Business Immigration Insights

The State Department has published the September Visa Bulletin.  After limited movement in August – a 1-month advance for EB-3 Professionals and EB-3 India and a 1.5-month retrogression for EB-2 All Other Countries – priority dates are immobile in September, the last month of this fiscal year.

Below is a summary that includes Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month, but first – some background if you’re new to these blog posts.  If you’re familiar with the Visa Bulletin, feel free to skip the next paragraph.

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  If your priority date (that is, the date you were placed on the waiting list) is earlier than the cutoff date listed in the Bulletin for your nationality and category, it means a visa number is available for you that month.  Having a number available, in turn, means you can submit your DS-260 immigrant visa application (if you’re applying at a U.S. embassy abroad) or your I‑485 adjustment of status application (if you’re eligible to apply with USCIS from inside the United States).  If you already submitted that final step and your category then retrogressed, having a number available again means the embassy or USCIS can now adjudicate and approve your application.

Now for the September Visa Bulletin:

China stalls in all categories:

• EB-1 at November 15, 2022
• EB-2 at December 15, 2020
• EB-3 Professionals at December 1, 2020
• EB-3 Other Workers at May 1, 2017

India holds in all categories:

• EB-1 at February 15, 2022
• EB-2 at January 1, 2013
• EB-3 Professionals and EB-3 Other Workers at May 22, 2013

All Other Countries pause in all categories:

• EB-1 remains current
• EB-2 at September 1, 2023
• EB-3 Professionals at April 1, 2023 (except the Philippines, which halts at February 8, 2023)
• EB-3 Other Workers at July 8, 2021

 NOTE 1:  USCIS will accept I-485 applications in September based on Final Action Dates, not the more favorable Dates for Filing chart.