The Department of State has just issued the October 2017 Visa Bulletin.  This is the first Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2018.  This blog post analyzes this month’s Visa Bulletin.  The DOS has added some predication on future date movement.  We have encompassed those thoughts within our category comments.  


October 2017 Visa Bulletin

Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card).

EB 
Class 
All Other  
CHINA       
INDIA     
MEXICO   
PHIL’PNES    
EB-1
C
01JAN12
C
C
EB-2
C
22MAY13
15SEP08 
C
C
EB-3
01JAN14
15OCT06 

01DEC15       


MU Law Analysis

All Other:  The EB-2 has been current for many years.  The EB-3 progression has long been effectively current, and is expected to remain current for the foreseeable future.

China (mainland-born):   The China EB-3 has again progressed faster than Chinese EB-2.  The DOS expects that EB-3 will progress at about 4 months per Visa Bulletin, while EB-2 will only progress one month per Visa Bulletin.

India:  The India progressions are steady, albeit slow.  EB-2 should progress 
one month per Visa Bulletin.  EB-3’s progression will be “limited,” in the words of the DOS.  MU suspects that EB-3 may finally breakout once the EB-3 date moves past the Visa Gate date of August 2007.

Mexico: Mirrors All Other in all aspects.

Philippines:    The Philippine EB-3 number essentially cleaned out all of the 2010 through 2015 EB-3 visas in FY2017.  Unfortunately the progressions will be considerable slower in FY2018, probably progressing 1-2 months per Visa Bulletin.  The demand for Philippines EB-3 numbers increased dramatically in 2016-17.  This increased demand will be the cause for the slower progressions in the FY2018.