The Visa Bulletin

Our PD is 03/06. We did file the 485 in July 07 and we did receive EAD cards. My question is when our PD will be current, what will happen???

Hi John, i am eb3 – other workers and my priority date is may 12, 2003. How soon do u believe they will take to make it current.

John,

I am in the F1 category with a Priority Date of Sept.2003. I am currently in the states, because I was pursuing my MBA, which I completed in 2006. My OPT has expired and I likely have to leave. Do you have an idea when my priority date will be reached, and is there anything I can do to remain in country while the VB progresses to that date?

is the [april] visa bulletin out?

India
EB1 – C
EB2 – U
EB3 – Nov 2002

Just a guess

Hi John,
Its great that you are providing services on this web site,thanks for that,My family first f1 category priority date is nov 2002,when as per your rough estimate I’ll be having my PD as current?I know its tough to tell and lot depends on next visa bulletins but ,based on your rich experience,just asking for rough your own estimate please.

John:
In reference to your response to @ONM can I assume that there is still a lot of pending EB3 India with priority date 2001? Do you have any rough estimate numbers on 2001 (India) pending cases?

Thanks a lot for your reply John, I do check the bulletin frequently too. I hope to have a big smile on my face once the April bulletin comes out. And, I hope the same thing to all nurses eagerly and patiently waiting for their visas too. Good luck to us, and God bless us all!

hi John,
i am wondering which one i have to look forward to. The latest bulletin in Nebraska (where i filed my case) said that the I 485 is July 30,2007 has been completed.
The visa bulletin said January, 2005. by the way, my case was received July 26,2007 Philippines is my country. do you think it would be better if I will file Consular Processing?

Hi John,

Any idea when EB3 Apr 2004 INDIA (I-140 Approved, I-485 filed July 2nd) will get the green card.

Thanks,

Elow John

I am a nurse/doctor from the Philippines and my priority date is August 31, 2006 (EB3). Like the others I’ve been waiting for the bulletin each month, hoping it will be current. My question is, Is there a possibility that if I apply for a tourist visa ( I’m hoping to get one, I’m also taking the USMLE), will I get one without any difficulties? By the way, thanks for your straight and prompt answers. I Like your blog. More power!
God Bless to everyone.

John,

With regard to my F1 category i am in the rest of the world group, a EU citizen (Great Britain), see entry 53 above. Please advise on my options.

April 2008 Visa bulletin out in US Consulate in India
http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/cut_off_dates.html

Can any one tell me for family category, i have a question , why the priority dates from the last 4 month was not moving forward?

Can someone predict when the VB is actually going to be out?

I found this link on IV website:

http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/cut_off_dates.html

@SAS
You WON!! EB3 for Other countries is July 2005

Hi, do you know what FX stands for with priority date of May 1 2002?? Is it FB1 for the rest of the world?

Category India Most Other Countries
F1 22 February 2002 22 February 2002
FX 1 May 2002 1 May 2002
F2A 8 May 2003 8 May 2003
F2B 22 March 1999 22 March 1999

John,

Should I be optimistic about about my priority date being reached anytime in the near future. I am in the F1 rest of the world category. Based on the the VB on the website above (entry 64), at the current rate my Sept. 2003 PD will not be reached until 7 yrs have passed. That would put my wait time at 12 yrs.

When my father filed, we were told it would take about 5yrs.

Am I correct in assuming it could take that long?

John,

Can you please explain this in plain English?

“provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW cut-off date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002.”

THANKS!!

Hello everyone looking for the April visa bulletin.

I’ve moderated a lot of comments (meaning I blocked them) because everyone is linking to what they thought was the April visa bulletin. That link is dead and you can’t see the bulletin. It looks like the State Department might be having some technical issues. Anyways, the best I have seen is the link posted by Matt (first) and MMS. I’m going to hold off posting anything more until I see something more official.

Check back soon.

i found the visa bulletin april 2008!!!
http://www.trackitt.com/discussion-forums/i485-1/80678007/

Thanks, Rachelle. Good find. I’ll try to verify these dates asap.

no problem john… i hope i found the right one.. but sad to say, the F3 is still frozen..

Hi John, if this will be the official VB for April, 2008– it’s a good news for EB3 category. Can we say that in the following bulletins it will move 5-6 months evry month? Is it safe to say that we are looking at June or July 2008 that the VB cut 0ff date in EB3 will be August 2006?
It’s a relief that the dates did move rather than a standstill.
God Bless.

eb3 Philippines current is this official?

[Ed. I am inserting my response to this comment directly because I don't want this rumor to spread. EB3 Philippines is not current. There was a visa bulletin posted by a law firm that showed EB3 Philippines as current - that was incorrect. It was irresponsible for that law firm to post that bulletin, in my opinion. -John C.]

Hi john,

Ive been surfing @ u’r site 4 quite some time now, been reading all d comments & ur straight forward replies from all d queries. Im an RN from Phils., fall under eb3 w/ sept 01, 2005 P.D. I myself is also an hopeful spectator of the visa updates every month. My question is this, ive hired an immigrant lawyer based their @ San francisco to do all the petition process & everything for me & my husbands behalf, hoping that it will be more easy & accessible & faster for me.. I had give her special power of Atty as well, & paid her in full last 2006, i had given her all the fees needed including our visa fees. But sad to say, since last year july retrogression i haven’t heard from her. Whenever i emailed her she doesnt reply unless i need to call her via long distance & she told me the same answer, that she cant do anything about it anymore coz y pd hasnt been updated yet at nvc. Just wanna know if that immigrant lawyer is still responsible to inform me of any updates thats been going on since i still haven’t receive my packet 4. Does her job ends after im done w/ my packet 3 requirements? Im kinda worried coz im not so sure if she really process everything in my behalf. Where could i check if i want to know if my papers is really at NVC? Who will send my packet 4? Is it the immigrant lawyer or the NVC directly? Hope to hear from you soon john… Thank u in advance!

ITS NOW OFFICIAL!!!
[Ed. Link removed, see charts above.]

Hi John,
Great visa postings on your site here. Keep up the good work.

I’ve a priority date of Nov 2005 for EB2 India. Any idea where i stand and how long would be the wait. Your time is greatly appreciated.

john,
april bulletin is out. retrogression still not lifted
does this mean it really won’t be lifted for the year? or will there is still a chance that it will be lifted within the next few months?

here is the visa bulletin
[Ed. link removed, see charts above]

Thank God there a six months move in EB3 category!! yahoo!!

john where do i belong eb3 or other worker im a caregiver. my employer has already a case number in manila my pd is sept 2005 when will it be current THANX JOHN

hi again John, i am so happy that the april vb moved to july, i am just one month away coz my pd is august 24,2005. i just want to know if when can i have my interview, and who will let me know of it. thanks in advance, will wait for your reply. Godspeed…

John,

For EB3 R.O.W, what do you predict will happen to the dates?
One of the theories is that all visas will be pooled together , like last year and there will be a big jump in the EB3. Doubt that DOS will make it ‘C’ but could push dates up to July 2006 or even further.

What do you think? or Predict…

looking forward to the predictions on 3rd preference-philippines…

Yahoo! Praise the Lord! PD moved forward to 1 JULY 2005 for EB3. Congrats to all nurses whose PD reached the cut-off. And to those still waiting for their PD’s to come out, don’t lose hope you will be next in line.. God is good all the time, just have faith in His plans.Goodluck and God bless us all!
To John,thanks a lot to your website,its really informative and it gave me a lot of insights regarding different types of immigration cases jaz by reading all the comments being posted here. Just keep up the good work!

To John or whoever it may concern,

I have applied for EB3 my PD has reached the cutoff and still have not received anything after going to interview. How long should I wait after my cut off has paced to received my decision on I-485 EB3 status?

april visa bulleten is out can u predict now ?

John
looking at the April visa bulletin and its notes can you make an educated guess for May bulletin. I want to know esp about FB1 rest of the world. As expected April bulletin moved only one week for FB1.

Hi John, any predictions for VB May 2008…..

I am in the catogory of EB3, Mexico. Do you think it will ever reach july 1995? I checked it last year before december and it was in 1994 but now it’s stuck in 1992. I have no idea why. Can someone explain why?

John, I am not looking for a prediction, but I would like your opinion as to why there appears to be a major slowdown for most family based visas? The note at the bottom of the December bulletin stated, “Family Preferences – Worldwide: Movement consistent with that of recent months can be expected for the foreseeable future.” From that point on a majority of the FB classes have slowed to one week per month. I can understand one class being oversubscribed, but it appears the State Department is making a determined effort to halt FB immigration.

To Paul, this hearing should be of interest to you esp at 35 min: http://judiciary.house.gov/Oversight.aspx?ID=317

The is no law yet to abolish family immigration but a number of senators are pushing for it. It was amazing for me to hear arguments about cancelling FB1, that a child over 21 is an adult and should not benefit from parents’ application. The senatot brought up an example of his daughter in her 20s who lives independently in New York and even if she lived abroad they would visit each other and it is not necssary for them to live in the same country etc. Listen to the hearing if you get a chance. It was an eye opener for me.
Family immigration issues are not getting any attention now since all efforts are on the border fence, on employment immigration and reducing 1,000,000 N400 backlog.

john, is it ok if we will apply for K3 visa while my paper for EB3 is on the process? i have now my receipt notice and my petition is still in Nebraska service center. I was told that there is only 1 petition per 1 person. I had already a contract with my agency as they apply for my immigrant status, I don’t want to have problems with USCIS or DOS for that matter. We would like to get married but as much as possible, i don’t want to have problems with the law or even delayed more my papers. should i wait for petition with EB3? or could we get married and not have problems in regards with 2 petition..please enlighten me on this. I need your help.. thank you and God bless.

Can EB2 become current for India as a direct consequence of Bill Gates’ speech and the Bill that is in the works??

help please…..
before july 2007, when was the last retro got lifted? thanks

My priority date is Aug 2004 and I had my I-140 in March 2007 and applied for I-485 in June 2007. I’m in the EB3 employment based category. I’m a british citizen. I just noticed from the march 2008 bulletin that the employment based EB3 category for “all chargeability areas” has moved to Jan 2005.
When do you think I will receive my green card?

Hi John, will China EB2 move again for the remaining of fiscal year 2008?

john c, who do you think you are?

Hi John, I think the Congress should end per country limits since they result in dramatic disparities in the way immigrants are treated based on where they happened to have been born as opposed to the benefits they provide America.
I have an interesting thought. I think we need to hire lobbyists to do some work at Washington if we want anything to happen.
I am not sure this will be legal. Is it possible for you or someone else to set up a contribution web site to gather donations, and use those donations to hire lobbyist? There are definitely cases they can make for lifting the per country limit. The current system tremendously reduce the competitiveness of US citizens in the job market. American employers will favor Chinese/Indian job candidates over equally competent US citizen because they know they can retain immigrants with much lower salaries over long term, since Chinese/Indian employee can’t change jobs for almost a decade after they get hired if they want a green card, even if they are in the EB2 category.
If this is feasible, I believe there will be no problem to raise 8 to 9 millions within a couple months, given the desperations and anger of many Chinese/Indian born professionals who have been waited for almost a decade for the green card.
The only thing is, I am not sure the legal system here will allow lobbyist taking money from non-us citizen to lobby in Washington.

@Eve Car: Your application should be adjudicated.

@Smurf2002: Hi. There are very few other worker visa numbers available so movement is slow.

@AL: I have no idea when your priority date will be reached. And I don’t know any way for you to remain here. This depends on your individual situation.

@Mia: It’s out. I posted it above.

@Chirayu: Thankfully, your predictions were less ambitious than the actual dates.

@Rocky: Thanks for your comment. I really have no idea. It didn’t move much in the April bulletin.

@Lostboy: That’s actually a good question. I don’t know exactly how many were filed, but I’ll post if I come across it. (If anyone else knows, please send it to me).

@Max: April bulletin was good for some and not others.

@Lorelie: You might be confusing the processing time at the service center with the visa bulletin. It is the priority date of the applicant, subject to the cutoff date for the visa bulletin (published by the State Department), that determines whether a visa number is available.

@Wuwu: Hi and thanks for your comment. The difficulties will depend on your individual situation. You are presumed to have immigrant intent, by statute, when applying for a nonimmigrant visa. And that presumption must be overcome by evidence on your part.

@Matt: Thanks for pointing those dates out.

@Michael M: Limited numbers available.

@MMS: Thanks. Matt posted just before you, but you couldn’t see it because his comment was in moderation (as a first time commenter).

@VI: No matter now.

@AL: These dates can fluctuate without notice. I don’t know who promised you a certain processing time, but it’s impossible to do.

@MMS: Yes, there were very few other worker numbers available and now there are less.

@Rachelle: You did find the right one. Thanks for that. Sorry there was no good news.

@Carmen: I don’t think so. Movement in the April bulletin does not mean that the May bulletin or any bulletins afterward will move at the same rate. Anything can happen.

@Jaycelle_06: Hi: Your contractual agreement with your immigration lawyer determines whether they are required to contact you and for which types of developments. Have you been provided copies of everything, including your receipt notices? Your receipts seem like the best way to verify that your case is where it’s meant to be.

@Swamy: Thanks for your comment. It’s tough to say. EB2 India was unavailable previously. If I had to guess, I would think EB2 India cut-off date movement will be minimal in the May bulletin.

@PVV: Anything can happen, but I don’t think retrogression will be lifted in 2008 (I’ve said this a lot before).

@Che-che: Thanks.

@Hermie: Do you have a receipt? It should say on your receipt.

@Edz: Depends on your local procedure. Check with friends, or the consulate. Normally you receive notice by mail.

@MMS: I don’t think so. There was already an EB3 jump and probably won’t be another.

@Max: I’m glad you like it. Thanks for coming. All feedback is appreciated.

@Mo: Just because the priority date has reached the cutoff date does not mean you immediately get your visa.

@Sim: I don’t know anything more than you do about the F2A category.

@Chachu: The April bulletin just came out. I’ll start a new post on the May bulletin soon.

@Edskie: Stay posted for a new post on the May visa bulletin.

@Hiba: The cutoff dates move based on expected demand. There is a lot of guesswork and sometimes the dates must actually move backwards.

@Gary: I wouldn’t read too much into it. More than likely there was significant demand across the board for other reasons.

@VI: Thanks for the link. It might surprise you that I’m not entirely sympathetic to your observation, though. Most of my experience is in employment-based immigration law.

@Che-che: These are very personal questions that I have no business answering. Who told you there is only “1 petition per 1 person”?

@KB: Something was introduced today (I haven’t read it but I heard it had something to do with H-1Bs). I’ll post something about it if there is anything noteworthy.

@Coney: See the visa bulletin archives.

@Chris Dee: It depends on your local procedures. It would probably be best to contact your local consulate.

@Spitzer: I’m not sure. If it does, I would guess it wouldn’t move forward very much. But who knows?

@Joy: I’m no one special really. Here are some details. I might become less anonymous at some point, we’ll see. I put this site together thinking some people might visit, but the response has been very good so far. Let me know if you have any private feedback on how I might make this site better (this offer is open to everyone).

@Spitzer: I agree with you completely about the per country limits. They are pointless and discriminatory.

Regarding the fund-raising for (employment-based immigration) lobbyists, there are already organizations doing exactly this. The American Immigration Lawyers Association is probably the most well-known. Immigration Voice made the news for its rallies and seems to be enjoying some momentum. But there are also smaller units that are active on this, from groups of businesses and immigration lawyers to individuals.

I hadn’t thought of fund-raising on this site. My goal at this point is just to get as much immigration-related information to everyone as quickly and easily as possible. But if enough people visit, it could be used for a lot of different things.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback!