The Department of State has issued its September 2005 Visa Bulletin, which provides information regarding anticipated cut-off dates for employment-based, immigrant visa numbers in the coming months.

It states that the backlog reduction efforts of both U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Labor continue to result in very heavy demand for employment-based immigrant visas. As a result, cut-off dates in the third-preference category will apply to the China, India, and Philippines chargeabilities beginning in October 2005, and it is possible that Mexico may be added to this list. In addition, it is anticipated that heavy demand will require the establishment of a third-preference cut-off date for all other countries by December 2005.

The demand for immigrant visas from applicants from China and India is also likely to result in the oversubcription of the employment-based first- and second-preference categories for those chargeability areas. The establishment of such cut-off dates is expected to occur no later than December 2005.

The demand in the employment-based immigrant visa categories is expected to be far in excess of the annual limits, and once established, cut-off date movements are likely to be slow.

To view the State Department's September 2005 Visa Bulletin click the link below:

September 2005 Visa Bulletin