Business Immigration Insights

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process. The complete visa bulletin can be found here.

Below is a summary of the May Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month.

• China: EB-1 remains stalled at February 22, 2017, EB-2 advances six weeks to May 15, 2016, and EB-3 moves ahead twenty-one days to August 22, 2015
• India: EB-1 freezes at February 22, 2017, EB-2 moves forward four days to April 16, 2009, and EB-3 continues to outpace EB-2, creeping ahead nine days to July 1, 2009
• Philippines: EB-1 moves forward one month to March 1, 2018, EB-2 remains current, and EB-3 leaps ahead three months to June 1, 2018
• All Other Countries: EB-1 remains backlogged, but continues to slowly advance, moving one month to March 1, 2018, EB-2 and EB-3 remain current

NOTE 1: The May Visa Bulletin includes a note warning that retrogression in the EB-1 China and EB-1 India categories is possible in the coming months.

NOTE 2: USCIS will not accept I-485 applications in May based on the Department of State’s Dates for Filing chart. Applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart.