Archive · fiscal year 2012

Visa Bulletin for June 2012

Compared with May 2012: 26 lines moved forward, 1 retrogressed, current for all countries: EB-1, EB-2, EB-4, EB-4 Religious Workers.

Chart A

Final action dates

Family	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	Jun 22, 2005+52 d	Jun 22, 2005+52 d	Jun 22, 2005+52 d	May 15, 1993	Jul 1, 1997
F2A	Jan 1, 2010+47 d	Jan 1, 2010+47 d	Jan 1, 2010+47 d	Dec 8, 2009+54 d	Jan 1, 2010+47 d
F2B	Apr 15, 2004+53 d	Apr 15, 2004+53 d	Apr 15, 2004+53 d	Jan 1, 1992−11.0 mo	Dec 8, 2001
F3	Apr 1, 2002+24 d	Apr 1, 2002+24 d	Apr 1, 2002+24 d	Jan 15, 1993	Jul 22, 1992
F4	Jan 8, 2001+38 d	Dec 15, 2000+23 d	Jan 8, 2001+38 d	Jun 1, 1996	Jan 22, 1989

Employment	All countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
EB-1	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-2	Current	Unavailable	Unavailable	Current	Current
EB-3	Jun 8, 2006+38 d	Aug 8, 2005+4.2 mo	Sep 15, 2002+7 d	Jun 8, 2006+38 d	May 22, 2006+21 d
EB-3 Other Workers	Jun 8, 2006+38 d	Apr 22, 2003	Sep 15, 2002+7 d	Jun 8, 2006+38 d	May 22, 2006+21 d
EB-4	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-4 Religious Workers	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current

What moved

Moved forward 26

EB-3China+4.2 moAug 8, 2005
F2AMexico+54 dDec 8, 2009
F2BAll countries+53 dApr 15, 2004
F2BChina+53 dApr 15, 2004
F2BIndia+53 dApr 15, 2004
F1All countries+52 dJun 22, 2005
F1China+52 dJun 22, 2005
F1India+52 dJun 22, 2005
Show all 26
- F2AAll countries+47 dJan 1, 2010
- F2AChina+47 dJan 1, 2010
- F2AIndia+47 dJan 1, 2010
- F2APhilippines+47 dJan 1, 2010
- F4All countries+38 dJan 8, 2001
- F4India+38 dJan 8, 2001
- EB-3All countries+38 dJun 8, 2006
- EB-3Mexico+38 dJun 8, 2006
- EB-3 Other WorkersAll countries+38 dJun 8, 2006
- EB-3 Other WorkersMexico+38 dJun 8, 2006
- F3All countries+24 dApr 1, 2002
- F3China+24 dApr 1, 2002
- F3India+24 dApr 1, 2002
- F4China+23 dDec 15, 2000
- EB-3Philippines+21 dMay 22, 2006
- EB-3 Other WorkersPhilippines+21 dMay 22, 2006
- EB-3India+7 dSep 15, 2002
- EB-3 Other WorkersIndia+7 dSep 15, 2002

Retrogressed 1

F2BMexico−11.0 moJan 1, 1992

What the State Department said

China-mainland and India employment second preference category is unavailable
Despite the retrogression of the China and India Employment Second preference cut-off date to August 15, 2007, demand for numbers by applicants with priority dates earlier than that date remained excessive. Such demand is primarily based on cases which had originally been filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for adjustment of status in the Employment Third preference category, and are now eligible to be upgraded to Employment Second preference status. The potential amount of such “upgrade” demand is not currently being reported, but it was evident that the continued availability of Employment Second preference numbers for countries other than China and India was being jeopardized. Therefore, it was necessary to make the China and India Employment Second preference category “Unavailable” in early April, and it will remain so for the remainder of FY-2012.
Numbers will once again be available for China and India Employment Second preference cases beginning October 1, 2012 under the FY-2013 annual numerical limitations. Every effort will be made to return the China and India Employment Second preference cut-off date to the May 1, 2010 date which had been reached in April 2012. Readers should be advised that it is impossible to accurately estimate how long that may take, but current indications are that it would definitely not occur before spring 2013.
USCIS has indicated that it will continue accepting China and India Employment Second preference I-485 filings during May, based on the originally announced May cut-off date.
U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for June 2012

Employment first and second preference visa availability
Item F of the May Visa Bulletin (number 44) provided projections regarding visa availability in the coming months. Information received from the USCIS after the publication of that item requires an update in the projections for the Employment First and Second preference categories.
Employment First: Based on the current rate of demand, it may be necessary to establish a cut-off date at the end of the fiscal year in an effort to limit number use within the annual numerical limit.
Employment Second: Based on the current rate of demand, it may be necessary to establish a cut-off date for this category for all countries other than China and India. Such action may be required at any time during the next few months.
Please be advised that the above are only estimates for what could happen during the next few months based on applicant demand patterns experienced in recent months.
U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for June 2012

Official text: travel.state.gov.