The July 2018 DOS Visa Bulletin “Final Action” chart for employment-based preference cases will contain significant movement for China and India, while other chargeability areas will experience no change. EB-1 Priority Workers for China and India will continue to maintain the same cut-off date of January 1, 2012, and EB-1 All Chargeability areas, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam will remain current. EB-2 “Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability” for All Chargeability areas, Mexico, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, and the Philippines will also remain current. EB-2 India will advance approximately 3 months to March 15, 2009, while EB-2 China will progress to a January 1, 2015 cut-off date. EB-3 “Professionals/Skilled Workers” for China will retrogress 2.5 years to January 1, 2013, due to an “extremely large increase” in demand for that category, while Philippines will continue to remain at January 1, 2017, respectively. EB-3 India will advance to a cut-off date of November 1, 2008.

The DOS expects EB-3 China to return to the June 1, 2015 cut-off date in October 2018, the first month of the new fiscal year. Continue monitoring the monthly Visa Bulletin for further developments.