Category: Processing Times

For February 2009, the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin shows movement in the priority dates for several employment-based categories. For example, although the Worldwide category stays put, the China-mainland born second preference category moves ahead almost six months, from July 8, 2004, to January 1, 2005. India’s second preference category advances six months, from July… Read More

The Department of State’s Visa Office reported in the November 2008 Visa Bulletin that the level of demand being received from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices indicates that USCIS has a significant number of cases with priority dates that are earlier than the established cut-offs. This is likely to result in slow forward… Read More

The October 2008 Visa Bulletin disseminated by the Department of State’s Visa Office notes that the May 2008 Visa Bulletin had stated that many employment cut-off dates had been advancing very rapidly, based on indications that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would need to review a significantly larger pool of applicants than there were… Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began administering the redesigned (new) naturalization test on October 1, 2008. The revised test emphasizes the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. USCIS has released a chart showing who may take the current or the new test. For the chart and additional details,… Read More