Great leap forward for China and India EB-2

The March 2012 visa bulletin continued to show a huge advance in the priority dates for the EB-2 category for persons born in India and China. The new cutoff date is May 10, 2010. This means persons who filed their labor certifications prior to May 10, 2009 may now adjust status, or get their green cards if they have an adjustment pending from July 2007. The State Department stated that the demand for adjustments from EB-2 applicants from India and China has been much less than expected during the recent advances. All other countries are current in EB-2.

Unfortunately, the EB-3 category remains mired at August 22, 2002 for India, and January 1, 2005 for China. The cutoff for the rest of the world is March 15, 2006.

It is important for persons with a priority date that has just become current to prepare their adjustments immediately. As the State Department notes, there is a strong likelihood that the priority dates could again retrogress.