USCIS Releases May 2013 Visa Bulletin

Each month, the USCIS releases a bulletin announcing the availability of immigration approvals during the following month. The bulletin also sets out the ‘cut off priority dates’ of the green cards being processed that month, helping those who have made their applications for US permanent resident status know how long they will have to wait before they receive their green cards. While some categories include long wait times, EB-5 immigration processing remains current, with little to no wait times.

Employment Based (EB) green cards are always in high demand, particularly the EB-3 category that grants citizenship for skilled workers and professionals. Because the program works on a quota limit, applicants of popular categories can face lengthy wait times, as annual allowances back up by years.

The May bulletin includes the following marks for Employment Based visas:

AS can be seen, the 5th category, EB-5, is current on its processing times. US Immigration Fund has had filed many petitions for visa approval in 2013, of which the majority have been approved without RFEs or lengthy wait times.

Every month, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) routinely publishes the remaining immigrant visa quotas for the following months. This publication also includes a “progress update” section, informing applicants of cases already being processed that month and helping them understand how long they will have to wait for a decision. While some visa types may require longer processing times, currently, EB-5 immigrant visas typically have shorter or even no waiting periods.

Demand for employment-based green cards remains strong, particularly for EB-3 visas for skilled workers and professionals. These visa types have quotas, and applicants may experience waiting times for approval.

The following are the updates to employment-related visas published in May:

As can be seen from the table above, the fifth type, namely EB-5, is currently under review by the USCIS. The US Immigration Fund submitted many visa applications in 2013, and most of those approved did not require additional documentation or lengthy waiting times.