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 | All Chargeability Areas | Current |
| China | Current |
| El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras | Current |
| India | Current |
| Mexico | Current |
| Philippines | Current |
| EB-2 | All Chargeability Areas | Current |
| China | Advances 1 month |
| El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras | Current |
| India | Advances 1½ months |
| Mexico | Current |
| Philippines | Current |
| EB-3 | All Chargeability Areas | Advances 2 months |
| China | Advances 5½ months |
| El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras | Advances 2 months |
| India | No Change |
| Mexico | Advances 2 months |
| Philippines | Advances 5 months |
| | | |
Relevant U.S. State Department Commentary
VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS
FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)
Worldwide dates:
F1: Up to several months
F2A: Up to one month
F2B: Up to five weeks
F3: Three or four weeks
F4: Two or three weeks
EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)
Employment First: The category will remain “Current”.
China and India: A Final Action Date is likely to be imposed by August.
Employment Second:
Worldwide: Current
China: Up to five weeks.
India: Up to one month.
Employment Third:
Worldwide: Up to three months.
China: Up to six months.
India: Extremely limited forward movement.
Mexico: Will remain at the worldwide date.
Philippines: Up to six months.
Employment Fourth: Current for most countries.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico:
Some movement may be possible during the summer
months.
Employment Fifth: The category will remain “Current” for most countries.
China-mainland born: Up to two weeks.
The above final action date projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen on a monthly basis through May or June 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 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.