The Department of State has just issued the October2023 Visa Bulletin, which is the first of the 2024 US fiscal year  This blog post analyzes this month’s VisaBulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates — Applications with these dates may be approvedfor their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

 

Employment-
based

All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed

CHINA-
mainland 
born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

1st

C

15FEB22

01JAN17

C

C

2nd

08JUL22

01OCT19

01JAN12

08JUL22

08JUL22

3rd

01DEC21

01JAN20

01MAY12

01DEC21

01DEC21

Table B: Dates of Filing

The USCIS is expected to use the Table B Dates of Filing chart for I-485employment-based filings. See: USCISVisa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

The most notable dates in the Visa Bulletin were the -1DEC21 dates for Philippineand All Other EB-3.  While thesedates moved forward from last month’s May 2020 dates, many were hoping forprogression at least in 2022.  MU Lawbelieves that the State Department is acting conservatively, which whilefrustrating, may prove to ratchet down the anxiety around the monthly chart,and provide a better measure of processing times for those involved.  While no one likes a ~20 month retrogression,it may be wise.  We do expect thesecategories to steadily progress throughout the fiscal year pushing through2022, and perhaps getting into 2023 before the end of the fiscal year.

IndiaEB-3 and China EB-3advanced by more than three years to May 1, 2012 (India), and by four months toJanuary 1, 2020 (China), reflecting the slow but steady movement in thosecategories. 

IndiaEB-2 progressed toJanuary 1, 2012.  China EB-2 isnow October 1, 2019.  The ROW EB-2held basically even, advancing by just one week, to July 8, 2022.