The U.S. Department of State’s January Visa Bulletin has been released, making it the first for the new year. The new Bulletin shows forward movement in many employment-based (EB) visa categories, particularly for applicants from India. For applicants seeking green cards through the EB categories, these dates indicate the earliest a visa can be issued or an adjustment of status application approved.

In the family-sponsored categories, F1 moved to November 22, 2015, and F3 advanced to July 1, 2010, for final action. Filing dates for F3 rose to July 22, 2012, while F4 increased to August 15, 2006. Categories F2A and F2B remain largely unchanged.

For employment-based preferences, significant shifts include the second preference (EB-2), advancing to October 1, 2012, for final action, while filing dates remain at January 1, 2013. EB-3 and “Other Workers” now have a final action date of December 1, 2012, with no movement in filing dates.

Set-aside employment visas for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects remain “current,” ensuring prompt processing for eligible applicants.