October 2017 Visa Bulletin: EB1 Returns to Being Current

The October 2017 Visa Bulletin, which is the first visa bulletin of fiscal year 2018, has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). In addition to laying out the cutoff dates for October 2017, this month’s visa bulletin also includes predictions for the months to come. Given that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) so rarely allows for the use of the dates for filing (DF) chart for purposes of applying for adjustment of status, only the movement in the final action (FA) chart is included.

Overview of Movement in Employment-Based Categories

As expected, the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category returns to being current for all countries. In the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category, India’s cutoff date moves ahead by three weeks, to September 15, 2008. EB2 China advances by one week, to a new cutoff date of May 22, 2013. The cutoff date for India in the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category remains unchanged, at October 15, 2006. Meanwhile, EB3 China jumps ahead by two years, to January 1, 2014.

Predictions for Employment-Based Categories

In the coming months, the EB1 category is expected to remain current. In the EB2 category, both China and India are predicted to see advancement by up to four weeks per month. For EB3, China can expect monthly movement of up to four months. EB3 India, however, will likely only see “limited forward movement.” Meanwhile, the employment-based, fifth preference category will remain current for all countries of chargeability, with the exception of China. EB5 China should only expect monthly movement of about one week.

Conclusion

More information on projected movement in the visa bulletin will be posted as the information becomes available. Subscribe to the free MurthyBulletin for future updates.

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