The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the February 2020 Visa Bulletin. As reported in item E of the earlier January Visa Bulletin (number 37), the final action date for the “Rest of World” Family Fourth Preference (F4) had been advanced at a very rapid pace during the past two years to generate the required level of demand. The dramatic increase in the level of applicant demand currently being received has required the retrogression of that final action date for the month of February. This has been done in an effort to hold number use within the annual numerical limitation. It is likely that this date will remain in effect for at least the next several months.
Final Action Dates for all employment-based categories see little movement for the month of February. Since October there has been a consistently high level of Employment-based demand, primarily for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This trend is particularly apparent in the Employment Third and Third preference Other Worker categories. Unless there is a sudden and dramatic decrease in the level of such demand, it will be necessary to implement a “Rest of World” final action date for the month of March.
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: USCIS has not made a determination on whether it will use Chart A or Chart B for the month of February. For more information, please visit the USCIS website.
The February 2020 Visa Bulletin can be found here and is summarized below:
Application Final Action Dates (dates when visas may be issued)
- Persons in the EB-1 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, Vietnam, or in the worldwide quota are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of December 1, 2018. These categories advanced by 2 months.
- Persons in the EB-1 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of May 22, 2017. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-1 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of January 1, 2015. This category remains unchanged.
- 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 July 15, 2015. This category advanced by 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 May 19, 2009. This category advanced by 1 day.
- 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 January 1, 2016. This category advanced by 31 days.
- 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 8, 2009. This category advanced by 6 days.
- 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 1, 2018. This category advanced by 2 months and 18 days.
- Persons in the EB-4 category born in China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-4 category and born in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of July 1, 2016. This category has remained unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-4 category and born in Mexico are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of September 1, 2017. This category advanced by 25 days.
EB-5
- 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 December 1, 2014. This category advanced by 10 days.
- Persons in the EB-5 Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) category and born in Vietnam are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of December 15, 2016. This category advanced by 7 days.
- Persons in the EB-5 Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of September 1, 2018. This category has advanced by 4 months.
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- Persons in the EB-5 Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) category and born in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged.
Dates for Filing Applications (earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply)
EB-1
- Persons in the EB-1 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-1 category and born in China are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of October 1, 2017. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-1 category and born in India are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of March 15, 2017. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-2 category and born in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, 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 August 1, 2016. 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 July 1, 2009. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-3 category and born in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines or in the worldwide quota are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of January 1, 2019. 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 March 1, 2017. 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 February 1, 2010. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-4 category and born in China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, or in the worldwide quota are current. These categories remain unchanged.
- Persons in the EB-4 category and born in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras are current if they have a priority date before the cut-off date of August 15, 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 May 15, 2015. This category remains unchanged.
- Persons in the worldwide quota, India, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or the Philippines are current. These categories remain unchanged.
The complete Visa Bulletin for February 2020 can be found here.