The May2015 Visa Bulletin, released April 13, 2015, contained a major surprise forPhilippines EB-3. That visa number wasretrogressed to July 2007. While thiswas unwelcome news, MU Law has checked with several sources and it is our senseis that this retrogression is a temporary blip in immigrant visa processing forPhilippines EB-3 applicants. Because thereare very few Philippine EB-3 applications between 2009-2013, MU Law believesthat the Philippines EB-3 date will return to at least 2014, although this maynot happen until Fiscal Year 2016 begins in October 2015.
Philippine EB-3 applicantshave claimed many older priority dates from the high demand era of 2007-2009. The Department of State had progressed the PhilippineEB-3 number over the last year in an effort to spur these older applicants intofiling their immigrant visa applications. The retrogression is recognition that this effort to spur olderimmigrant visa applicants has worked. TheDOS now has had to tap on the breaks in order to process these older immigrantvisa applications.
MU Law expects thatthe Philippines EB-3 number will remain in 2007 for the June 2015 VisaBulletin. Because July is the start ofthe fourth and final fiscal quarter, the July 2015 Visa Bulletin may include aprogression of the Philippine EB-3 date if overall demand for immigrant visasis low. It is common for the fourthfiscal quarter to include dramatic improvements in visa bulletin dates. For example, the Philippines EB-3 number advancedfrom November 07 (May 2014 Visa Bulletin) to January 09 (July 2014 VisaBulletin) to April 2011 (September 2014 Visa Bulletin).
With the start ofthe next fiscal year (FY2016) in October 2015, the DOS should progress the PhilippineEB-3 date to 2014. The DOS will thensteadily increase the date throughout FY2016, perhaps even making the PhilippinesEB-3 date current early in FY2016.