The July 2015 Visa Bulletin has officially been released by the United States Department of State and while there are no significant changes for those born in India, we do see a minor movement in the second preference category for China. Meanwhile, in the EB3 category for India we see a slight advancement by only a week. In this recap we’ll provide an in-depth analysis along with predictions for the coming months.

Employment-Based Category Changes

There were a few significant changes in the EB2 category. The July 2015 Visa Bulletin outlines the following changes in the employment-based category:

EB-1: All countries of chargeability are current.

EB-2: The date for EB2 India remains at October 1, 2008 while we see an advancement for EB2 China from June 1, 2013 to October 1, 2013.

EB-3: The cut-off date for EB3 India moves from January 22, 2004 to February 1, 2004. Meanwhile, EB3 China remains at September 1, 2011. At this point, the date for EB3 Philippines is unavailable. For all areas of chargeability including Mexico, the cut-off date is now April 1, 2015.

“Other Workers” Category Changes

In the “other workers” category, China’s date remains consistent since last month at January  1, 2006 while all chargeability areas and Mexico advance to April 1, 2015.

EB-4:  Continues to remain current.

Certain Religious Workers: Continues to remain current.

EB-5: Continues to remain current with the exception of China which moves to September 1, 2013.

Ready to file an I-485? 

If you are ready to file an I-485 now is the best time to prepare the necessary documents. Our immigration attorneys are best able to prepare these documents and address any issues which may arise during the process.

Family-Based Category Changes

Based on the July 2015 Visa Bulletin, here are the changes for the family-based category:

FB-1: The cut-off date for China and India as well as all countries of chargeability are October 1, 2007. Meanwhile Mexico’s cutoff date remains the same at Nov. 15, 1994. However Philippines advances to March 15, 2000.

FB-2A: We see an advancement of a little over a month for China, India, Philippines (and all countries of chargeability) to Nov. 8, 2013. Likewise, Mexico’s date changes to Sept. 15, 2013.

Visa Bulletin Predictions

In the coming months it is possible that EB3 India may move a few weeks each new bulletin. The DOS has indicated an increased demand in the EB2 category which has resulted in no real movement to the EB2 India date. We anticipate the date to depend largely on the demand for other EB2 country categories.

July 2015 Visa Bulletin Additional Details

Do you still have questions after reviewing the July 2015 Visa Bulletin Predictions and Analysis? The lawyers at SGM Law Group can address any questions or concerns you may have regarding your priority date.

If there any changes to the July 2015 Visa Bulletin or any additional developments our office will publish an update. Give us a call to explore your immigration options. We specialize in everything from employment-based cases to family, deportation, marriage and more.