeks to February 1, 2004. This type of slow movement is expected to continue. EB-3 China stayed put at September 1, 2011, after moving four months for June 2015.
EB-4
EB-4 is the permanent residence category for religious workers. The Department of State warns in liaison meetings that although the entire category remains current for July 2015, the agency may establish a cut-off date in the near future for nationals of five countries: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and India.
China EB-5
EB-5 is the permanent residence category for investors. China is the only country subject to a cut-off date, still, and that date moved four months from May 1, 2013, to September 1, 2013. The Department of State projects the category may move as far ahead as November 2013 by the end of this fiscal year.
Family-Based Categories
The family based preference categories continue to advance at a regular but slow pace. The exception is FB-4 Mexico, the family-based category for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. The category went four months backwards to March 1, 1997 in June 2015, and remains at that cut-off date for July 2015. Unfortunately, the Department of State projects this category will take until approximately December 2015 to get back to July 1997, where it was before.