Visa Bulletin for December 2020 | EB-3 India Dates for Filing Retrogresses By One Year

This December 2020 Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during December for “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” showing when immigrant visa candidates should be notified to assemble and submit the necessary documentation to the National Visa Center.

The State Department Visa Bulletin December 2020 shows backlogs in getting green cards in both the employment-based and family-based categories. The time that it will take you to get a green card relies upon the category of your petition and your nation of birth.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that in December it will follow the State Department’s Dates for Filing chart. As issued in the December 2020 Visa Bulletin, to decide if candidates are eligible to file for adjustment of status.

The Visa Bulletin published prior today, indicates modest forward movement in China EB-1 and India EB-1. However retrogression of one year in India EB-3. All other priority-date cutoffs will be the same as they were in the November 2020 Visa Bulletin.

In the coming days, USCIS is expected to announce on its own Visa Bulletin page the cutoff dates for acceptance of adjustment of status applications next month. That announcement will explain whether USCIS will accept adjustment applications dependent on the Final Action dates outline. The Dates for Filing chart as it has throughout the previous two months.

The December Dates for Filing chart shows moderate progression in most employment-based categories. However a one-year retrogression in the EB-3 India category.

Impact of Presidential Proclamation

As an update, President Trump’s April 22 proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain immigrants remains in place through
31st December 2020. The statement keeps on restricting the issuance of immigrant visas by U.S. departments abroad.

Impact of possible program expirations

The EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker and EB-5 Regional Center programs are set to terminate on December 11 and December 12, 2020, respectively. Except if Congress reauthorizes these programs or passes a brief spending measure. Immigrant visas in these subcategories will become unavailable on their expiration dates. The EB-5 Non-Regional Center program won’t be affected.

Should the EB-5 Regional Center program be reauthorized, cut-off dates will keep on reflecting the dates for the Non-Regional Center program in December.

December 2020 Visa Bulletin Summary

Check out Final Action Dates Advance in Most Categories. EB-3 India Dates for Filing Retrogresses By One Year

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category

On the final action chart, also called Chart A, the EB1 China and India categories advance to an April 1, 2019 cutoff date. On Chart B, the cutoff date moves to 1st November 2020, for the two nations. The classification stays current for all different countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category

EB2 India advances to October 1, 2009, on Chart A, some time EB2 China moves to May 1, 2016. This category stays current for all different nations of chargeability. On Chart B, EB3 India remains at May 15, 2011, and EB3 China keeps a cutoff date of 1st October 2016.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category

The cutoff date for EB3 India moves to March 15, 2010, on Chart A. On Chart B, however, EB3 India retrogresses by an entire year to January 1, 2014. For China, the cutoff date advances to November 1, 2017, on Chart A, and stays unchanged from a month ago on Chart B. This category stays current for all different nations of chargeability.

[USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2021]

EB3 Other Workers

Except for China, the cutoff dates for EB3 other workers are the same for every nation as its respective EB3 cutoff dates. For China, the cutoff date for EB3 other workers on Chart A moves to February 15, 2009, yet stays unchanged on Chart B.

Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category

The cutoff date for EB4 Mexico on Chart A moves to November 22, 2018. The EB4 cutoff date for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras advances to February 1, 2018, on Chart A, and 1st May 2018, on Chart B. This category stays current for all other nations of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category

For the EB5 class, the main movement is EB5 Vietnam, which advances to 1st September 2017, on Chart A.

Conclusion

USCIS has not yet indicated whether Chart B might be utilized for purposes of applying for adjustment of status in December. If the DOS gives updated predictions this month, the details will be updated here.