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, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Below is a summary of the October Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month.  All dates remain the same as September.

China:   EB-1 remains current; EB-2 stalls at July 1, 2018; and EB-3 remains January 8, 2019.

India:   EB-1 remains current; EB-2 freezes at September 1, 2011; and EB-3 remains January 1, 2014.

All Other Countries:  EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 remain current

NOTE 1:   USCIS announced that it will accept I-485 applications in October based on the Department of State’s (slightly) more favorable Dates for Filing chart. This means that AOS cases can be filed if the priority date is before the cutoff date listed in the Dates for Filing chart. However, the case cannot be adjudicated until the priority is current based on the Final Action Dates chart.

NOTE 2:   The October Visa Bulletin includes important notes on potential monthly movement over the course of the new fiscal year. Most importantly, the Visa Bulletin warns of a possible retrogression in the EB-3 category for all countries (including India, China and the rest of the world) beginning as soon as November.