2. Employment-Based Cut-off Date Changes Over Last Month’s Visa Bulletin
| Preference Category | Chargeability | Change From Last Month’s Visa Bulletin |
| EB-1 | Current Across All Chargeability Areas |
| EB-2 | All Chargeability Areas | Current |
| China | Advances 6 weeks |
| India | Advances 6½ months |
| Mexico | Current |
| Philippines | Current |
| EB-3 | All Chargeability Areas | Advances 7 months |
| China | Advances 6 months |
| India | Advances 1 week |
| Mexico | Advances 7 months |
| Philippines | Advances 7 months |
3. Relevant U.S. State Department Commentary
VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS
FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)
Worldwide dates:
F1: Up to three weeks
F2A: Three or four weeks
F2B: Three to six weeks
F3: Up to three weeks
F4: Two to four weeks
EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)
Employment First: Current
Employment Second:
Worldwide: Current
China: Three to six weeks
India: Four to six months
Employment Third:
Worldwide: Rapid forward movement for at least another month or two. The rapid movement in recent months should generate a significant amount of demand for numbers. Once such demand materializes at the anticipated rate it will have a direct impact on this cut-off date.
China: Rapid forward movement. Such movement is likely to result in a dramatic increase in demand which could require "corrective" action within the next six months.
India: Up to two weeks
Mexico: Will remain at the worldwide date
Philippines: Will remain at the worldwide date. Increased demand may require "corrective" action at some point later in the fiscal year.
Employment Fourth: Current
Employment Fifth: Current - for most countries. The expected increase in China-mainland born demand would require the establishment of a cut-off date for such applicants no later than the summer months. The category will remain "Current" for all other countries for the foreseeable future.
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The above projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen on a monthly basis through May based on current applicant demand patterns. Readers should never assume that recent trends in cut-off date movements are guaranteed for the future, or that "corrective" action will not be required at some point in an effort to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits. The determination of the actual monthly cut-off dates is subject to monthly fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables.