May 2023 Visa Bulletin

This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the May 2023 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified.

Visa Bulletin Summary

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category

There is no movement in the EB1 category, with China and India both retaining a cutoff date of February 1, 2022. The DOS cautions, however, that the cutoff dates for EB1 China and India will likely retrogress in the near future. The EB1 category remains current for all countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category

The cutoff dates for EB2 India and EB2 China remain unchanged, with India retaining a January 1, 2011, cutoff date, while China’s remains set at June 8, 2019. The EB2 category retrogresses for all other countries of chargeability to a cutoff date of February 15, 2022.

The DOS expects that the EB2 India cutoff date will retrogress further, possibly as soon as next month. The DOS hopes this added retrogression will be very temporary and believes it may be possible to return the EB2 India cutoff date to at least a cutoff date of January 1, 2011, by the October 2023 Visa Bulletin, which will be the first visa bulletin for fiscal year 2024.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category

EB3 for India keeps a cutoff date of June 15, 2012. For China, the EB3 cutoff date advances to April 1, 2019. For all other countries of chargeability, the EB3 cutoff date retrogresses to June 1, 2022.

EB3 Other Workers

China’s cutoff date for EB3 other workers advances to April 15, 2015. EB3 other workers for India retains a June 15, 2012, cutoff date. The EB3 other workers cutoff date for all other countries of chargeability remains set at January 1, 2020, but the DOS expects this date to retrogress further in the coming months.

Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category

There is no movement in the EB4 category, with all countries keeping a cutoff date of September 1, 2018.

Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category

China’s cutoff date for EB5 unreserved (i.e., EB5 immigrant visa numbers not set aside for rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure projects) moves ahead to September 8, 2015, while India keeps a June 1, 2018, cutoff date. EB5 remains current for all other EB5 categories and countries of chargeability.

As with EB2 India, the DOS expects that EB5 India unreserved will retrogress further in the very near future. The hope is that this can return to at least a June 1, 2018 cutoff date in the October 2024 Visa Bulletin.

Conclusion

MurthyDotCom will continue to closely monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to the free MurthyBulletin to have weekly updates sent to your inbox.

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