Unusual Pattern of Employment-Based Visa Cut-Off Date for China EB-2 and EB-3
In the just released Visa Bulletin (January 2014), the priority date cut-off for China EB-2 is significantly behind that of EB-3, which makes EB-3 unusually more favorable than EB-2. This is directly connected to the relatively small volume of pending I-485 cases at USCIS for EB-3 China as compared to EB-2.
The below chart shows visa cut-off dates for EB-2 and EB-3 for China and pending EB I-485 inventory for China as of 10/01/2013:
|
January 2014 Priority Date Cut-Off
|
USCIS EB I-485 Inventory (as of10/01/2013) |
|
EB-2: 12/08/2008 |
5,345 (total) |
|
EB-3: 04/01/2012 |
594 (total) |
The suitability of requesting EB-3 classification when the beneficiary is eligible for EB-2, or “converting” a pending I-485 from EB-2 to EB-3 classification, depends on many factors with variant risks involved. Such decisions should not be made without consulting a qualified immigration attorney.
