USCIS Visa Bulletin Prediction For January 2014 - March 2014

For December 2013 Visa Bulletin, please click here: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2013/11/december-2013-visa-bulletin.html

Department of State (DOS) added their prediction for visa bulletin in coming months. Please see the link below.

We will be adding a separate blog post for visa bulletin prediction for fiscal year 2014.

FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)

Worldwide dates:

• F1:  Three to five weeks

• F2A: No forward movement, the Mexico cut-off date is likely to retrogress at some point

• F2B: Three to five weeks

• F3:  Three to five weeks

• F4:  Two or three weeks

EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)

Employment First:  Current

Employment Second:

• Worldwide:  Current

• China:  Three to five weeks 

• India:  No forward movement

Employment Third:

• Worldwide:  This cut-off date has been advanced extremely rapidly during the past seven months in an effort to generate new demand.  As the rate of applicants who are able to have action on their cases finalized increases, it could have a significant impact on the cut-off date situation.  The rapid forward movement of this cut-off date should not be expected to continue beyond February.

• China:        Expected to remain at the worldwide date

• India:        No forward movement

• Mexico:       Expected to remain at the worldwide date

• Philippines:  Three to six weeks

Employment Fourth: Current

Employment Fifth:  Current

The above projections for the Family and Employment categories are for what is likely to happen during each of the next few months based on current applicant demand patterns.

Readers should never assume that recent trends in cut-off date movements are guaranteed for the future, or that "corrective" action will not be required at some point in an effort to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits.

The determination of the actual monthly cut-off dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables.  Unless indicated, those categories with a "Current" projection will remain so for the foreseeable future.

RETROGRESSION OF EMPLOYMENT CUT-OFF DATES

The India Employment Second and Third preference category cut-off dates were advanced very rapidly at the end of fiscal year 2013. Those movements were based strictly on the availability of thousands of "otherwise unused" numbers which could be made available without regard to the preference per-country annual limits.

The movements have resulted in a dramatic increase in the level of applicant demand received in recent months. This has required the retrogression of those cut-off dates for December in an effort to hold number use within the numerical limits.