Employment-Based Cut-off Date Changes for Next Month Compared to the Current 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 | No Change |
| El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras | Current |
| India | Advances 1 month |
| Mexico | Current |
| Philippines | Current |
| EB-3 | All Chargeability Areas | Advances 2 weeks |
| China | No Change |
| El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras | Advances 2 weeks |
| India | Advances 1 month |
| Mexico | Advances 2 weeks |
| Philippines | Advances 3 ½ months |
3. Relevant U.S. State Department Commentary
F. VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS
FAMILY-sponsored categories (August and September)
Worldwide dates:
F1: Up to two months
F2A: One or two weeks
F2B: Four to six weeks
F3: Up to two weeks
F4: Up to one month
EMPLOYMENT-based categories (August and September)
Employment First:
Current for most.
China and India: A date will be established no later than September. Will return to “Current” status for October.
Employment Second:
Worldwide: Date likely to be imposed by September. Will return to “Current” status for October.
China: No forward movement.
India: One week beyond India EB-3.
Employment Third:
Worldwide: Up to one month.
China: No forward movement.
India: Indications are that there will be “otherwise” unused numbers available under the Worldwide limit. This should allow the September date to reach early 2005.
Mexico: Worldwide date for the foreseeable future.
Philippines: Likely to reach late 2009, possibly early 2010.
Employment Fourth:
Current for most.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico will be subject to the January 1, 2010 Final Action Date through September. That date will be applied to India in August.
El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are expected to have a 2015 Final Action Date(s) for October.
India and Mexico: Will return to “Current” status for October.
Employment Fifth:
Current for all but China.
China: Best case scenario is March 1st by September. Slow forward movement for October and beyond.
The above projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen on a monthly basis based on current applicant demand patterns. Readers should never assume that recent trends in Final Action Date movements are guaranteed for the future, or that "corrective" action will not be required at some point during the year in an effort to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits. The determination of the actual monthly Final Action Dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables.