October 2020 Visa Bulletin

September 24, 2020

Today, the U.S. State Department announced its October Visa Bulletin.

Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases:

• EB-1 remains current for all countries except China and India
  • China and India advance 3 months to June 1, 2018
• EB-2 remains current for all countries except China and India
  • China advances 1.5 months to March 1, 2016
  • India advances 2 months to September 1, 2009
• EB-3 is now current for all countries except China and India
  • China advances 4.5 months to July 1, 2017
  • India advances 2.5 months to January 15, 2010
• In the coming months, Employment-Based categories (first, second, and third) anticipate rapid forward monthly movement for China and India

Weaver Schlenger will contact our corporate clients’ HR representatives to seek authorization to file an Adjustment of Status case where an employee’s priority date is now current under the Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases.

**Note that we are seeing a lot of confusion regarding which dates are current under the October Visa Bulletin. There are 2 different sets of dates released in every month’s Visa Bulletin: 1) Final Action Dates and 2) Dates for Filing. Every month USCIS makes an announcement regarding which dates they will follow, although they usually follow the Final Action Dates. USCIS has not made an announcement yet regarding the October Visa Bulletin, but an announcement is expected within the next week and will be announced here. 

We recognize there is potentially significant forward movement under the Dates for Filing particularly for India. However, it is currently premature to take action based on these dates until USCIS announces whether they will accept applications under the Dates for Filing.