Visa Bulletin for September Advances India EB-2 Cut-Off Date, Announces Numerical Limits for FY 2014

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for September 2014 noted that the use of potentially “otherwise unused” employment visa numbers prescribed by § 202(a)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) has allowed the India employment-based second preference cut-off date to advance very rapidly in recent months.  The Visa Bulletin warned, however, that continued forward movement of this cut-off date during the upcoming months cannot be guaranteed, and said that no assumptions should be made until the dates are formally announced.  Once there is a significant increase in India employment second preference demand, it will be necessary for DOS to retrogress the cut-off date, “possibly as early as November,” to hold number use within the fiscal year 2015 annual limit, the agency said.

The Visa Bulletin for September also notes that DOS has determined the numerical limits for fiscal year 2014.  The Worldwide employment-based preference limit is 150,241; the family-sponsored preference limit is 226,000; and the per-country limit is 26,337.  The dependent area limit is 7,525.