approximate number of 245(i) cases
From immigration-law.com
February 2006 Visa Bulletin
* Small good news. The State Department reports that the USCIS demands for EB visa numbers have been very slow and until the demand increases, the EB visa numbers will keep moving forward.
* The EB-1 and EB-2 for India and China have progressed substantially. Even EB-3 has moved for India and China impressively. Worldwide is still stuck with the 245(i) cases. India and China EB-3 will also be stuck in April 2001 once their numbers reach the date because of the massive 245(i) cases which were filed on or before April 30, 2001 by illegal aliens to take advantage of 245(i) relief before the law sunset. Reportedly, these numbers reached about 345,000 plus their dependants of estimated 250,000 - 275,000. A substantial number of these cases are still left behind in the DOL Backlog Elimination Center. These cases have been moving extremely slow, but once the Centers pick up the speed, these cases will add a tremendous pressures on the EB-3 visa numbers as most of these cases have very early priority dates. Worse yet, the USCIS is expected to pick up the speed of EB-485 adjudication to meet the Bush's commitment to reducing processing to six months by the end of September 2006, which is only eight months away. There are a huge number of 245(i) cases which have yet to move into the stream of EB-3 I-485 rows which will eventually take out EB-3 numbers, constraining the progression of EB-3 numbers continuously.
* The family-based categories moved very slow but there were no dramatic retrogression in any categories. It should be taken a small good news.
* The immigration quota system is choked and will continue to be choked, unless a relief comes from the pending Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation.
