Entering the first month of the 2020 government fiscal year has brought an influx of immigrant visa numbers. The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has also advised that the agency will be using the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) to file employment-based preference cases during October, which generally has more favorable priority dates for nearly all categories. Applicants in the EB-1 Priority Workers for All Chargeability areas, including El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico and Philippines, who have a priority date earlier than July 1, 2019 will be able to submit their permanent resident filings in October. Applicants in the EB-1 China and EB-1 India categories may submit their filings during October if their priority dates are earlier than September 1, 2017 and March 15, 2017, respectively. EB-2 “Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability” for All Chargeability areas, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico and Philippines, are “C”urrent. Applicants with priority dates earlier than August 1, 2016 for EB-2 China and July 1, 2009 for EB-2 India may file their petitions. EB-3 “Professionals/Skilled Workers” for All Chargeability areas, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico and Philippines, are “C”urrent. EB-3 China and EB-3 India have cut-off dates of March 1, 2017 and February 1, 2010, respectively.

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