June 2017 Visa Bulletin: EB-1 Cutoff Hits India and China (Again)

The State Department has released the June 2017 Visa Bulletin listing the priority dates eligible for “Application Final Action,” i.e. when an I-485 adjustment of status (AOS) application may be approved or an immigrant visa (IV) issued, and the priority dates eligible for “Filing Applications,” i.e. when an AOS or IV application may be filed.

As predicted last month, continued heavy demand has caused the State Department to establish cutoff dates in the EB-1 category for nationals of India and China. A similar situation occurred last year, but not until August, indicating that overall demand is higher this year. As of June 1, 2017, the “Final Action Dates” in the EB-1 category for nationals of India and China will retrogress to January 1, 2012. There will be very slight forward movement in the employment-based “Final Action Dates” in the EB-3 category, except for nationals of China.

The State Department expects that the EB-1 India and China “Final Action Dates” will become current again in October when fiscal year 2018 visas may be issued. The Department expects continued heavy demand for EB-3 China due to applicants downgrading from EB-2. If this demand materializes, the Department will likely retrogress the EB-3 category for Chinese nationals.

The news is better for family-based applicants as most of the “Final Action Dates” in the family-based categories will advance at least a few weeks.

There is no change in the employment-based “Dates for Filing,” where the priority dates remain current for all countries EB-1 category and in all categories for those not from India, China, or the Philippines. In the family-based categories, the “Dates for Filing” will not advance in June.
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You can view the visa bulletin in its entirety below. Please contact us with any questions.