The Department of State released a revised October Visa Bulletin Friday, September 25. The revision moves back several categories in the new Dates for Filing charts. (For the original dates, please see our previous post detailing the filing dates.)
The categories affected are:
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F1 (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) from Mexico: new date is April 1, 1995 [date announced was July 1, 1995]
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F3 (married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) from Mexico: new date is May 1, 1995 [date announced was October 1, 1996]
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EB2 China: new date is January 1, 2013 [date announced was May 1, 2014]
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EB2 India: new date is July 1, 2009 [date announced was July 1, 2011]
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EB3 & other workers Philippines: new date is January 1, 2010 [date announced was January 1, 2015]
Department of State attributes the change to consultation with the Department of Homeland Security leading to an adjustment "to better reflect a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process."
Clearly, this news is disappointing to everyone affected by this agency "flip-flop."
At least one lawsuit is expected to be filed today to challenge the action of the agency under the Administrative Procedures Act. In 2007, similar actions caused the agency to "flop" back after a similar "flip." We will be following developments closely.
