March 2019 Visa Bulletin Check-In: EB1 Expected to Remain Mostly Stagnant

Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Following the release of the March 2019 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim has provided a couple of updated predictions.

Minimal Movement Expected in Employment-Based, First Preference Category (EB1)

Mr. Oppenheim cautions that there has been a surge in demand within the EB1 category, so stakeholders should expect little-to-no advancement in the coming months. EB1 China and India are especially unlikely to see much, if any, forward movement.

Employment-Based, Second and Third Preference (EB2 and EB3) Categories

Advancement for EB2 China continues to outpace that of EB3 China. This trend likely will continue for the time being.

Mr. Oppenheim feels it is too soon to tell how long the EB3 India category will retain a cutoff date more favorable than its EB2 counterpart.

As for EB3 Philippines, demand has been low, and the cutoff date continues to advance. In years past, however, this category has sometimes seen large increases in demand a bit later in the fiscal year, resulting in severe retrogression. Therefore, for now, he is trying to be cautious in how quickly he moves this category forward.

Conclusion

MurthyDotCom will continue to closely monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to the MurthyBulletin to receive future updates.

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