JUNE 2016 VISA BULLETIN ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT RETROGRESSION FOR INDIA AND CHINA.
by Rabindra Singh
The Department of State’s June 2016 Visa Bulletin has announced major retrogression in the Final Action cut-off dates for India and China.
Specifically, in June 2016, India EB-2 Final Action cut-off date will retrogress to October 1, 2004, for the final issuance of immigrant visas. The India EB-2 Final Action cut-off date stood at November 22, 2008, in the May 2016 visa bulletin. Thus, India EB-2 Final Action cut-off date will retrogress by more than four (4) years in June 2016. India EB-3 will continue to move at the snail’s pace. The Final Action cut-off date for EB-3 India will move from September 1, 2004 to September 22, 2004, in June 2016.
Similar to India, EB-2 Final Action cut-off for China will retrogress by 20 months to January 1, 2010. Like EB-2, in June 2016, EB-3 China Final Action cut-off will also retrogress from current August 15, 2013, to January 1, 2010.
The DOS has cited “extremely high levels of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with USCIS during past two (2) months” as the reason for retrogression of the EB-2 preference Final Action cut-off dates for India and China.
The June 2016 Visa Bulletin does not project a bullish forward movement in the immediate future for both India and China EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories. EB-2 India Final Action cut-off date is expected to advance slowly, at a pace consistent with that of the India EB-3 preference cut-off date, during the last three (3) months of the fiscal year. The projection is much worse for the Chinese nationals as the retrogressed Final Action cut-off is not likely to advance either in the EB-2 or EB-3 category.
Like the EB-2 preference category, Final Action cut-off date for the FB-4 preference category for both India and China will also retrogress in June 2016. India FB-4 Final Action cut-off will backward from present July 22, 2003, to January 1, 2001. Likewise, China FB-4 will retrogress from July 22, 2003, to January 1, 2003. While DOS is not in a position to project whether or not the China FB-4 will advance until the end of current fiscal year, it is almost certain that India FB-4 will not advance during the last quarter.