DOS Visa Bulletin for January 2014

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) January 2014 Visa Bulletin has been released. There is little-to-no movement in most of the categories, but a noticeable exception is the advancement in the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category for all countries of chargeability, except India and the Philippines.

Family-Based, Second Preference “A” (FB2A)

The cutoff date in the FB2A category for spouses and (unmarried, minor) children of U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or “green card” holders) remains unchanged at September 8, 2013 for all countries of chargeability except Mexico. Mexico’s cutoff date lags just a few days behind, at September 1, 2013.

Employment-Based Categories

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1)

This category remains current for all countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2)

The EB2 category remains current for all countries of chargeability, with the exception of India and China. As expected, the EB2 India category cutoff date of November 15, 2004 remains unchanged, following retrogression in December. The EB2 China cutoff date again advances by a month to December 8, 2008. This is also consistent with prior DOS predictions.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3)

The EB3 category for all countries of chargeability continues to advance rapidly, except for India and the Philippines. The EB3 cutoff date for all chargeability areas except those listed, China and Mexico, advances by six months to April 1, 2012. The Philippines advances by over a month to February 15, 2007. India’s cutoff date is unchanged at September 1, 2003.

It is highly likely that the extremely favorable cutoff dates in EB3 for countries other than India and the Philippines are a temporary development. Those who can take advantage of this advancement should do so without delay.

Other Workers’ Category

The cutoff dates for EB3 other workers continue to match the general EB3 cutoff dates throughout the category.

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

These categories remain current for all countries of chargeability.

Conclusion

The movement of cutoff dates in the January 2014 Visa Bulletin fits squarely within DOS predictions. The favorable cutoff dates in the FB2A category continue to create opportunities for those who can utilize that option. The same is true of the rapidly advancing EB3 category for countries other than India and the Philippines. For many others, the waiting continues, with some hope for advancement in EB2 India later in calendar year 2014. MurthyDotCom will continue to provide readers with reliable visa bulletin updates and predictions as information becomes available.

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Disclaimer: The information provided here is of a general nature and may not apply to any specific or particular circumstance. It is not to be construed as legal advice nor presumed indefinitely up to date.