The Department of State recently released its updated visa bulletin for August of 2019, which includes new final action and application filing dates for green card petitioners. If you have submitted a petition on behalf of someone else or plan to petition for permanent residency, it’s important to monitor these announcements and have your documentation ready for your immigration attorney. Below is an overview of this month’s visa bulletin.
The 2019 Visa Bulletin
What Final Action Dates Are
Final Action Dates determine when certain green card applications can move forward, based on their submission date, the immigrant’s country of origin, and the type of visa requested. While Final Action Dates typically move forward, the State Department may actually move the dates backward if there are more applications than expected for a particular visa. In the current bulletin, the State Department has announced that the Final Action Dates for most visa categories have actually retrogressed.
What the New Final Action Dates Are
The Final Action Dates for all employment-based EB-1 visa applications have retrogressed to July 1st, 2016, with the exception of petitions from Indian nationals, which remain at January 1st, 2015. EB-2, EB-3, and Other Worker petitions for Worldwide, Philippines, Mexico, and Vietnam also retrogressed, in some cases by a full year. However, China EB-2 and EB-3 applications, as well as EB-2 petitions from India, did advance slightly.
What to Do If You’re Eligible to File
If your Priority Date has been called, your immigration attorney should submit your application and supporting documentation to USCIS immediately. If you’d already submitted your green card application before the retrogression, no further action is necessary.
If you’re applying for a green card, the immigration attorneys at Berd & Klauss, PLLC in New York City will guide you through the complexities of the system. With over 13 years of experience and a reputation for insightful legal advice and effective results, they’ve helped clients from around the world obtain temporary work visas, full citizenship, and everything in between. Call (212) 461-7152 to speak with an immigration attorney today.