State Dept. Announces Forward Movement in China-Mainland Born and India EB-2 Categories

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for January 2012 notes that the China and India employment second preference cut-off date has advanced at a rapid rate in recent months. The bulletin says this action was intended to generate significant levels of new filings for adjustment of status at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices. The bulletin notes that USCIS has reported that the rate of new filings “is currently far below that which they had anticipated, prompting an even more aggressive movement of the cut-off date for January and possibly beyond.” While this action increases the potential for an eventual retrogression of the cut-off at some point during the year, it also provides the best opportunity to use all numbers available under the annual limit, the bulletin says.