The U.S Department of State (DoS) has recently released its current visa bulletin for February 2020. In February, the EB-1 cutoff dates for petitioners from China and India will remain unchanged at May 22, 2017 and January 1, 2015 respectively. All other countries have advanced to December 1, 2018. Furthermore, filing dates for EB-1 employment-based preference groups is current for all countries except China and India.

The State Department also projects that there will be retrogression worldwide for the EB-3 category in March 2020.

Final action dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1: China remains unchanged at May 22, 2017. Similarly, India also remains unchanged at January 1, 2015. For petitioners from all other countries, the date has progressed two months to December 1, 2018.
• For EB-2: the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China has progressed two weeks to July 15,2015. The cut-off date for Indian nationals has only advanced a day from May 18, 2009 to May 19, 2009. The cut-off dates for petitioners from all other countries remains current.
• For EB-3 – Professional and Skilled Workers: EB-3 cut off date for China has advanced half a month to January 1, 2016 while the date for India advanced a week to January 8, 2009. The cut-off date for the Philippines will advance a month and half from March 15, 2018 to June 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 December 1, 2014, while India will advance four months to September 1, 2018. The cut-off date for Vietnam advanced one week from December 8, 2016 to December 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.

Filing dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1: Cut-off dates remained unchanged from the previous month for China and India, at October 1, 2017 and March 15, 2017 respectively. For petitioners for the remaining countries, the cut-off date remains current.
• For EB-2:There are no changes in the EB-2 filing dates. The cut-off date for Chinese petitions remains at 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 have retrogressed to January 1, 2019.
• For EB-5: For EB-5 petitioners, the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China has remained at May 15, 2015 while petitioners from all other countries continue to remain current.

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

 

(01/22/2020)