Updated Visa Bulletin Information and Predictions

During a recent virtual meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provided some updated information and a couple of predictions regarding the monthly visa bulletin. All predictions refer to the dates in the final action (FA) chart, unless otherwise specified.

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category, India

Mr. Oppenheim expects that the EB1 category for India will continue to advance fairly slowly for the rest of the fiscal year. Fiscal year 2020 ends September 30, 2020.

Family-based, second preference “A” (FB2A) category

The FB2A category is expected to remain current for the rest of the fiscal year. This category is reserved for spouses and children of U.S. permanent residents.

Additional Insights into Immigrant Visa Processing

Mr. Oppenheim noted that about ten percent of immigrant visa applicants (i.e., individuals applying for lawful permanent residency from outside of the United States) either fail to show up for the visa interview, or otherwise notify the consulate of a lack of interest in moving forward with the application. This is an ongoing phenomenon, unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Oppenheim also explained that approximately 95 percent of family-based cases are processed at consulates, while 85 percent of employment-based cases are processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) via adjustment-of-status applications. Given that consulates across the globe have closed due to the pandemic, Mr. Oppenheim expects there will be many unused immigrant visa numbers for cases being processed through consulates. This could result in the USCIS having more visa numbers to use for adjustment-of-status cases this fiscal year.

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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