May 12, 2009
 

June 2009 Visa Bulletin: Severe Retrogression for EB-2 India

In the June 2009 Visa Bulletin, issued by the Department of State ("DOS") on May 8, 2009, the DOS announced further backward movement in the cut-off date for applicants born in India, applying in the employment-based second preference (EB-3) category. The immigrant visa cut-off date has retrogressed to January 1, 2000, approximately 4 years from the prior cut-off date of February 15, 2004, posted in the DOS' May 2009 bulletin. The cut-off dates for the employment-based third preference (EB-3) category, will remain unchanged and continue to be "unavailable" through the month of June 2009. The new cut-off dates in the June 2009 bulletin are effective immediately.

At present the DOS is not able to estimate whether the retrogression of the EB-2 India category will apply throughout the remainder of the fiscal year since the demand of EB-3 immigrant visas continues to remain high. The DOS warns that visa availability for the remainder of the fiscal year cannot be guaranteed and that the establishment of cut-off dates or unavailability should not be ruled out.

Foreign nationals with priority dates earlier than the cut-off dates below, or where noted as "current", may file, or be approved, for an adjustment of status application in the month of June 2009. They may also be approved for an immigrant visa abroad:

EB-1 Worldwide:

Current

EB-2 Worldwide (excluding China and India):

Current

EB-2 China

February 15, 2005 (no change)

EB-2 India

January 1, 2000 (backward movement of 4 years, 1.5 months)

EB-3 Worldwide (excluding China, India, Mexico and the Philippines):

Unavailable

EB-3 China:

Unavailable

EB-3 India:

Unavailable

EB-3 Mexico:

Unavailable

EB-3 Philippines:

Unavailable

We will provide further information as soon as it becomes available.

The full May 2009 Visa Bulletin is available at the link below:

 

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_4497.html

 

Business Immigration Alerts Mailing List
If you wish to be added to this mailing list, please send an email to bizimmalert@mgplc.com.
If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please send an email to unsubscribe@mgplc.com with "Remove" in the subject line.

0

Goeschl Law Corporation's Business Immigration Alerts provide a general description of the law; they are not intended to provide specific legal advice or to establish an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2009 Goeschl Law Corporation, 155 Sansome Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94104. Permission is granted to make and redistribute, without charge, copies of this entire document provided that such copies are complete and unaltered and identify Goeschl Law Corporation as the author. All other rights reserved.