According to the June 2017 Visa Bulletin released by Department of State and effective June 1, there will be significant retrogression in the EB-1 category for individuals born in mainland China and India. While the current cutoff date for worldwide chargeability in the EB-1 category will remain current, the final action dates for Chinese and Indian nationals will retrogress to Jan. 1, 2012.

The cutoff date for worldwide chargeability in the EB-2 category will be current but for mainland China and India. There is slight movement for mainland China in the EB-2 category which will move from Feb. 8, 2013, to March 1, 2013, and for India, which will move from June 22, 2008, to July 1, 2008.

In the EB-3 category, the cutoff date for worldwide chargeability, as well as for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico will move up one month from March 15, 2017, to April 15, 2017.  The cutoff date for mainland China is stalled at Oct. 1, 2014. There will be slight movement for India, with the cutoff date advancing seven (7) weeks from March 25, 2005, to May 15, 2005. The cutoff date for the Philippines will advance four (4) months from Jan. 1, 2013, to May 1, 2013.

For those in the EB-5 category, the priority date will remain current for all applicants other than those born in mainland China, which will move merely one week from June 1, 2014, to June 8, 2014. While the cutoff dates for Regional Center program were unavailable in May due to the anticipated program expiration date, the cutoff dates will be available again in June due to the extension of the Regional Center program, and is set at June 8, 2014, for mainland China-born applicants.

For those seeking to adjust status, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) website indicates that the Department’s Application Final Action Dates chart must be used for filing Form I-485 in April and May 2017. While USCIS has yet to announce whether it will accept I-485 applications based on the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart in June 2017, based on recent trends where Dates for Filing Visa Applications has been consistently disregarded, we anticipate that USCIS will continue to follow Application Final Action Dates for June as well.

Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases

Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications