Greg Siskind on Immigration Law and Policy: March 2013 Visa Bulletin Summary

Thanks to Nicolette Davis at our firm for the help:

March Visa Bulletin Summary:

Family 1^st - World numbers, China and India advanced one month to 15 February 06; Mexico advanced one week to 22 July 93; the Philippines jumped 8 months and a week to 15 October 98.

Family 2A – World numbers, China, India, and the Philippines advanced one month to 22 November 10; Mexico moved one month and one week to 15 November 10.

Family 2B- World numbers, China, and India moved one month and 2 weeks to 01 March 05; Mexico moved forward one month to 15 January 93; the Philippines advanced three weeks to 08 June 02.

Family 3^rd – World numbers, China, and India moved forward one week to 15 July 02; Mexico moved one week to 15 March 93; the Philippines moved forward 3 weeks to 15 September 92.

Family 4^th – World numbers, China and India moved forward one week to 22 April 01; Mexico advanced 2 weeks to 15 August 96; the Philippines advanced one month and 2 weeks to 15 July 89.

Employment 1^st – still current in all categories.

Employment 2^nd – World numbers, Mexico and the Philippines are still current; China moved forward a month to 15 February 08; India remains stalled at 01 September 04.

Employment 3^rd – World numbers, Mexico advanced one month and 2 weeks to 01 May 07; the Philippines moved forward two weeks to 01 September 06; China moved 2 months and 1 week to 22 January 07; India advanced one week to 22 November 02.

Employment 3^rd Other Workers – World numbers, Mexico advanced one month and 2 weeks to 01 May 07; the Philippines moved forward two weeks to 01 September 06; China remains stalled at 01 July 03; India advanced one week to 22 November 02.

Employment 4^th – still current in all categories.

Employment 5^th – still current in all categories.

Also, here's the DOS prognostication on future availability:

VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS (April – June)
FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)

Worldwide dates:
F1: Three or four weeks
F2A: Three to five weeks
F2B: Three to five weeks
F3: One or two weeks
F4: Up to two weeks

EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)

Employment First: Current

Employment Second:

Worldwide: Current

China: Three to six weeks

India: No movement. Despite the established cut-off date having been held for the past five months in an effort to keep demand within the average monthly usage targets, the amount of demand being received from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Offices for adjustment of status cases remains extremely high. Should the current rate of demand continue, it is likely that at some point the cut-off date will need to be retrogressed in an effort to hold demand within the FY-2013 annual limit.

Employment Third:

Worldwide:    Four to six weeks
China:        Two to three months
India:        Up to two weeks
Mexico:       Four to six weeks
Philippines: Up to one week

Employment Fourth: Current

Employment Fifth: Current

Item D of the December 2012 Visa Bulletin alerted readers that a China cut-off date might be imposed at some point during the second half of the fiscal year. Currently there is no reason to believe that it will be necessary to establish a China Employment Fifth preference category cut-off date during FY-2013, since demand over first six months of FY-2013 has now averaged out to a manageable level.

The above projections for the Family and Employment categories are for what is likely to happen during each of the next few months based on current applicant demand patterns. Readers should never assume that recent trends in cut-off date movements are guaranteed for the future. The determination of the actual monthly cut-off dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables which can change at any time. Those categories with a “Current” projection will remain so for the foreseeable future.