US visa bulletin September: Family-based green card wait eases for Indians; EB-1 sees little change
Indian families gained from substantial advancements in cut-off dates for family-sponsored US residency, while professionals seeking EB-1 visas saw minimal progress.
In September, the US visa bulletin brought some relief to Indian families seeking permanent residency through family-sponsored categories. The cut-off dates advanced significantly, with the Final Action Date for China and India moving from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020 for the F-1 categories. These categories cover unmarried adult sons and daughters of US citizens.
This is the last visa bulletin for the current financial year, with new annual visa numbers becoming available from October 1. The US fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year.
However, the EB-1 visa category, which caters to professionals such as individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, and certain multinational corporate leaders, saw little change. The EB-1 Final Action Date for India is set for October 15, 2022. An applicant must have a priority date earlier than the listed cutoff to be eligible for an immigrant visa number, subject to other eligibility requirements.
The September bulletin also saw an advancement of one month for the F2A category, which includes spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents, for most countries, including China, India, and the Philippines. The F2B category, covering unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents, benefited the most with a nearly 20-month forward movement for most countries, including China and India. The F3 category, for married sons and daughters of US citizens, saw a 29-month forward movement for most countries.
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