July 2018 Visa Bulletin

Visa Bulletin

Number 19 – Volume X

Washington, D.C.

JULY 2018

As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has indicated at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo, USCIS will use the chart below to determine who may file applications for adjustment of status (Form I-485) with USCIS during the month of July.  Only applicants with Priority Dates earlier than the cut-off dates listed below may file their I-485 adjustment of status applications with USCIS during July.

“C” = Current. No queue or backlog in this visa category at this time.

“U” = Unavailable. No visas available in this category at this time.

Excerpted from  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-for-July-2018.html

MEXICO E4 and SR:  As readers were advised in item E of the June Visa Bulletin, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Dates in an effort to hold worldwide number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2018 annual limits.  

The Mexico E4 and SR dates will return to October 22, 2016 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.

CHINA E3: There has been an extremely large increase in Employment Third preference applicant demand during the past two months.  This is due to the “downgrading” of status by applicants who had originally filed in the Employment Second preference. As a result, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Date to January 1, 2013 in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 per-country limit. 

The China E3 date will return to June 1, 2015 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILTY IN THE COMING MONTHS

In recent weeks there has been a steadily increasing level of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A continuation of the current demand pattern would result in a temporary establishment or retrogression of some final action dates in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 annual limits.  

Should such action be required, there would be a full recovery in the preference category for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers:

A. Spouses and Children: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES

First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "Other Workers".

Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the worldwide level.

Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1% of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-395.