01 Dec 2020 The December 2020 Priority Dates
The December 2020 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and China) are CURRENT! This includes the Philippines! This means visas are available, regardless of the person’s priority date. If a person is being petitioned by an employer, and their Form I-140 employment-based petition has been approved or is pending, they could possibly be eligible to file for adjustment of status and work authorization, assuming they are otherwise eligible for adjustment of status (i.e. no issues re maintaining status, no fraud/crimes, etc.) People with approved or pending I-140 petitions should see an attorney about their eligibility to file for adjustment, now that the priority dates for these employment-based categories are current.
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) 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 priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:
| FAMILY CATEGORY: | Application Filing Date | Visa Issuance Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Preference | Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (over 21 years of age) | October 08, 2012 | December 15, 2011 |
| Second Preference | (2A) Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder | August 01, 2020 | Current |
| (2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder | April 01, 2012 | August 01, 2011 | |
| Third Preference | Married sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens | December 22, 2002 | February 15, 2002 |
| Fourth Preference | Brothers and sisters of U.S. Citizens. | September 01, 2002 | January 01, 2002 |
| LABOR CERTIFICATION | Application Filing Date | Visa Issuance Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Preference | Advanced Degree (Masters) | Current | Current |
| Third Preference | Professional/Skilled Workers | Current | Current |
| Other workers | Non-Skilled Workers | Current | Current |
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