The U.S Department of State (DoS) has recently released its current visa bulletin for January 2021. The EB-1 cutoff dates for petitioners from China and India has progressed to September 1, 2019. All other countries remain current. For the EB-2 category, all countries except for China and India remain current. China has progressed to June 1, 2016 while India inchedslightly ahead to October 8, 2009.

Final action dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1: China and India has bothprogressed 5 months to September 1, 2019. For petitioners from all other countries, the final action datesare current.
• For EB-2: the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China has only a monthto June 1, 2016. The cut-off date for Indian nationals has progressed slightly as well to October 8, 2009. The cut-off dates for petitioners from all other countries remains current.
• For EB-3 – Professional and Skilled Workers: EB-3 cutoff date for China hasprogressed a monthand a half to December 15, 2017.  The final action date for India has slowly progressed only a week to March 22, 2010. The cut-off date for the remaining countries are now current.
• For EB-5 – Non-regional Center: For China, the final action date remainsat August 15, 2015.India remainscurrent. In addition, Vietnam, has progressed half a month to September 15, 2017. The cut-off date is current for all other countries.

Filing dates for employment-based preference petitions:

• For EB-1:Filing dates has stagnatedfor China and India at November 1, 2020. For petitioners for the remaining countries, the cut-off date remains current.
• For EB-2:The cut-off date for Chinese petitions has remained the same at October 1, 2016, while the date for Indian nationals also stagnatedat May 15, 2011. Petitioners from all other countries remain current.
• For EB-3: In the EB-3 category, mainland Chinese petitioners’ cutoff date has stagnatedat June 1, 2018, while the date for Indian petitioners has stayedat January 1, 2014. The cut-off date for petitioners from the remaining countries are now current.
• For EB-5: For EB-5 petitioners, the cut-off date for nationals born in mainland China has stagnated at December 15, 2015 while petitioners from all other countries continue to remain current.

For Employment-Based Preference Filings:

For all employment-based preference categories, you must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for January 2021.

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 3,400 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 1,600 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, PERM, I-485 I-130, H-1B, O, L and J cases. In the past over twenty 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.

New York • Chicago • Houston • Austin • Seattle • Madison • Honolulu

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

 

(12/23/2020)