State Department Predictions about Priority Dates
Posted Oct 16, 2000

We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy have been asked how soon the new legislation (ACTA) will affect movement of priority dates. ACTA provides for the many employment-based visas that are unused by smaller countries to be used by nationals of "oversubscribed" countries such as India and China. According to Charles Oppenheim, the official in charge of establishing the monthly visa cut-off dates for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), the effects of ACTA will not be felt immediately. Indeed, the priority date chart for November (current Visa Dates from DOS), just released this week, shows no movement for India. Still, Mr. Oppenheim predicts significant advances in December 2000 for both India and China.

For the Philippines, Mr. Oppenheim has stated that a backlog may develop for December 2000, so that cut-off dates are likely to appear in the employment-based third preference (EB-3) for the Philippines for that month. It has been several years since Philippines EB-3 showed a cut-off date, but this is something that DOS has predicted for some time. We do anticipate positive developments also for Philippines nationals at some point as a result of ACTA.