The U.S Department of State (DoS) has recently released its current visa bulletin for November 2019. In November, the EB-1 cutoff dates for petitioners from China will advance to February 1, 2017 while India stays at January 1, 2015. All other countries have advanced to June 1, 2018. Furthermore, filing dates for employment-based visa applications remains unchanged from October.

Final action dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1: China has advanced three months to February 1, 2017, while India remains unchanged at January 1, 2015. For petitioners from all other countries, the date has progressed more than a month to June 1, 2018.
• For EB-2: the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China has advanced from January 1, 2015 to March 15,2015. The cut-off date for Indian nationals has slightly advanced from May 12, 2009 to May 13, 2009. The cut-off dates for petitioners from all other countries have remained current.
• For EB-3 – Professional and Skilled Workers: For Chinaand India, the final action dates will remain unchanged from October. EB-3 cut off date for China sits at November 1, 2015 while the date for India sits at January 1, 2009. The cut-off date for the Philippines will advance from October 15, 2017 to February 1, 2018. For all other countries, the cut-off date remains current.
• For EB-5 – Non-regional Center: For China, the final action date will advance one week to November 1, 2014, while India will advance to December 8, 2017. The cut-off date for Vietnam has advanced from October 15, 2016 to November 15, 2016. The cut-off date is current for all other countries. The regional center final action dates of each country mirrors that of the non-regional centers. However, as the EB-5 Regional Center program is part of the short term spending bill (H.R.4378) designed to fund the government until November 21, 2019, the EB-5 category for regional center filings is scheduled to expire on November 21, 2019 barring additional legislation.

Filing dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1: Dates remain unchanged from October. For petitioners from mainland China, the cut-off date remains at September 1, 2017. Similarly, cut off dates for Indian petitioners remains at March 15, 2017. For petitioners for the remaining countries, the cut-off date stays at July 1, 2019.
• For EB-2: Like EB-1 dates, EB-2 dates have also remained unchanged from October. The cut-off date for Chinese petitions is still August 1, 2016, while the date for Indian nationals have stayed at July 1, 2009. Petitioners from all other countries remain current.
• For EB-3: In the EB-3 category, the dates have remained stagnate. Mainland Chinese petitioners’ cutoff date remains at March 1, 2017, while the date for Indian petitioners have remains at February 1, 2010. The cut-off date for petitioners from the remaining countries continue to be current.
• For EB-5: For EB-5 petitioners, the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China remains at January 1, 2015 while petitioners from all other countries continue to remain current.

According to USCIS, for Employment-Based Preference Filings:

You must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for November 2019.

Our Thoughts:

If you believe you qualify for a National Interest Waiver (NIW) but are not sure if you’re as strong a candidate for an EB-1, we recommend starting your NIW application as soon as possible. In general, we encourage our clients to file NIW applications (provided they meet the requirements). Our attorneys have a strong track record of winning approvals: since 2008, Zhang & Associates has helped over 3,200 foreign nationals obtain NIWs.

After you successfully apply for an NIW, and thereafter continue to garner achievements in your field, you may want to consider applying in the first-preference category. Our firm is here to help: since 2012, our attorneys have assisted more than 1,500 clients obtain EB-1 visas.

Before you start the application process, it’s imperative that you consult with experienced immigration attorneys. If you’re interested in filing an NIW, EB-1, or any other employment-based visa application, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

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Former U.S. Consular officer, Attorney Sechyi Laiu joined Zhang & Associates, P.C. on June 26, 2017

At Zhang & Associates, P.C., Attorney Laiu specializes on Consular Processing cases and business development. Attorney Laiu also focuses on TN visas, E visas, CBP administrative proceedings (monetary confiscation, deferred inspection), and overseas financial compliance.

Prior to joining Zhang & Associates, P.C., Attorney Laiu worked for the U.S. Department of State as a Chinese and Portuguese speaking diplomat. As a consular-coned officer who served in Vancouver (Canada), Shenyang (P.R. China), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Attorney Laiu processed over 30,000 visa cases and worked in every section of Consular Affairs overseas (Fraud Prevention Unit, Immigrant Visas, Non-Immigrant Visas, and American Citizen Services).

He will use his experience and expertise to deliver the highest quality of service to our clients.

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Founded in 1996, Zhang & Associates, P.C. offers legal services to clients worldwide in all aspects of U.S immigration law. We have successfully handled over ten thousand 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, EB-5, PERM, I-485 I-130, H-1B, O, L and J cases. In the past twenty-two years, we have successfully helped over ten thousand 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, P.C.

Silicon Valley • New York • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Austin • Seattle • Sunnyvale • Madison • Honolulu

Tel:	1-800-230-7040, 713-771-8433
Email:	info@hooyou.com
website:	http://www.hooyou.com

 

(10/18/2019)