April 2013 Visa Bulletin and Priority Dates

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for April 2013 is now available. The cutoff date movement or, in the case of EB2 India, lack of movement, is consistent with predictions provided in the March 2013 Visa Bulletin and shared with MurthyDotCom readers in March 2013 Visa Bulletin: Predictions for Upcoming Months. Contents of the April 2013 Visa Bulletin are summarized here, for the benefit of our readers.

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1)

This category remains current for all countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2)

As expected, the EB2 category is current for all countries of chargeability except India and China. As has been the case thus far in fiscal year (FY) 2013, the EB2 India cutoff remains unchanged, at September 1, 2004. The EB2 China cutoff date is far more favorable, with advancement to April 1, 2008.

Since cutoff dates are the result of limited visa numbers and the demand for those numbers, the DOS demand data provides detailed insight into the reason for the differences between EB2 India and EB2 China.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3)

The cutoff dates in EB3 for all chargeability areas except those listed, as well as Mexico, moves forward by two months, to July 1, 2007. The Philippines cutoff date inches forward by a week to September 8, 2006. China moves ahead considerably, with a leap of three months to a cutoff date of April 22, 2007. India advances by more than two weeks to December 8, 2002.

Other Workers Category

Other than China, the EB3 other workers’ cutoff dates match the general EB3 cutoff dates. The EB3 other workers’ category cutoff date for China moves by a full month, to August 1, 2003.

Employment-Based Fourth (EB4) and Fifth (EB5) Preferences

As predicted, these categories remain current for all countries of chargeability.

Conclusion

The April 2013 Visa Bulletin is not a surprise to those who have been following the visa bulletin cutoff date predictions and analyses on MurthyDotCom. Attorneys at the Murthy Law Firm are available to help those who need assistance with their immigration matters, including those considering job changes due to the extended delays caused by the ongoing retrogression.

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