The China and India Employment Second preference cut-off date has been advanced at a rapid rate in recent months. As previously noted, this action was intended to generate significant levels of new filings for adjustment of status at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices. USCIS has reported that the rate of new filings is currently far below that which they had anticipated, prompting an even more aggressive movement of the cut-off date for January and possibly beyond. While this action greatly increases the potential for an eventual retrogression of the cut-off at some point during the year, it also provides the best opportunity to utilize all numbers available under the annual limit.

DOS Visa Bulletin for January 2012. Section C addresses advance notification of diversity (DV) immigrant category rank cut-offs which will apply in February. Section D includes an update on China and India employment-based second preference visa availability.

For more details, please see:  http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html