Archive · fiscal year 2018

Visa Bulletin for July 2018

Compared with June 2018: 29 lines moved forward, 3 retrogressed, current for all countries: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-3 Other Workers, EB-4, EB-4 Religious Workers.

Chart A

Final action dates

Family	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	Apr 22, 2011+14 d	Apr 22, 2011+14 d	Apr 22, 2011+14 d	Aug 1, 1997+2.0 mo	Jun 1, 2006+2.3 mo
F2A	Jun 22, 2016+14 d	Jun 22, 2016+14 d	Jun 22, 2016+14 d	Jun 8, 2016+31 d	Jun 22, 2016+14 d
F2B	Aug 15, 2011+54 d	Aug 15, 2011+54 d	Aug 15, 2011+54 d	Mar 8, 1997+21 d	Feb 1, 2007+17 d
F3	May 1, 2006+47 d	May 1, 2006+47 d	May 1, 2006+47 d	Dec 1, 1995+2.0 mo	Apr 15, 1995+7 d
F4	Nov 15, 2004+24 d	Nov 15, 2004+24 d	Mar 22, 2004+7 d	Jan 15, 1998+7 d	Mar 22, 1995+28 d

Employment	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
EB-1	Current	Jan 1, 2012	Jan 1, 2012	Current	Current
EB-2	Current	Jan 1, 2015+4.0 mo	Mar 15, 2009+2.6 mo	Current	Current
EB-3	Current	Jan 1, 2013−28.9 mo	Nov 1, 2008+6.0 mo	Current	Jan 1, 2017
EB-3 Other Workers	Current	May 1, 2007	Nov 1, 2008+6.0 mo	Current	Jan 1, 2017
EB-4	Current	Current	Current	Feb 8, 2016−8.4 mo	Current
EB-4 Religious Workers	Current	Current	Current	Feb 8, 2016−8.4 mo	Current

Chart B

Dates for filing

Family	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	Mar 8, 2012+2.0 mo	Mar 8, 2012+2.0 mo	Mar 8, 2012+2.0 mo	Sep 1, 1998+48 d	Feb 15, 2008+4.3 mo
F2A	Dec 1, 2017+2.3 mo	Dec 1, 2017+2.3 mo	Dec 1, 2017+2.3 mo	Dec 1, 2017+2.3 mo	Dec 1, 2017+2.3 mo
F2B	Jan 8, 2012+4.0 mo	Jan 8, 2012+4.0 mo	Jan 8, 2012+4.0 mo	Jun 8, 1997+17 d	Dec 15, 2007+3.2 mo
F3	Sep 22, 2006+14 d	Sep 22, 2006+14 d	Sep 22, 2006+14 d	Oct 8, 1998+16 d	Aug 1, 1995+10 d
F4	May 1, 2005+30 d	May 1, 2005+30 d	Jan 1, 2005+31 d	Jun 1, 1998+24 d	Dec 1, 1995+47 d

Employment	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
EB-1	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-2	Current	Apr 1, 2015+59 d	May 22, 2009+51 d	Current	Current
EB-3	Current	Jan 1, 2016	May 1, 2009+8.0 mo	Current	Jul 1, 2017
EB-3 Other Workers	Current	Jun 1, 2008	May 1, 2009+8.0 mo	Current	Jul 1, 2017
EB-4	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-4 Religious Workers	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current

What moved

Moved forward 29

EB-3India+6.0 moNov 1, 2008
EB-3 Other WorkersIndia+6.0 moNov 1, 2008
EB-2China+4.0 moJan 1, 2015
EB-2India+2.6 moMar 15, 2009
F1Philippines+2.3 moJun 1, 2006
F1Mexico+2.0 moAug 1, 1997
F3Mexico+2.0 moDec 1, 1995
F2BAll countries+54 dAug 15, 2011
Show all 29
- F2BChina+54 dAug 15, 2011
- F2BIndia+54 dAug 15, 2011
- F3All countries+47 dMay 1, 2006
- F3China+47 dMay 1, 2006
- F3India+47 dMay 1, 2006
- F2AMexico+31 dJun 8, 2016
- F4Philippines+28 dMar 22, 1995
- F4All countries+24 dNov 15, 2004
- F4China+24 dNov 15, 2004
- F2BMexico+21 dMar 8, 1997
- F2BPhilippines+17 dFeb 1, 2007
- F1All countries+14 dApr 22, 2011
- F1China+14 dApr 22, 2011
- F1India+14 dApr 22, 2011
- F2AAll countries+14 dJun 22, 2016
- F2AChina+14 dJun 22, 2016
- F2AIndia+14 dJun 22, 2016
- F2APhilippines+14 dJun 22, 2016
- F3Philippines+7 dApr 15, 1995
- F4India+7 dMar 22, 2004
- F4Mexico+7 dJan 15, 1998

Retrogressed 3

EB-3China−28.9 moJan 1, 2013
EB-4Mexico−8.4 moFeb 8, 2016
EB-4 Religious WorkersMexico−8.4 moFeb 8, 2016

What the State Department said

Special immigrant (si) translator category visa availability
Given the limited availability of visa numbers and the existing demand, the Department expects to reach the FY-2018 annual limit of 50 Special Immigrant Visas in the SI category early this year. As a result, it has been necessary to maintain a July Final Action Date of April 22, 2012. It is likely that number use will require the SI category to become “unavailable” in the coming months. Once the annual limit of 50 visas is reached, further issuances in the SI category will not be possible until October 2018, under the FY-2019 annual limit. The SQ Special Immigrant Visa category for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan is not affected and remains current.
U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for July 2018

Retrogression of july employment-based final action dates
MEXICO E4 and SR: As readers were advised in item E of the June Visa Bulletin, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Dates in an effort to hold worldwide number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2018 annual limits.
The Mexico E4 and SR dates will return to October 22, 2016 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.
CHINA E3: There has been an extremely large increase in Employment Third preference applicant demand during the past two months. This is due to the “downgrading” of status by applicants who had originally filed in the Employment Second preference. As a result, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Date to January 1, 2013 in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 per-country limit.
The China E3 date will return to June 1, 2015 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.
U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for July 2018

Employment-based visa availabilty in the coming months
In recent weeks there has been a steadily increasing level of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A continuation of the current demand pattern would result in a temporary establishment or retrogression of some final action dates in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 annual limits.
Should such action be required, there would be a full recovery in the preference category for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.
U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for July 2018

Released Jun 11, 2018. Official text: travel.state.gov.