The September US Visa Bulletin brings massive relief to Indian families with significant jumps in several sponsored categories, though EB-1 professionals face continued pressure due to high demand.
- Significant advancement in family-sponsored visa cut-off dates for Indian applicants.
- F2B and F3 categories saw massive jumps of 20 to 29 months respectively.
- The EB-1 category remains under pressure due to high demand and potential quota exhaustion.
- A new US fiscal year begins on October 1, bringing fresh visa numbers.
The September US Visa Bulletin has delivered a mixed bag of news for Indian nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States. While family-sponsored categories have seen a substantial leap in cut-off dates, providing long-awaited relief to many, the EB-1 (Priority Workers) category continues to face immense pressure due to overwhelming demand.
A Major Breakthrough for Family Categories
In a significant move for Indian applicants, the Final Action Dates for several family-sponsored categories have advanced sharply. The F2B category, which covers unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents, witnessed one of the largest jumps, moving nearly 20 months from January 1, 2018, to August 22, 2019. Similarly, the F3 category (married sons and daughters of US citizens) saw a massive 29-month leap, advancing from May 15, 2012, to October 22, 2014.
Other notable improvements include the F1 category (unmarried adult sons and daughters of US citizens), where the date moved from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020. The F2A category also saw a modest one-month advancement for most countries, including India.
The EB-1 Pressure Cooker
Despite the wins for families, the outlook for high-skilled professionals in the EB-1 category remains cautious. The Final Action Date for India in the EB-1 category stands at October 15, 2022. The US State Department warned that high demand could necessitate making this category 'unavailable' if the pro-rated limit for India is reached before the current fiscal year ends on September 30.
The high demand in the EB-1 category creates a bottleneck for India's top-tier professionals, making priority date management critical.
Why This Matters
BozokMedia analysis shows that these shifts are deeply tied to the US government's fiscal cycle. As the current fiscal year closes, the sudden movement in family categories suggests a push to utilize remaining quotas. With the new fiscal year commencing on October 1, a fresh influx of visa numbers will provide a new window of opportunity for applicants across all categories.
| Category | Previous Date | New Date | Advancement |
|---|---|---|---|
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Children) | Jan 1, 2018 | Aug 22, 2019 | ~20 Months |
| F3 (Married Adult Children) | May 15, 2012 | Oct 22, 2014 | ~29 Months |
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Children) | Dec 15, 2018 | Jan 22, 2020 | ~13 Months |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the EB-1 category at risk of becoming unavailable?
The EB-1 category is facing extremely high demand from Indian applicants, which could exhaust the annual per-country quota before the fiscal year ends.
2. When will new visa numbers be available for the next year?
New annual visa numbers will become available starting October 1, marking the beginning of the new US fiscal year.
