Visa Bulletin for May 2022

What the State Department said

Reauthorization of the employment-based fifth preference i5 and r5 regional center visa categories

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which reauthorizes and reforms the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program, was enacted on March 15, 2022. The Department of State has resumed processing visa applications based on approved Employment-Based Fifth Preference Regional Center petitions that were filed with USCIS on or before June 30, 2021.

Chart A for Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Categories and Chart B Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications were revised to reflect some of the new provisions outlined in the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, mainly the creation of two pools of visa numbers within the EB-5 category. One pool of numbers is ‘reserved’ for certain set-aside categories while the remaining available numbers remain ‘unreserved’.

Chart A for Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Categories reflect final action dates for May that are effective immediately for the month of April. The Employment-Based Fifth Preference Unreserved (C5, T5, and all others) is Current for all countries; the Employment-Based Fifth Preference Unreserved (I5 and R5) categories are Current for all countries except China-mainland born, which is subject to a 22NOV15 final action date; and all set-aside categories are Current for all countries. It may become necessary to establish a China-mainland born final action date and application filing date for the C5 and T5 categories as early as June to keep number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2022 annual limits if sufficient demand materializes.

Extension of employment fourth certain religious workers (SR) category

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, enacted on March 15, 2022, also extended the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until September 30, 2022. As indicated in item F of the Visa Bulletin which announced the March final action dates, the extension has resulted in the immediate application of the following final action dates for the month of April:

SR: “Current” effective immediately for all countries except El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which are subject to a May 1, 2017 final action date, and Mexico, which is subject to an April 1, 2020 final action date.

Availability of employment third preference “other workers” (ew) numbers

High number use in the Employment Third Preference “Other Workers” (EW) category may necessitate the establishment of a worldwide final action date as early as June to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the Fiscal Year 2022 annual limit. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.