Visa Bulletin Progress and Predictions: An Update from Charlie Oppenheim

Charlie Oppenheim, the person in charge of the Visa Bulletin at the Department of State updated us on what his predictions are for future movement on the Visa Bulletin.

EB-2 numbers, India: Mr. Oppenheim stated that the jump of 8 months  in the January Bulletin was part of the correction for the large move backwards at the end of last fiscal year.  While he foresees this jumping 4-6 months each month for the next couple of months, he also feels that there will be a number of EB-3 upgrades and that this will cause large usage later in the fiscal year and could lead to slowing movement and even retrogression in this category.

EB-3 Numbers, Worldwide:  On January 1, 2016 this category will be at October 15, 2015, very close to being current.  However Mr. Oppenheim feels that there is significant numbers of these cases out there that USCIS has not reported, and feels that further movement in this category may be slower in the coming months.  However, he did not, at this time, mention anything about a possible retrogression in this category, which is a good sign.

Visa Waiting List:  Starting with the February Visa Bulletin, there will now be a new section – the Visa Waiting List, which will provide information on the waiting list at the National Visa Center for various categories of immigrant visas.  We will give more information as it is made available.

Please remember, as always, this blog does not offer legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult with a lawyer instead of a blog. Thank you.