Immigration Update: Visa Bulletin July 2022, News and Predictions

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It’s that time of the month again, the July Visa Bulletin is here. In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses the movement you can expect to see for employment based and family sponsored preference categories in the month of July. Also covered are the trends and projections as we move forward the next few months.

Did you know? Every month the Department of State releases the Visa Bulletin, which summarizes the availability of immigrant visa numbers for that particular month. The “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” charts indicate when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit the required documentation to the National Visa Center.

The primary purpose of this bulletin is to provide an updated waiting list for immigrants that are subject to the numerical visa quota system.

Want to know more? Just keep on watching.

Overview

USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts for the July Visa Bulletin (for those residing in the USA)

Every month, the US Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates the appropriate filing chart that must be used by applicants residing inside the United States, who wish to apply for adjustment of status to permanent residence. This information can be found on the USCIS webpage. In general, if there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will indicate that AOS applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart.

Otherwise, applicants will be asked to use the Final Action Dates chart.

If a particular immigrant visa category is “current” on the Final Action Dates chart or the cutoff date on the Final Action Dates chart is later than the date on the Dates for Filing chart, applicants in that immigrant visa category may file using the Final Action Dates chart during that month.

Which chart should I refer to for the month of July 2022?

For Family-Sponsored Filings:

Pursuant to guidance released by USCIS, for all family-sponsored preference categories, applicants must use the  Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for July 2022.

For Employment-Based Preference Filings:

All applicants, falling under employment-based preference categories, must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for July 2022. 

Family Based Sponsorship Dates for Filing Chart July 2022

Family-
Sponsored 		 All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA-
mainland
born		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01JUL16 01JUL16 01JUL16 01DEC01 22APR15
F2A C C C C C
F2B 01OCT16 01OCT16 01OCT16 08AUG01 01OCT13
F3 01OCT09 01OCT09 01OCT09 15APR01 08NOV03
F4 08NOV07 08NOV07 22FEB06 15MAR01 22APR04

Trends in comparison to last month (June 2022)

  • F1 China: July 1, 2016 – advancement of 6 weeks
  • F1 India: July 1, 2016—advancement of 6 weeks
  • F1 Mexico: December 1, 2001—advancement of 7 months
  • F1 Philippines: April 22, 2015—no change
  • F1 World: July 1, 2016 – advancement of 6 weeks
  • F2A: Current for all categories—no change
  • F2B China, India, World: October 1, 2016—advancement of 1 week
  • F2B Mexico: August 08, 2001—advancement of 3 months and 1 week
  • F2B Philippines: October 1, 2013—no change
  • F3 China, India, World: October 1, 2009—advancement of 1 month and 1 week
  • F3 Mexico: April 15, 2001—advancement of 1 month and 2 weeks
  • F3 Philippines: November 8, 2003—no change
  • F4 China: November 8, 2007—advancement of 1 month and 1 week
  • F4 India: February 22, 2006—no change
  • F4 Mexico: March 15, 2001—advancement of 2 weeks
  • F4 Philippines: April 22, 2004—no change
  • F4 World: November 8, 2007—advancement of 1 month and 1 week

The Takeaway

In the family-based categories for the Dates for Filing chart we are seeing slow movements. Some preference categories have more significant movement than other categories, but progress is still being made which we have not seen before the month of June. We expect to see more aggressive movement in the family-based categories in the coming months as we move forward.

Employment Based Categories Final Action Dates Chart July 2022

Employment-
based		 All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA-
mainland
born		 EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 01APR19 C 01DEC14 C C
3rd C 22MAR18 C 15JAN12 C C
Other Workers 08MAY19 01JUN12 08MAY19 15JAN12 08MAY19 08MAY19
4th C C 08NOV17 C 01APR20 C
Certain Religious Workers C C 08NOV17 C 01APR20 C
5th Unreserved
(including C5, T5, I5, R5)		 C 22NOV15 C C C C
5th Set Aside:
Rural (20%)		 C C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
High Unemployment (10%)		 C C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
Infrastructure (2%)		 C C C C C C

Trends in comparison to last month (June 2022)

  • EB-1: All countries, including India and China, will remain current.
  • EB-2: India has advanced by 3 months, to December 1, 2014, and China has advanced by 1 month to April 1, 2019. All other countries will remain current.
  • EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: EB-3 India and EB-3 China will remain unchanged from the previous month, at January 15, 2012 and March 22, 2018, respectively. All other countries will remain current.
  • EB–3 Other Workers: For this category, the Department of State has established a worldwide cutoff date of May 8, 2019, to avoid exceeding the annual numerical limits. EB-3 India and China will remain unchanged at January 15, 2012 and June 1, 2012, respectively.
  • EB-4: EB-4 El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, has advanced by 6 months to November 8, 2017, and EB-4 Mexico will remain unchanged from the previous month at April 1, 2020. All other countries will remain current.
  • EB-5: The Department of State has taken corrective action by establishing a Final Action cutoff date of November 22, 2015, for the EB-5 China Unreserved Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5) categories. It will also apply to EB-5 Unreserved Regional Center (I5 and R5) case types. EB-5 Final Action dates will remain current for all countries and for all EB-5 “Set-Aside” categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure).

The Takeaway

In the employment-based categories, for the month of July we did not see much movement compared to previous months. However, Embassies and Consulates are making their best efforts to schedule as many employment-based immigrant visa interviews are possible, while also monitoring local country conditions. As you can see many employment-based visa categories remained current because there was a surplus of available visas coming from the family-based categories. If you are in the EB-2 or EB-3 categories, and your priority date is current on the Visa Bulletin, you should file your immigrant visa application or green card as soon as possible before changes occur. Overall, we are optimistic that this trend will continue all through October (the end of the fiscal year). For the moment, we do not predict any big changes from what we have seen in the July Visa Bulletin, and trends will remain similar through the coming months.

Ultimately, if your priority date is current on the Visa Bulletin, you should be proactive and go through the immigrant visa process as soon as possible.

Questions? If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-483-4549 or call 619-819-9204.

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