In my previous February 2012 visa bulletin commentary post, I focused on the usual commentary but didn’t highlight the Department of State’s forecast for visa availability in the coming months. Copied below is the text from the February 2012 visa bulletin. It is important to note that EB2 for China and India have a possibility of retrogression later this year. Please see below. At least we saw a whole year’s advancement in EB2 for India this month. That is outstanding and we hope that many of our readers will benefit from it.
D. VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS
FAMILY-sponsored categories (monthly)
Worldwide dates:
F1: three to five weeks
F2A: one to two months
F2B: three to four weeks
F3: one to three weeks
F4: up to one month
EMPLOYMENT-based categories (monthly)
Employment First: Current
Employment Second:
China and India: Reports from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicate that the rate of new filings for adjustment of status in recent months has been extremely low. This fact has required the continued rapid forward movement of the cut-off date, in an attempt to generate demand and maximize number use under the annual limit. Once the level of new filings or USCIS processing increases significantly, it will be necessary to slow or stop the movement of the cut-off. Readers are once again advised that an eventual need to retrogress the cut-off date is also a distinct possibility.
Employment Third:
Worldwide: up to one month
China: up to one month
India: up to two weeks
Mexico: up to one month
Philippines: up to one month
Employment Fourth: Current
Employment Fifth: Current
Please be advised that the above ranges are only estimates for what could happen during each of the next few months based on current applicant demand patterns. The determination of the actual monthly cut-off dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand which can occur at any time. Those categories with a “Current” projection will remain so for the foreseeable future.