The monthly Visa Bulletin for June shows substantial advances in the employment-based preference categories. The advances over the May Visa Bulletin cut-off dates include the following:
Worldwide EB2 remains current
Worldwide EB3 advances from 01AUG03 to 01JUN05
China EB2 advances from 22APR05 to 01JAN06
China EB3 advances from 01AUG02 to 01JUN03
India EB2 advances from 08JAN03 to 01APR04
India EB3 advances from 08MAY01 to 01JUN03
Mexico EB2 remains current
Mexico EB3 advances from 15MAY01 to 01JUN03
Philippines EB2 remains current
Philippines EB3 advances from 01AUG03 to 01JUN05
The U.S. Department of State, which issues the monthly Visa Bulletins, offered the following explanation and observation:
EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILITY DURING THE COMING MONTHS
The current level of demand in many of the Employment-based categories has been much lower than anticipated. As a result, the June cut-off dates have been advanced significantly in an effort to maximize number use under the annual numerical limits. At this time it appears likely that there will be additional advances during the coming months. All readers should be aware that such cut-off date movements should allow for action to be finalized on a significant number of Citizenship and Immigration Services adjustment of status cases. Once that level of demand begins to exceed the supply of available numbers it will be necessary to make “adjustments” to the cut-off dates. At this time is in not possible to estimate when this is likely to occur, but it is expected.