August Visa Action Bulletin

July 31, 2017

The Department of State (DOS) has published the Visa Bulletin for August 2017. As in previous months, employment-based applicants should use the Final Action Dates chart (shown blow) to determine when they may file adjustment of status applications. This month, as we approach October (when the annual limits on visa availability are reset), The Department of Labor has had to institute priority date cutoffs for certain previously-current categories. For instance, the previously current EB-2 categories for all countries besides China and India retrogressed to April 1, 2015. These will return to being current, however, on October 1, 2017.

In the employment-based, third preference (EB-3) category, the Philippines surged ahead by more than a year (from May 15, 2014 to June 1, 2015), so that anyone in that category with a June 1, 2015 priority date or earlier is now eligible to submit an adjustment of status (Form I-485) application with USCIS. Please note that, for employment-based cases, the priority date is the date on which USICS accepted an individual’s I-140 petition for processing.

 USCIS has determined that employment-based applicants must use the Final Actions Dates chart in the DOS Visa Bulletin for August 2017 to determine when they may file an adjustment of status application (see https://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo) (last accessed: 7/31/17).