The Department of State released the latest Visa Bulletin for March 2009 on February 9. The cut-off dates for EB-2 applicants born in mainland China and India move forward 45 days compared to dates in February. EB-1 remains unchanged as there are still visa numbers available in that category.
The following are the cut-off dates for employment-based immigration petitions. The dates in parentheses are the cut-off dates for February 2009.
For people born in mainland China:
EB-1: Current (Current)
EB-2: February 15, 2005 (January 1, 2005)
EB-3: October 22, 2002 (October 1, 2002)
For people born in India:
EB-1: Current (Current)
EB-2: February 15, 2004 (January 1, 2004)
EB-3: October 15, 2001 (October 15, 2001)
For all chargeability areas except Mainland China, India, and Mexico:
EB-1: Current (Current)
EB-2: Current (Current)
EB-3: May 1, 2005 (May 1, 2005)
One should definitely take into consideration the status of the current visa bulletin when one chooses an immigration path. Most of time, as is the case currently, the EB-1 category does not have visa bulletin retrogression and has visa numbers available for applicants from all chargeability areas. Thus, for applicants born in mainland China and India without available EB-2 visa numbers, EB-1 has a significant advantage. Many aliens have misunderstandings regarding EB-1 requirements. It is often thought that an applicant must have a Ph.D. to be eligible for EB-1, which is not necessarily true. What matters are the applicant’s qualifications, including publications, citations, awards, and so on. We have helped many aliens without a Ph.D. degree successfully apply for their green card under the EB-1(b) category.
Progression of the visa bulletin is hard to predict. Sometimes, it moves fast; at other times, it stagnates. The only thing applicants can do is get their case in the queue line. When visa numbers become available, those applicants who already have their I-140 petitions submitted can immediately file their I-485 petitions.
Overall, it is always advantageous to file an immigration petition as early as possible, regardless of the visa bulletin status. Fortune favors the prepared.
Special notice:
At 6:00pm~7:30pm CST on Feb. 13, 2009, Attorney Jane Xu will hold a Seminar in English at our Chicago office. She will talk about H-1B, NIW, EB-1, etc. If you are interested in this seminar, please click the following link to register:
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2gcmzlgfqqrqp0s/start
At 10:30am~12:00pm CST on Feb. 14, 2009, Attorney Victor Bush will hold a seminar in English at our Houston office. He will talk about NIW, EB-1, O-1, J waiver, etc. If you are interested in this seminar, please click the following link to register:
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2gfnqjdfqtzisf1/start
------
Founded in 1996, Zhang & Associates, P.C. offers legal services to clients nationwide in all aspects of U.S immigration law. We have successfully handled thousands of immigration cases.
At Zhang & Associates, P.C., our attorneys and supporting professionals are committed to providing high-quality immigration and non-immigration visa services. We specialize in NIW, EB-1, PERM, and I-485 cases. In the past twelve years, we have successfully helped thousands of clients get green cards. If you plan to apply for a green card, please send your CV to Attorney Jerry Zhang (info@hooyou.com) for a free evaluation.
Zhang & Associates, PC.
Houston ∙ New York ∙ Chicago ∙ Austin ∙ Los Angeles
Tel：1-800-230-7040, 713-771-8433
Email: info@hooyou.com
website：http://www.hooyou.com
(02/10/2009)
Refer this page to a friend
