MARCH 2016 VISA BULLETIN: PREDICTIONS AND ANALYSIS

The Department of State has just issued the March 2016 Visa Bulletin.  This is the sixth Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2016. 

March 2016 Visa Bulletin

Final Action Dates

Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card).

Employment- Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA - mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01AUG12	15OCT08	C	C
3rd	01JAN16	01JUN13	15JUL04	01OCT15	15MAR08

MU Law Analysis

All:  The EB-2 has been current for many years.  The EB-3 remains positive, gaining 10 weeks this month.  These dates continue to be very favorable.  We expect that All Other dates will continue to be positive for the foreseeable future.

China: EB-2 progressed by five months. EB-3 has progressed almost two years in just the last few months.  This is great news for this category.  EB-2 continues to lag behind EB-3.  The DOS expects the EB-2 and EB-3 to re-balance at some point in the future.

India: EB-2 jumped again. Five months ago it was 01MAY05. This represents a three-plus year movement in just five months.  This trend may continue. EB-3 moved four weeks.  Our sense is that EB3 will only move by weeks in the forthcoming months.

Mexico: Mirrors All Other in all aspects.

Philippines: EB-3 moved ahead two more months. MU Law believes that Philippines EB-3 will continue to steadily move forward in the coming months. We expect it to get into 2009 in the by this spring or early summer.

Dates of Filing

Applications with these priority dates should see their Consular Process application progress.  The USCIS may allow filing of the I-485 Adjustment of Status, provided that the USCIS issues its monthly authorization. 

Employment- Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01JUN13	01JUL09	C	C
3rd	C	01MAY15	01JUL05	C	01JAN10

MU Law Analysis

The All Other and Chinese dates moved ahead considerably.  The other countries' Dates of Filing chart did not materially change since the start of the Fiscal Year in October 2015.