A Rundown of the January 2021 Visa Bulletin

By: Rachel Horner

USCIS recently published January’s Visa Bulletin – the first bulletin for the new year.  

Before we get into the cutoff dates, it’s important to note that USCIS has chosen to use the final action cutoff date for this month’s employment-based visas, rather than the date of filing typically used (family-based visas will still use date of filing). The dates for this month remained largely the same for every country, except for India and China, which saw minor advancements. The maximum advancement was the EB-1 for China and India, which saw a 5-month advancement. 

Final Action Dates 

EB-1 

China and India: September 1 2019 (5 months) 

Worldwide: Remains current in January 

EB-2 

China: June 1, 2016 (one–month advancement) 

India: October 8, 2009 (one–week advancement) 

Worldwide: Remains current in January 

EB-3 

China: December 15, 2017 (one-and-a-half-month advancement) 

India: March 22, 2010 (one–week advancement) 

Worldwide: Remains current in January 

EB-3 OTHER WORKERS 

China: March 2009 

India: March 2010 

Worldwide: Remains current 

EB-4 

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: March 2018 

Mexico: September 2018 

Worldwide: Remains current 

EB-4 CERTAIN RELIGIOUS WORKERS  

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: March 2018 

Worldwide: Remains current 

EB-5 REGIONAL  

China: August 15, 2015 

Vietnam: September 15, 2017 

Worldwide: Remains current 

EB-5 NON-REGIONAL 

China: August 15, 2015 

Vietnam: September 15, 2017 

Worldwide: Remains current 

Final Points on Extensions, Outgoing Administration 

The EB-4 Non-Minister Religious Worker had been in danger of expiring last month, with a deadline of December 28, 2020, but President Donald Trump signed its extension into law via the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub.  L. 116-260) the day before, extending the EB4 until at least September 30 of this year. The bill, which had been roundly criticized by Trump prior to its enactment, also extends the EB5 Regional Worker visa until at least June 30.  

With the impeachment of President Trump and only a few more days until the transition of power to the Biden Administration, this effectively marks the final development of immigration in the Trump era, one of the most tumultuous periods in recent memory. With the coronavirus pandemic and the swearing in of President-Elect Biden’s cabinet members expected to be the focus of the next several months, attorneys, employers, and immigrant workers alike await clarity on where exactly immigration sits on the incoming president’s agenda.