On September 9 the State Department announced a major change to their monthly Visa Bulletin to start in October – read our prior post for a full explanation. They introduced a new date – the “Dates for Filing:” in the family and employment categories. A visa is not yet available but you are allowed to file your adjustment of status application if your priority date is before the date on the chart, AND applicants out of the U.S. can submit required documents to the NVC, following NVC notification. On September 25 the government rolled back several of these dates by years, and only the new dates will be in effect. Note the “Final Action Dates” have not changed.
The changes to the “Dates for Filing” are:
| Category* | Old Date
(9/9/15) |
NEW Date
(9/25/15) |
Difference | |
| EB-2 China | MAY 1 2014 | JAN 1 2013 | 1 year, 5 months | |
| EB-2 India | JUL 1 2011 | JUL 1 2009 | 2 years | |
| EB-3 Philippines | JAN 1 2015 | JAN 1 2010 | 5 years | |
| FB-1 Mexico | JUL 1 1995 | APR 1 1995 | 3 months | |
| FB-3 Mexico | OCT 1 1996 | MAY 1 1995 | 1 year, 5 months |
*EB = Employment-Based; FB = Family-Based
This is a huge disappointment to many who thought they could file October 1. It’s also an embarrassment to the State Department who changed the dates in the very first month of the new system.
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