Movement of the october final action and application filing dates
Family-sponsored: Final Action Dates movement during the past six months focused on two goals: 1) to allow number use to be maximized should it become possible to return to normal visa processing levels at some point prior to the end of the fiscal year, and 2) to encourage applicants to continue acting on their cases in a timely manner to support long-term recovery from the suspension of routine services. This movement ensured sufficient demand would be available for adjudication throughout FY 2021 under a resumption of full operational status.
VO learned during October 2020 date determination, that movement of final action dates in the previous six months combined with the global suspension of routine visa services resulted in enough accumulated demand to fully utilize the numbers normally made available during the first quarter of the fiscal year. Therefore, no date movement is required at this time. VO will closely monitor the situation in the early months of the fiscal year.
Employment-based: All of the Final Action and Application Filing Dates have been advanced at a very rapid pace, in anticipation of the FY 2021 annual limit being approximately 261,500, an all-time high. The movement of these dates has been taken in consultation with USCIS Office of Policy and Strategy to accommodate processing plans for USCIS Offices during the coming fiscal year and to maximize number use within the FY 2021 annual limits. Pending demand, in the form of applications for adjustment of status, and documentarily qualified immigrant visa applicants, is well below the estimated annual limit of 261,500.