Visa Bulletin for January 2023
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The US Department of State (DOS) has published the January 2023 Visa Bulletin. There has been little to no movement in any of the employment-based categories, except for China and India’s retrogression in the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A) unless otherwise specified.
January 2023 Visa Bulletin
According to the State Department’s January Visa Bulletin 2023, Final Action cutoff dates for the issuance of an immigrant visa will be as follows:
Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category
EB1 China and India both retrogress to 1st February 2022, as the cutoff date. The category remains current for all chargeability nations.
The news of retrogression is disappointing, but it was not completely expected. The DOS warned in December 2022 Visa Bulletin that China and India’s EB1 cutoff dates would likely be pushed back “in the coming months.”
Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category
The EB2 category has not changed since the previous month. The cutoff date for EB2 India remains 8th October 2011, whereas the cutoff date for EB2 China remains 8th June 2019. The EB2 cutoff date for all other chargeable nations is 1st November 2022.
Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category
In addition, there is no change in the EB3 category. The cutoff date for India’s EB3 category remains 15th June 2012. The EB3 China cutoff date remains 1st August 2018. For all other countries with chargeability, the EB3 category remains current.
EB3 Other Workers
The cutoff date for EB3 other workers in China has been extended to 22nd December 2013. This category does not include any other movements. India’s cutoff date remains 15th June 2012. The cutoff date for EB3 workers from all other chargeable nations remains 1st June 2020.
Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category
There is no movement in the EB4 category. For El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, the EB4 cutoff date remains 15th March 2018. The cutoff date for EB4 Mexico keeps its 15th September 2020, cutoff date. The EB4 cutoff date for all other countries with chargeability remains 22nd June 2022.
[DHS Issues Guidance on Additional H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Visas Allocated for FY 2023]
Currently, the EB4 program for certain religious workers is set to end on 23rd December 2022. The EB4 category for certain religious workers will be unavailable on 23rd December 2022, unless Congress extends the program by then.
Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category
There is no movement in the EB5 category. China’s cutoff date for EB5 unreserved (i.e., EB5 immigrant visa numbers not put away for rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure projects), remains set at 22nd March 2015. India’s EB5 unreserved cutoff date stays at 8th November 2019. EB5 remains current for all other EB5 categories and countries of chargeability.
Conclusion
We will continue to closely monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to our website to receive weekly updates.
