october visa bulletin 2018 eb2 eb3 india

October 2018 Visa Bulletin Comes with Great News for EB2, EB3 India

Great news for applicants waiting on Green Card backlog in the October Visa Bulletin 2018 from the Filing Chart Date. Many applicants waiting for the Green Card for decades can apply for I-485 along with EAD/AP.

What’s in the October 2018 Visa Bulletin

october visa bulletin 2018

  • October Visa Bulletin 2018 was release by the Department of State recently. (link to the VB)
  • October is beginning month of new Fiscal Year 2019
  • First Visa bulletin of the FY gives good indication of how dates would move the rest of the year
  • Priority Dates for EB3 and EB2 India are 2009 (or Final Action Dates)
    • EB3 India – 01 Jan 2009
    • EB2 India – 26 Mar 2009
  • Priority Dates for EB1 India is 01 June 2016 (or Final Action Date)

What was in September 2018 Visa Bulletin

september visa bulletin 2018

Now, compares the October 2018 EB dates with September Visa Bulletin 2018

  • Priority Dates for EB3 and EB2 India are 2009
    • EB3 India – 01 Jan 2007
    • EB2 India – 01 Mar 2003
  • Priority Dates for EB1 India is 01 Jan 2012

So, what is the good news? It’s the Filing Dates from USCIS for EB1, EB2 and EB3 India.

october visa bulletin filing dates i485 eb2 eb3 india

Comparing the Final Action Dates and Filing Dates for EB1, EB2 and EB3 India, you could see why this is a great news for Indian EB3 nationals.

Filing Dates for India

  • EB2 – 22 May 2009
  • EB3 – o1 Oct 2009
  • EB1 – 01 Oct 2017

What’s good about this filing chart date?

Green Card applicants with Priority Date on or before the above Filing Dates per EB category could apply for both

  • I-485, Adjustment of Status and
  • EAD and Advanced Parole

EAD with AP allows travel and reentry without attending H-1B visa stamping interview. There are pros and cons switching to EAD  status vs staying on H-1B. Consult your Immigration Attorney about that.

Predicting the Green Card Wait Times

Two reports are required to guesstimate the Green Card waiting times for EB2 and EB3

  1. I-485 Inventory Data
  2. Number of EB2 and EB3 issued for FY 2018

I-485 Inventory Data would show pending I-485 until Oct 2009 for EB3 India.

EB2 data is already out there from earlier date movement for India in the past visa bulletin.

Plus, the Department of State should also publishes the total number of Green Cards issued to EB1, EB2 and EB3 India for FY 2018 and ROW.

Combining both the I-485 Inventory data and total number of Green Card issued for FY 2018, one can predict the forward movement of dates and estimated wait times ahead.

Additional Resources

Check the Green Card Steps for EB2, EB3, EB3 to learn about the generic overview of three different stages of the green card process.

To make sense of all different charts, why dates move back and forth, and how to estimate your green card wait times, check the course – Green Card Process Simplified. It was put together for folks on OPT, STEM OPT and H1B Visa holders who are yet to embark on your Green Card Journey and how to avoid major pitfalls while you and your family navigate the complex maze of H1B Visa, I-140 and changing employers or lay offs.

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