June Visa Bulletin

Most immigrant visas to the United States are numerically limited both by preference category and by country of chargeability (which is, in most cases, one’s country of birth). Most immigrants are sponsored either by family members who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents or, alternately, through their employment or investment in the U.S.

Scroll down this page to see the current State Department Visa Bulletin showing backlogs in both the family and the employment immigrant visa preference categories.


” I endorse this lawyer’s work. I’ve known Carl professionally for many years. He is highly respected within the immigration bar. Carl’s online site reflects his knowledge – and his generosity with the public and with the bar. Knowledge, hard work, and empathy combine in Carl to the benefit of his clients and the profession.” (More attorney endorsements…)

- Jay Solomon, Immigration Attorney, Atlanta, GA


FAMILY CATEGORIES


Categories Worldwide China (PRC) Mexico Philippines
1st 6-22-05 6-22-05 5-15-93 7-01-97
2A 1-01-10 1-01-10 12-08-09 1-01-10
2B 4-15-04 4-15-04 1-01-92 12-08-01
3rd 4-01-02 4-01-02 1-15-93 7-22-92
4th 1-08-01 12-15-00 6-01-96 1-22-89


EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES


Categories Worldwide China (PRC) India Mexico Philippines
1st Current Current Current Current Current
2nd Current Unavailable Unavailable Current Current
3rd 6-08-06 8-08-05 9-15-02 6-08-06 5-22-06
Unskilled 6-08-06 4-22-03 9-15-02 6-08-06 5-22-06
4th Current Current Current Current Current
Religious Current Current Current Current Current
5th Current Current Current Current Current


PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING MONTHS


The State Department made the following predictions in the June 2012 Visa Bulletin concerning the forward movement of priority dates during the next few months:


  • RETROGRESSION OF THE CHINA-MAINLAND AND INDIA EMPLOYMENT SECOND PREFERENCE CUT-OFF DATE


    • “China and India: The current cut-off date is approaching the most favorable date previously reached for applicants from China and India. The rapid forward movement is intended to generate demand based on new filings for adjustment of status at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices, which currently accounts for over 85% of all Employment-based number use. Once the level of demand increases sufficiently, it may be necessary to slow or stop the cut-off movement, and a retrogression of the cut-offs at some point during the year is a distinct possibility.”



  • VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS

    • FAMILY-sponsored categories (monthly):

    Worldwide dates:

    F1: four to six weeks

    F2A: up to two and one half months

    F2B: three to six weeks

    F3: three to six weeks

    F4: three to five weeks


    EMPLOYMENT-based categories (monthly)


    Employment First: Current

    Employment Second, Worldwide:Potential need for cut-off date to be established

    Employment Second, China and India: Potentially “Unavailable”

    Employment Third:

    Worldwide: three to five weeks

    China: up to six weeks

    India: up to two weeks

    Mexico: three to five weeks

    Philippines: three to five weeks

    Employment Fourth: Current

    Employment Fifth: Current

    Caveat:”Please be advised that the above date ranges are only estimates for the next few months, and are subject to fluctuations in demand.”

    **********************************************************

    Persons born in countries other than India, China, Mexico and the Philippines should look in the “Worldwide” current on the left side of the page to determine their “priority date”. A priority date is established by the submission of a relative visa petition in the family categories, and by either the submission of an application for alien labor certification or by the submission of an employment-based visa petition in the employment categories.

    The word “Current” indicates that no backlog presently exists in a particular category. Alternately, the word “Unavailable” indicates that it is not possible to apply for permanent residence in that category.

    If you are unfamiliar with the Visa Bulletin, here is an explanation of the Family Categories and the Employment Categories.

    The dates in the Visa Bulletin can be misleading. Some dates, particularly in the Employment Based Categories, are “current” now, but may backlog before you can say “I-485″. Others, particularly in the Family Based Categories, look closer on the Bulletin than they are in reality. To see the rate of advance in a particular category, check the State Department’s Visa Bulletin Archive. This allows you to see Visa Bulletins from February 1995 to the present.

    See the complete State Department Visa Bulletin.




    Free NewsLetter

    Learn how to benefit from U.S. immigration laws and procedures from a former INS Attorney (1976-82) with over 30 years of experience specializing in immigration law. Join over 60, 000 persons in more than 150 countries in subscribing to our FREE monthly e-mail newsletter.



    FOLLOW US ON

    Immigration News Ticker