The December 2019 Visa Bulletin has been released by USCIS and it sees a few changes compared to the visa bulletins in October and November 2019 visa bulletin. However, the employment-based adjustment of status continues to accept adjustment applications based on the Dates for Filing chart instead of Final Action chart. The backlogs continue also in the employment – based (EB) categories.

Below are the main highlights of the December 2019 Visa Bulletin –

• EB-1: China advances to May 15, 2017 and India remains static. Others advance to July 15, 2018.
• EB-2: China advance by over three months to June 22, 2015. India advances by 2 days to May 15, 2009. Rest remain current.
• EB-3, Professional and skilled workers: China and India will remain at November 1, 2015 and January 1, 2009, respectively – the same in December as in November.
• EB-5: China will advance to November 15, 2014. India will advance by three weeks to January 1, 2018. Rest will remain current.
• EB-5’s Regional Center program will on November 21, 2019 and unless reinstituted by Congress it will be unavailable in December.
• If reauthorized, the Regional Center cut-off dates will match the Non-Regional Center dates.

Visa Bulletin Predictions:

• If the surge in employment-based adjustment of status filings continue, EB-1 will remain static at January.
• The only possibility of any movement is after April 2020.
• Current categories in EB-2 and EB-3 could retrogress in January 2020.
• Final Action Dates for EB-2 & EB-3 could be established in January 2020