August 2008 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 leap for India and China

Posted on July 15th, 2008 in News, Visa Bulletins

The July 2008 Visa Bulletin, released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), shows a significant advance in the EB-2 Cutoff dates for Indian and Mexico, 1st from July 2004 to 1st June 2006. On the downside the cut off dates for the unskilled category has become unavailable. Mexico’s F-2A numbers continue to be unavailable as well. The August Visa Bulletin will come into effect from August 1, 2008.

Employment Based Categories

EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
Categories	Worldwide	China (PRC)	India	Mexico	Philippines
1st	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
2nd	Current	06-01-06	06-01-06	Current	Current
3rd	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable
Unskilled	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable
4th	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
Religious	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current
5th	Current	Current	Current	Current	Current

EB-1 (Priority Workers)
EB-2 (Advanced Degrees Holders or Persons of Exceptional Ability)
· EB-3 (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers)
· EB-4 (Special Immigrants)
· EB-5 (Immigrant Investors)

Family Based Categories

FAMILY CATEGORIES
Categories	Worldwide	China (PRC)	India	Mexico	Philippines
1st	03-15-02	03-15-02	03-15-02	08-08-92	03-22-93
2A	10-01-03	10-01-03	10-01-03	Unavailable	10-01-03
2B	11-01-99	11-01-99	11-01-99	04-15-92	03-15-97
3rd	06-08-00	06-08-00	06-08-00	09-08-92	04-01-91
4th	09-08-97	02-22-97	02-22-97	01-08-95	03-08-86

F – 1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens)
F – 2A (Spouses & Children)
· F – 2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters)
F – 3 (Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens)
F – 4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens)

Predictions

The EB-3 ‘Other Worker’ category is going to remain “unavailable” for the remainder of FY-2008 and the cut-off date will start from 1^st January 2003 in the next fiscal year starting October 2008.