Unfortunately those who have already filed or who recently got their 140s approved on sub labours are grandfathered in. This is long long overdue. It was so unfair and as you rightly pointed out turned this thing into a business opportunity. Retrogression made this thing an even better opportunity. Even if there was not overt trading of these labour certs. it was playing a far greater role in the negotiations of compensation for those carrying them. ie work for me for X amount of money (X of course being a discounted rate) and I will help you cut in line.
I am not quite ready to say that priority date movements are going to be a given. There is still a lot of backlogs for EB2 and EB3 India at various stages of the system, mostly now at the 140 pending or approved and waiting to file 485 or in the 485 stage. That itself will be a number in the many multiples of India's annual EB quota. The priority dates are set based on the number of 485 approvals leaving the system. In addition the state Dep't has made it clear that they were moving the priority dates late in this fiscal year to optimise visa number use ie to avoid the recurrence of last year when they let about 11K numbers go to waste in the presence of massive retrogression. I feel another round of retrogression is inevitable in the fall of this year absent legislative changes.
Another issue that will affect many Indian EB2 docs now is that, many IT folks are switching their petitions to EB2 from EB3. Having acquired 5yrs work experience or masters over the years of waiting, they are retaining their priority date with a newer petition in the EB2 category, there is a Pearson memo that allows this. Unfortunately the powers that be have chosen to bundle NIW 5yr underserved area service into this as well.
Finally, have any of you guys had a chance to see the physician pertinent aspect of the new immigration bill being crafted(or should I say perpetrated) in the senate currently? It is quite disconcerting. No more H1b for GME. No mention of the 5 yr NIW for HPSA/MUA. Newer rules for an extended and expanded Conrad program. A 2yr FQHC/CHC J1 waiver rule, with no necessary GC benefit at the end. Suggested an alternative status to H1b for those during that time. My goodness the AMA has certainly had its way in drafting this one.