The U.S. State Department just released the January 2012 Visa Bulletin which is the fourth Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the significant forward movement in EB-2 India and China (by nine and a half months) and the continued forward movement in FB1.

Summary of the January 2012 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the January 2012 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 remains current for EB-2 ROW, Mexico and Philippines.   EB-2 India and EB-2 China both move forward by nine and a half (9.5) months to January 1, 2009.
• EB-3 ROW, EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 Philippines move forward by only two (2) weeks to February 1, 2006, EB-3 China  moves forward by five (5) weeks to October 15, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by only one (1) week to August 8, 2002.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged (again) at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by one and (1) month for ROW, Mexico and Philippines to February 1, 2006.  It also moves forward by three (3) weeks for India to August 1, 2002.

Summary of the January 2012 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the January 2012 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 moves forward (again, for fourth consecutive month).  FB1 ROW, China and India all move forward by six (6) weeks to October 15, 2004.   FB1 Mexico moves forward by one (1) week to April 15, 1993 and FB1 Philippines moves forward by six (6) weeks to April 15, 1997.
• FB2A moves forward by one (1) month to April 22, 2009 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by six (6) weeks to March 22, 2009.
• FB2B ROW, China and India move forward by three (3) weeks to September 8, 2003.  FB2B Mexico moves forward by only one (1) week to December 1, 1992.   FB2B Philippines moves forward by two (2) weeks to September 1, 2001.

Substantial Movement in EB-2 India and China Continues;  Slow Movement  for EB-3; Continued (for Fourth Month) Forward Movement in FB1

One of the major headlines this month, in the fourth Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year 2012 is the continued and substantial forward movement in EB-2 India and China.    This is a confirmation of the Visa Bulletin Predictions provided by our office after meeting Mr. Charles Oppenheim on October 26, 2011.   The slow movement across EB-3 especially EB-3 India continues, unfortunately.

We see continued forward movement in the FB1 category which, for several months, had not changed.   Although the movement is only of six weeks, it is still a notable movement, especially when added to the recent forward movement in the previous Visa Bulletins.   We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, although by not as much as we saw for the last few months and after the significant retrogression during the months before.

EB-2 China and India Predictions

The January 2012 Visa Bulletin provides some general observations on the expected forward movement in the EB-2 China and EB-2 India categories.   While the significant advancement in these two categories over the past few months is expected to generate significant demand, the expectation, as of now, is that there may be more significant cutoff date forward movements in the future until USCIS sees sufficient number of filings for these categories.   According to the State Department, such movements may not be on a monthly basis and should not be expected to last throughout the next fiscal year.  If the number of filings indicates high demand for EB-2 China and India, a retrogression is possible.

The observations noted on this month’s Visa Bulletin also confirm Mr. Charles Oppenheim’s thoughts on the anticipated movement of the cutoff dates from our meeting on October 26, 2011.   While the significant advancement in the EB-2 China and EB-2 India categories over the past few months is expected to generate significant demand, the expectation, as of now, is that there may be more significant cutoff date movements in the future.

Current Priority Date?

Our office stands ready to assist in the applicable process to take advantage of this significant movement in the cutoff dates across many of the categories, specifically in EB-2 India and EB-2 China.   Those applicants whose priority dates are current as of the January 2012 Visa Bulletin may be eligible to process their (and their family members’) I-485 Adjustment of Status applications from within the U.S. or process their immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad.   Please do not hesitate to contact us if our office can help you take advantage of this significant forward movement in the cutoff dates.

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the January 2012 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions and charts helping you understand when a particular priority date may become current and what are the movement patterns.

The U.S. State Department just released the December 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the third Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the significant forward movement in EB-2 India and China (four and a half months) and the continued forward movement in FB1.

Summary of the December 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the December 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 remains current for EB-2 ROW, Mexico and Philippines.   EB-2 India and EB-2 China both move forward by four and a half (4.5) months to March 15, 2008.
• EB-3 ROW, EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 Philippines move forward by only three (3) weeks to January 15, 2006, EB-3 China  moves forward by two (2) weeks to September 8, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by only one (1) week to August 1, 2002.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged (again) at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by one and a half (1.5) months for ROW, Mexico and Philippines to January 1, 2006.  It also moves forward by five  (5) weeks for India to July 22, 2002.

Summary of the December 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the December 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 moves forward (again, for third consecutive month).  FB1 ROW, China and India all move forward by five (5) weeks to September 1, 2004.   FB1 Mexico moves forward by one (1) week to April 8, 1993 and FB1 Philippines moves forward by three (3) weeks to March 1, 1997.
• FB2A moves forward by five (5) weeks to March 22, 2009 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by two (2) months to February 8, 2009.
• FB2B ROW, China and India move forward by two (2) weeks to August 15, 2003.  FB2B Mexico remains unchanged at November 22, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by one (1) month to August 15, 2001.

Substantial Movement in EB-2 India and China Continues;  Slow Movement  for EB-3; Continued (for Third Month) Forward Movement in FB1

One of the major headlines this month, in the second Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year 2012 is the continued substantial forward movement in EB-2 India and China.    This is a confirmation of the Visa Bulletin Predictions provided by our office after meeting Mr. Charles Oppenheim on October 26, 2011.   The slow movement across EB-3 continues, unfortunately.

We see continued forward movement in the FB1 category which, for several months, had not changed.   Although the movement is only of five weeks, it is still a notable movement, especially when added to the five week movement in the October 2011 and November 2011 Visa Bulletins.   We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, although by not as much as we saw for the last few months and after the significant retrogression during the months before.

EB-2 China and India Predictions

While this month’s Visa Bulletin is silent on anticipated movements in the cutoff dates over the next months, we can share some predictions and expectations for the movement of the cutoff dates over the next several Visa Bulletins.  Two weeks ago, on October 26, 2011, our office met Mr. Charles Oppenheim who shared some of his thoughts on the anticipated movement of the cutoff dates.   While the significant advancement in the EB-2 China and EB-2 India categories over the past few months is expected to generate significant demand, the expectation, as of now, is that there may be more significant cutoff date movements in the future, or at least in the January 2011 Visa Bulletin.   According to the State Department, such movements may not be on a monthly basis and should not be expected to last throughout the next fiscal year.  If the number of filings indicates high demand for EB-2 China and India, a retrogression is possible.  However, after meeting Mr. Oppenheim on October 26, 2011, he indicated that he expects to advance EB-2 India and EB-2 China significantly at least in this December 2011 Visa Bulletin and, possibly, in the January 2012 (next month’s) Visa Bulletin.

Current Priority Date?

Our office stands ready to assist in the applicable process to take advantage of this significant movement in the cutoff dates across many of the categories, specifically in EB-2 India and EB-2 China.   Those applicants whose priority dates are current as of the December 2011 Visa Bulletin may be eligible to process their (and their family members’) I-485 Adjustment of Status applications from within the U.S. or process their immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad.   Please do not hesitate to contact us if our office can help you take advantage of this significant forward movement in the cutoff dates.

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the December 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions and charts helping you understand when a particular priority date may become current and what are the movement patterns.

The U.S. State Department just released the November 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the second Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the significant forward movement in EB-2 India and China and the forward movement in FB1.

Summary of the November 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the November 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 remains current for EB-2 ROW, Mexico and Philippines.   EB-2 India and EB-2 China both move forward by three and a half (3.5) months to November 1, 2007.
• EB-3 ROW, EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 Philippines move forward by only two (2) weeks to December 22, 2005, EB-3 China  moves forward by two (2) weeks to August 22, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by only one (1) week to July 22, 2002.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged (again) at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by two (2) months for ROW, Mexico and Philippines to November 15, 2005.  It also moves forward by one (1) week for India to June 15, 2002.

Summary of the November 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the November 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 moves forward (again, for second month).  FB1 ROW, China and India all move forward by five (5) weeks to July 22, 2004.   FB1 Mexico moves forward by one (1) week to April 1, 1993 and FB1 Philippines moves forward by one (1) month to February 8, 1997.
• FB2A moves forward by five (5) weeks to February 15, 2009 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by six (6) weeks to December 1, 2008.
• FB2B ROW, China and India move forward by two (2) weeks to August 1, 2003.  FB2B Mexico remains unchanged at November 22, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by ten (10) weeks to July 15, 2001.

Substantial Movement in EB-2 India and China Continues;  Slow Movement  for EB-3; Finally (for Second Month) Forward Movement in FB1

One of the major headlines this month, in the second Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year 2012 is the continued substantial forward movement in EB-2 India and China.    The slow movement across EB-3 continues, unfortunately.

We see continued forward movement in the FB1 category which, for several months, had not changed.   Although the movement is only of five weeks, it is still a notable movement, especially when added to the five week movement in the October 2011 Visa Bulletin.   We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, although by not as much as we saw for the last few months and after the significant retrogression during the months before.

EB-2 China and India Predictions

The November 2011 Visa Bulletin provides some general observations on the expected forward movement in the EB-2 China and EB-2 India categories.   While the significant advancement in these two categories over the past few months is expected to generate significant demand, the expectation, as of now, is that there may be more significant cutoff date movements in the future.   According to the State Department, such movements may not be on a monthly basis and should not be expected to last throughout the next fiscal year.  If the number of filings indicates high demand for EB-2 China and India, a retrogression is possible.

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the November 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions and charts helping you understand when a particular priority date may become current and what are the movement patterns.

The U.S. State Department just released the October 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the first Visa Bulletin for the FY2012 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the significant forward movement in EB-2 India and China and the forward movement in FB1.

Summary of the October 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the October 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 remains current for EB-2 ROW, Mexico and Philippines.   EB-2 India and EB-2 China both move forward by three (3) months to July 15, 2007.
• EB-3 ROW, EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 Philippines move forward by two (2) weeks to December 8, 2005, EB-3 China  moves forward by three (3) weeks to August 8, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by only one (1) week to July 15, 2002.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by six (6) weeks for ROW, Mexico and Philippines to September 15, 2005.  It also moves forward by one (1) week for India to June 8, 2002.

Summary of the October 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the October 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 moves forward (finally!).  FB1 ROW, China and India all move forward by six (6) weeks to June 15, 2004.   FB1 Mexico moves forward by one (1) week to March 22, 1993 and FB1 Philippines moves forward by a little over two (2) months to January 8, 1997.
• FB2A moves forward by five (5) weeks to January 8, 2009 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by three (3) weeks to October 15, 2008.
• FB2B ROW, China and India move forward by two (2) weeks to July 15, 2003.  FB2B Mexico moves forward by three (3) weeks to November 22, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by five (5) weeks to May 1, 2001.

Substantial Movement in EB-2 India and China;  Slow Movement  for EB-3; Finally Forward Movement in FB1

One of the major headlines this month, in the first Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year 2012 is the substantial forward movement in EB-2 India and China.    The slow movement across EB-3 continues, unfortunately.

We finally see forward movement in the FB1 category which, for several months, had not changed.   Although the movement is only of five weeks, it is still a notable movement.   We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, although by not as much as we saw for the last few months and after the significant retrogression during the months before.

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the October 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions and charts helping you understand when a particular priority date may become current and what are the movement patterns.

The U.S. State Department just released the September 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the final Visa Bulletin for the FY2011 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the lack of any movement in the EB-2 China and EB-2 India categories, which have moved significantly over the past few months.  Also, FB2A moves forward by four months.

Summary of the September 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the September 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 remains unchanged across the board: EB-2 ROW (Rest of World), Mexico and Philippines remain current while EB-2 China and EB-2 India are unchanged at April 15, 2007.
• EB-3 ROW, EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 Philippines move forward by three (3) weeks to November 22 , 2005, EB-3 China  moves forward by only one (1) week to July 15, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by five (5) weeks to July 8, 2002.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged at  April 22, 2003 for China and at June 1, 2002 for India.  It moves forward by three (3) months to August 1, 2005 for ROW, Mexico and Philippines.

Summary of the September 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the September 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 remains unchanged (again) for ROW, China and India at May 1, 2004.   It moves forward by one (1) week to March 15, 1993 for Mexico.  It also moves forward by 6.5 months to November 1, 2006 for for Philippines.
• FB2A moves forward by over four (4) months to December 1, 2008 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by less than four (4) months to September 22, 2008.
• FB2B ROW, China and India remains unchanged at July 1, 2003.  FB2B Mexico moves forward by one (1) month to November 1, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by over (3) months to March 22, 2001.

Slow Movement  for Employment-based Petitions; EB-2 India and EB-2 China Movement Slows Down; Substantial Forward Movement for FB2A; No Movement in FB1

The slow forward movement across many employment categories continues, as expected.   The movement in EB-2 India and China we have seen over the past few months has stopped, most likely due to heavy demand in these categories and due to the fact that this is the last Visa Bulletin for the fiscal year.   Positive news is that EB-3 India has  moved forward by over a month (for a second month in a row).

We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, after the significant retrogression over the past several months – this month by four weeks.   Unfortunately, due to strong demand, FB1 category remains unchanged, for a fourth month in a row, after it retrogressed by 8 months during the April 2011 Visa Bulletin.  This is due to heavy demand in the FB1 category which is expected to continue and further lack of movement (or backward movement) in FB1 is possible.

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the September 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions on when a particular priority date may become current.

The U.S. State Department just released the August 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the eleventh Visa Bulletin for the FY2011 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the continued significant forward movement in EB-2 China, EB-2 India,  Other Workers and FB2A categories.

Summary of the August 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the August 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 ROW (Rest of World), Mexico and Philippines remain current while EB-2 China and EB-2 India both move forward by almost five (5) weeks to April 15, 2007.
• EB-3 ROW and EB-3 Philippines move forward by three (3) weeks to November 1 , 2005, EB-3 China  moves forward by only one (1) week to July 8, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by one (1) month to June 1, 2002.  EB-3 Mexico moves forward by over five (5) months to November 1, 2005.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged (again) at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by over five (5) months to May 1, 2005 for ROW, Mexico and Philippines.  It moves forward by one  (1) month to June 1, 2002 for India .

Summary of the August 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the August 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 remains unchanged across all regions at May 1, 2004 for ROW, China and India, at March 8, 1993 for Mexico and at April 15, 1996 for Philippines.
• FB2A moves forward by four (4) months to July 22, 2008 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by four and a half (4.5) months to June 1, 2008.
• FB2B ROW, China and India remains unchanged at July 1, 2003.  FB2B Mexico moves forward by only one (1) week to October 1, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by two (2) months to December 1, 2000.

Slow Movement  for Employment-based Petitions; EB-2 India and EB-2 China Movement Slows Down; Substantial Forward Movement for FB2A; No Movement in FB1

The slow forward movement across many employment categories continues, as expected.   Although we see continued movement in EB-2 India and China, the movement this month is slowing down after some substantial movement over the past couple of months.   The EB-2 India and EB-2 China movement has been due to the carryover of visa numbers from the EB-1 category (also see note below).    Positive news is that EB-3 India has  moved forward by one  month (compared to only one week for the past several months).

We continue to see the FB2A category move forward, after the significant retrogression over the past several months.  We wish to reiterate that the forward movement in FB2A is expected to slow down over the next  few months, according to indications from the State Department.   Unfortunately, due to strong demand, FB1 category remains unchanged, for a fourth month in a row, after it retrogressed by 8 months during the April 2011 Visa Bulletin.  This is due to heavy demand in the FB1 category which is expected to continue and further lack of movement (or backward movement) in FB1 is possible.

Further Updates and NewsWe invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the August 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions on when a particular priority date may become current.

The U.S. State Department just released the July 2011 Visa Bulletin which is the tenth Visa Bulletin for the FY2011 fiscal year.    The major headline in the upcoming month’s bulletin is the substantial forward movement in EB-2 China, EB-2 India,  Other Workers and FB2A categories.

Summary of the July 2011 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Below is a summary of the July 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to employment-based petitions:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 ROW (Rest of World), Mexico and Philippines remain current while EB-2 China and EB-2 India both move forward by almost five (5) months to March 8, 2007.
• EB-3 ROW and EB-3 Philippines move forward by three (3) weeks to October 8, 2005, EB-3 China  moves forward by one and a half (1.5) months to July 1, 2004, while EB-3 India  moves forward by only one (1) week to May 1, 2002.  EB-3 Mexico moves forward by over six (6) months to July 1, 2005.
• The “other worker” category remains unchanged (again) at  April 22, 2003 for China.  It moves forward by over one (1) year to November 22, 2004 for ROW, Mexico and Philippines.  It moves forward by only one  (1) week to May 1, 2002 for India .

Summary of the July 2011 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

Below is a summary of the July 2011 Visa Bulletin with respect to family-based petitions:

• FB1 ROW, China and India remain unchanged (again) at May 1, 2004.  FB1 Mexico moves forward by only one (1) week to March 8, 1993.  FB1 Philippines moves forward by seven (7) weeks to April 15, 1996.
• FB2A moves forward by seven (7) months to March 22, 2008 for ROW, China, India, and Philippines.  FB2A Mexico moves forward by six (6) months to February 15, 2008.
• FB2B ROW, China and India move forward by two and a half (2.5) months to July 1, 2003.  FB2B Mexico moves forward by one (1) month to September 22, 1992.  FB2B Philippines moves forward by three and a half (3.5) months to September 22, 2000.

Slow Movement  for Employment-based Petitions, Except EB-2 India, EB-2 China and Other Workers; Substantial Forward Movement for FB2A and No (or Minor) Movement in FB1

The slow forward movement across many employment categories continues, as expected, although we have started seeing notable movement in the EB-2 India and EB-2 China categories after many months of no activity (especially for EB-2 India).  The EB-2 India and EB-2 China movement is due to the carryover of visa numbers from the EB-1 category (also see note below).    Unfortunately, EB-3 India moved forward by only one  week again (the same as during the previous few visa bulletins).

We continue to see the FB2A category move forward (byseven months), after the significant retrogression over the past several months.  We wish to reiterate that the forward movement in FB2A is expected to be slow over the next  few months, according to indications from the State Department.   Unfortunately, due to strong demand, FB1 category remains unchanged, for a third month in a row, after it retrogressed by 8 months during the April 2011 Visa Bulletin.  This is due to heavy demand in the FB1 category which is expected to continue and further lack of movement (or backward movement) in FB1 is possible.

Further Updates and NewsWe invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics.  We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about the July 2011 Visa Bulletin.  Finally, if you already haven’t, please consider our Visa Bulletin Predictions tool which provides personalized predictions on when a particular priority date may become current.