July 2019 Visa Bulletin

D. FAMILY-SPONSORED SECOND PREFERENCE VISA AVAILABILITY

F2A: This category has become "Current" for July, and is expected to remain so through September. This action has been taken in an effort to generate an increased level of demand. Despite the large amount of registered F2A demand, currently there are not enough applicants who are actively pursuing final action on their case to fully utilize all of the available numbers under the annual limit.

Once large numbers of F2A applicants do begin to have their cases brought to final action, it will be necessary to establish a date in an effort to control number use within the annual limit. Therefore, readers should be aware that this “Current” status will not continue indefinitely, but it is not possible to say at present how soon corrective action will be required.

E. MEXICO FAMILY-SPONSORED and EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE VISA AVAILABILITY

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, it has been necessary to retrogress the Mexico F1, F3, F4, E4, and SR final action dates for July to keep issuances within the annual numerical limits. With the start of the new fiscal year in October, the final action dates will be returned to the latest dates established during FY-2019.

F. EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIFTH PREFERENCE VISA AVAILABILITY

As readers were advised might happen in item E of the June Visa Bulletin, India and Vietnam will each reach their per-country annual limit during July. This has resulted in the Vietnam date being held, and has required the imposition of a July final action date for India.

For August, both countries will become subject to the same final action date which applies to China-mainland born Employment Fifth preference (E5) applicants, and they will be for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Such action will only be temporary, with the E5 date for each advancing for October, the first month of fiscal year 2020, as follows:

India: Most likely advancing to the summer or fall of 2017.
Vietnam: Most likely advancing to the fall or early winter of 2016.

G. VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS

FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)

Worldwide dates:

F1: Up to five weeks
F2A: CURRENT
F2B: Up to six weeks
F3: Up to six weeks
F4: Up to one month

EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)

Employment First:

WORLDWIDE: Little if any forward movement. Increased demand may require temporary corrective action for September

China: Little if any forward movement

India: No forward movement. The date will return to February 22, 2017 for October

Employment Second:

Worldwide: Expected to remain Current, but temporary corrective action may be required for September

China: Up to four months

India: Up to one week

Employment Third:

Worldwide: Expected to remain Current, but temporary corrective action may be required for September

China: Up to several months

India: Little if any forward movement

Mexico: Will remain at the Worldwide date

Philippines: Will remain at the Worldwide date

Employment Fourth: Current for most countries

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico: Little if any movement through September.

Employment Fifth: The category will remain “Current” for most countries

China: Too early to predict whether it will be possible to advance the China date prior to October.

India and Vietnam will be subject to the same date as China during August and September.

The above final action date projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen on a monthly basis through September. The determination of the actual monthly final action dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables.