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THE JULY 2008 PRIORITY DATES – NO MORE VISAS AVAILABLE FOR EB-3 UNTIL OCTOBER 2008!
By Michael J. Gurfinkel, Esq.
The July 2008 Visa Bulletin shows that the employment based third preference category
(for college graduates or skilled workers) is unavailable, meaning
there are no more visas until at least October 2008. Therefore,
workers who are in the EB-3 category will not be granted adjustment
of status or be issued immigrant visas until after October 1, 2008,
(which is the start of the new “fiscal year” for visas.)
As for other petition categories, the priority dates either remained the same, or
advanced only by a few days.
Petitions
by Citizens:
The priority date for the First Preference Category, F-1 (unmarried sons and daughters
of U.S. citizens, over 21 years of age) priority date remained the
same at March 15, 1993.
The Third Preference Category, F-3 (married sons and daughters of
United States citizens) priority date remained the same at April
1, 1991.
The Fourth Preference, F-4 (brothers and
sisters of United States citizens) priority date remained the same
at March 8, 1986.
Petitions by Green Card Holders:
The Second Preference, F-2A (Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old)
of green card holder) moved forward by 17 days, from July 15, 2003 to
August 1, 2003.
The Second Preference, F-2B (unmarried sons and daughters, over 21
years of age, of green card holders) moved forward by 7 days from
February 22, 1997 to March 1, 1997.
Petitions by Employers:
The Third Preference (professionals and skilled workers)
of Employment-Based Petitions (Labor Certification) priority date is
unavailable. The priority date for unskilled (“other”) workers
priority date remained the same at January 1, 2003.
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes the priority
dates for that particular month. This means that visas (or green cards)
would now be available for persons whose priority date is
earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority
date was “current”, but retrogressed before your immigrant visa
was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have
to wait until it becomes current again.
The July 2008 priority dates for the Philippines are as
follows:
| FAMILY
CATEGORY: |
|
Priority
Date: |
| First Preference |
Unmarried sons and daughters
of U.S. citizens (over 21 years of age) |
March 15, 1993
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
the same.)
|
| Second Preference |
(2A) Spouse and minor children
(below 21 years old) of green card holder |
August 1, 2003
(In June 2008, the priority
date was July 15, 2003)
|
| |
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters
(over 21 years old) of green card holder |
March 1, 1997
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
February 22, 1997.) |
| |
|
|
| Third Preference |
Married sons and daughters
of U.S. Citizens |
April 1, 1991
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
the same.) |
| |
|
|
| Fourth Preference |
Brothers and sisters of U.S.
Citizens. |
March
8, 1986
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
the same.) |
|
LABOR CERTIFICATION: |
| Third
Preference |
Professional/Skilled
Workers |
Unavailable
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
March 1, 2006.) |
| Other
workers |
Non-Skilled Workers |
January
1, 2003
(In June
2008, the priority
date was
the same.) |
|
