Visa Bulletin for March 2021
2 min read
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the March 2021 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to the dates in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A) except if in any case specified.
USCIS Employment-based Priority Date Cut-offs in March 2021 Visa Bulletin
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published on its Visa Bulletin page that it will honor the State Department’s Final Action Date chart for adjustment of status filings in March. To be qualified to file an employment-based adjustment application in March, employer-sponsored foreign nationals should have a priority date that is sooner than the date listed below for their preference category and country.
Impact of Presidential Proclamation 10014
Before leaving office, previous President Trump extended the April 22, 2020 proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain immigrants to 31st March 2021. It stays hazy as to whether President Biden will rescind the proclamation. Until further notification, the bar will continue to limit the issuance of immigrant visas by U.S. consulates abroad.
March 2021 Visa Bulletin Summary
Check below for Final Action cut-off dates for March 2021 Visa Bulletin.
Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category
The cutoff dates for EB1 China and India advance to August 1, 2020. The category stays current for any remaining nations of chargeability.
Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category
EB2 India moves forward to 15th Jan 2010. EB2 China advances to July 15, 2016. The EB2 category stays current for any remaining nations of chargeability.
Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category
The cutoff date for EB3 India advances to July 1, 2010. EB3 China’s cutoff date is set at 8th Feb 2018. The EB3 category stays current for any remaining nations of chargeability.
EB3 Other Workers
Except for China, the cutoff dates for EB3 different workers are the same for every country as its respective EB3 cutoff dates. For China, the cutoff date for EB3 different workers moves to 1st May 2009.
[Higher wage rule could price out immigrant workers in the US]
Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category
The cutoff date for EB4 Mexico moves to 1st Jan 2019 The EB4 cutoff date for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras advances to 1st June 2018. This category stays current for any remaining nations of chargeability.
Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category
The EB5 category stays current for all nations of chargeability, other than China and Vietnam. For China, the EB5 cutoff date stays at August 15, 2015. For Vietnam, the EB5 cutoff date moves to 22nd Oct 2017.
Dates for Filing Chart (i.e., Chart “B”)
The lone change from last month in Chart B is that the EB1 category is current for all nations of chargeability. However, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not yet shown whether stakeholders will be able to utilize Chart B in March for purposes of applying for adjustment of status.
