Visa Bulletin for May 2015

What the State Department said

Oversubscription of the China-mainland born employment fifth preference category

Heavy applicant demand has required the implementation of an Employment Fifth preference cut-off date to hold number use within the maximum level of numbers which may be made available for use by such applicants during FY-2015. No specific prediction regarding movement of this date is possible at present. Future visa availability will depend on a combination of demand for numbers being reported each month, and the extent to which otherwise unused numbers may become available. An increase in visa demand by applicants with relatively early priority dates COULD make necessary a retrogression of this cut-off date prior to the end of the fiscal year; retrogression is NOT being predicted but it cannot be ruled out. It is extremely likely that this category will remain subject to a cut-off date indefinitely.

Philippines visa availability

Family First preference: This cut-off date had been advanced very rapidly during the course of the last year in an effort to generate sufficient demand to fully utilize all available numbers. In recent months the amount of demand being received has been increasing at a steady pace. A continued increase in demand may require a retrogression of the cut-off date within the next several months to hold number use within the annual limit for this preference category.

Employment Third preference: This cut-off date had also been advanced very rapidly in an effort to generate sufficient demand to fully utilize all available numbers. The current rate of increase in demand has required the retrogression of this cut-off date for the month of May, in an attempt to hold number use within the annual limit for this preference category.