The recently published U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for June 2012 indicates that the EB-2 priority dates for India and China are currently unavailable and it will remain so for the remainder of FY-2012. The Visa Bulletin mentions that despite the retrogression of the China and India EB-2 preference cut-off date to August 15, 2007, demand for numbers by applicants with priority dates earlier than that date remained excessive. It further mentioned that while it is impossible to accurately estimate how long it may take to return to the May 1, 2010 cut-off date which had been reached in April 2012, current indications are that it would definitely not occur before spring 2013. DOS has indicated that the EB-2 numbers for China and India will once again be available beginning October 1, 2012 under the FY-2013 annual numerical limitations.

Meanwhile, the EB-2 numbers for other countries remained current, along with EB-1, EB-4, and EB-5 numbers for all countries. In the EB-3 category, the priority dates for professionals and skilled workers advanced from 04/01/05 to 08/08/05 in respect of China; from 09/08/02 to 09/15/02 in respect of India; from 05/01/06 to 05/22/06 in respect of Philippines, and from 05/01/06 to 06/08/06 in respect of all other countries.

In the EB-3 Other Workers category, the priority dates remained at 04/22/03 in respect of China, but advanced from 09/08/02 to 09/15/02 in respect of India; 05/01/06 to 05/22/06 in respect of Philippines, and from 05/01/06 to 06/08/06 in respect of all other countries.

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