September 2018 Visa Bulletin: Major Employment Retrogression

September does not bring good news to employment-based applicants:

• EB-2 China and India have retrogressed more than 2 years to 01/01/2013. 
• While EB-3 China moves forward by 4 months, EB-3 India has retrogressed for another 6 years!  EB-3 Philippines moves back by 7 months.
• All EB-1 categories continue to have cutoff dates.  Worse, the prediction is that this will not change in October's Visa Bulletin, as most people have hoped.  
• EB-2 for Mexico, Philippines and Other Countries now all have cutoff dates introduced in September.

The good news is that some categories such as EB-2 / EB-3 India and EB-2 China will likely recover to their "normal dates" in October, as predicted by the Visa Office.

AD: Dates for Final Action (Approval)   FD : Dates for Filing Applications Only

Family		Other Countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	AD	04/08/2011	04/08/2011	04/08/2011	08/01/1997	11/15/2006
	FD	03/08/2012	03/08/2012	03/08/2012	09/01/1998	02/15/2008
F2A	AD	07/22/2016	07/22/2016	07/22/2016	07/01/2016	07/22/2016
	FD	12/01/2017	12/01/2017	12/01/2017	12/01/2017	12/01/2017
F2B	AD	11/01/2011	11/01/2011	11/01/2011	04/22/1997	04/22/2007
	FD	03/22/2014	03/22/2014	03/22/2014	06/08/1997	12/15/2007
F3	AD	05/01/2006	05/01/2006	05/01/2006	12/22/1995	06/01/1995
	FD	09/22/2006	09/22/2006	09/22/2006	10/08/1998	08/01/1995
F4	AD	01/08/2005	01/08/2005	04/08/2004	01/15/1998	06/01/1995
	FD	05/01/2005	05/01/2005	01/01/2005	06/01/1998	12/01/1995

1st: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens (about 23,400 per year).

2A: The 2 "A" preference is for Spouses and Children (under 21 & unmarried) of LPR's.

2B: The 2 "B" Preference is for Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 or older) of LPR's.

3rd: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens (about 23,400 per year)

4th: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens.(about 65,000 per year)

   

Employment		Other Countries	China	El Salvador Guatemala Honduras	India	Mexico	Philippines	Vietnam
EB1	AD	06/01/2016	01/01/2012	06/01/2016	01/01/2012	06/01/2016	06/01/2016	06/01/2016
	FD	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
EB2	AD	01/01/2013	01/01/2013	01/01/2013	01/01/2007	01/01/2013	01/01/2013	01/01/2013
	FD	C	04/01/2015	C	05/22/2009	C	C	C
EB3	AD	11/01/2016	11/01/2014	11/01/2016	01/01/2003	11/01/2016	11/01/2016	11/01/2016
	FD	C	01/01/2016	C	05/01/2009	C	07/01/2017	C
Other Workers	AD	11/01/2016	05/01/2007	11/01/2016	01/01/2003	11/01/2016	11/01/2016	11/01/2016
	FD	C	06/01/2008	C	05/01/2009	C	07/01/2017	C
EB4	AD	C	C	02/15/2016	02/15/2016	02/15/2016	C	C
	FD	C	C	05/01/2016	C	C	C	C
EB5	AD	C	08/08/2014	C	C	C	C	08/08/2014
	FD	C	10/01/2014	C	C	C	C	C

1st: Priority Workers (Extraordinary ability aliens, multinational companies executives/managers, outstanding prof./researchers)

2nd: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability.

3rd: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (Unskilled.)

4th: "Special Immigrants" (Religious & others)    

5th: Employment Creation (Investors)