Immigration Law

MARCH VISA BULLETIN NEWS

By Greg Siskind

The big headline this month involves Mexicans in the "other workers" EB-3 category (available to workers who are not considered skilled or professional). The visa queue jumped a full year and a half for them (going from a 7 1/2 year wait to a 6 year wait). But this really just brings them back to where they were a few months ago when their numbers retrogressed significantly. Chinese and Indian EB-3 numbers moved back at the same time and have not recovered. Most other categories moved, though many by just a week or two since last month.

Family 1st - Advancement of worldwide, China and India numbers by two weeks to 22 JUL 2002. Mexico remains stalled at 8 OCT 1992 and the Philippines remains stalled at 15 JUL 1993.

Family 2A - Worldwide, India, China and the Philippines numbers advance one month to 1 JUL 2004. Mexico jumps three weeks to 15 OCT 2001.

Family 2B - Worldwide, India and China numbers advance six weeks to 22 JUN 2000. Mexico is still stuck at 1 MAY 1992. The Philippines advances six weeks to 01 DEC 1997.

Family 3rd - Worldwide, India and China advanced one week to 08 AUG 2000. Mexico moves one week to 15 OCT 1992. And there was a one week advance for the Philippines to 8 JUN 1991.

Family 4th - Worldwide numbers advance two weeks to 01 MAR 1998. China moves seven weeks to 15 NOV 1997. India advances six weeks to 01 MAR 1998. Mexico moves two weeks forward to 08 APR 1995. The Philippines moved two weeks to 15 MAY 1986.

Employment 1st - All categories remain current.

Employment 2nd - Worldwide, Mexico and the Philippines remain current. India jumps six weeks to 15 FEB 2004. China jumps six weeks to 15 FEB 2005.

Employment 3rd skilled/professional workers - All numbers are stalled and there is no movement for the fifth month in a row. Worldwide and Filipino numbers are at 1 May 2005. China jumps three weeks to 22 OCT 2002. India is stalled at 15 OCT 2001. Mexico jumps four and a half months to 15 AUG 2003.

Employment 3rd unskilled - Worldwide numbers are stalled at 15 MAR 2003. China advances three weeks to 22 OCT 2002. India is stalled at 15 OCT 2001. And Mexico is back up to 15 MAR 2003, a year and a half advancement from where the numbers were last month (when they retrogressed almost a year and a half).

Employment 4th - All remain current.

EB-5 remains current.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on February 11, 2009 (boomark / email).