November 2018 Visa Bulletin Released

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the November 2018 Visa Bulletin just moments ago.

In this month’s visa bulletin, little to no changes are observed. As previously reported based on the DOS’s predictions, the EB-1 retrogression for all countries is expected to last longer than normal this year and these categories are likely to see limited advances prior to December 2018.

The EIG team is closely monitoring changes to the monthly visa bulletin and determining the best plan of action for each case. We will be reaching out to individuals whose priority date will be current next month in order to initiate the next step of the green card process. We have also summarized frequently asked questions in our August 8th Issue of the EIG Dispatch. We encourage you to read this article to have a better grasp of the visa bulletin and to understand what your priority date means.

PLEASE NOTE: For the month of October, USCIS has made a determination to accept applications based on the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) for both employment-based categories and family-based categories. At this time, USCIS has not announced whether it will be accepting pre-filings for any employment-based or family-based categories for the month of November. EIG will continue to monitor the situation and provide an update once USCIS has made a determination. For more information, please visit the USCIS website.

The November 2018 Visa Bulletin can be found here and is summarized below:

Application Final Action Dates (dates when visas may be issued)

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, Vietnam, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of May 15, 2015. This category advanced by 1 month 14 days. 

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of March 26, 2009. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Vietnam, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of June 1, 2015. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of January 1, 2009. This remains unchanged. 

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in the Philippines are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of June 8, 2017. This category advanced by 7 days. 

Dates for Filing Applications (earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply)

EB-1

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged. 

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of June 15, 2015. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-2 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of May 22, 2009. This category remains unchanged. 

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged. 

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of August 8, 2015. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of October 1, 2009. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the EB-3 category and born in the Philippines are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of July 1, 2017. This category remains unchanged.

• Persons in the worldwide quota, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of May 1, 2016. This category remains unchanged. 

• Persons in the EB-5 Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of October 01, 2014. This category remains unchanged. 

• Persons in the worldwide quota, India, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or the Philippines are current. These categories remain unchanged.