Continued immigrant visa quota backlogs predicted for FY 2019
Longer waiting times for many immigrant visa categories are predicted in fiscal year 2019, according to US State Department Visa Control and Reporting Division Chief Charles Oppenheim, who provided predictions of immigrant visa quota waiting times for fiscal year 2019, which starts on October 1, 2018. Here are highlights from the announcement:
EB1. This is the immigrant visa category for individuals of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers and executives. From its creation in 1990 till last summer, this category never experienced waiting periods (with the recent exception of some individuals born in India and mainland China). However, in August and September 2018, the State Department reported a waiting time for all countries of birth. It now predicts the continuation of a waiting period, and not to expect much forward movement before December 2018 or the first quarter of 2019.
EB2. This is the immigrant visa category for professionals with an advanced degree and individuals with exceptional ability. Since its creation in 1990, this category had not experienced waiting periods, with the recent exception of some individuals born in India or mainland China. However, in September 2017, a waiting period was reported for all places of birth. Now, the State Department expects this visa to again become immediately available starting in October 2018 (with the exception of people born in India or mainland China, who will continue to experience lengthy wait times).
EB3. This is the immigrant visa category for professionals and skilled workers. It typically has a wait period of only a few months, except for individuals born in India or mainland China, who have experienced lengthier wait times. While the State Department predicts a wait period for all countries of birth for September 2018, it expects visas in this category to become immediately available again in October 2018 (with the exception of people born in India, mainland China and the Philippines, who will continue to experience lengthy wait times.
EB5. This is the immigrant visa category for immigrant investors. It will remain available to all individuals, regardless of country of birth, but with wait times for people from China and Vietnam. For the latter, visas will be more readily available after October 2018 until March or April 2019, when the wait time will be the same as that of Chinese investors.
The State Department reports immigrant visa waiting times in its monthly Visa Bulletin, which can be found here. The current month and links to past months are available.
