U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is strongly encouraging applicants for adjustment of status (Form I-485) in the employment-based third preference category, if they are eligible to do so, to transfer the underlying basis of their applications to the first or second employment-based preference categories. This is because there are an “exceptionally high number” of visas available in those categories for the current fiscal year (October 2021 to September 2022) – twice as high as usual. USCIS’ encouraging announcement is in line with the Biden Administration’s mission to eliminate barriers and not let immigrant visas go to waste.
This surplus is the result of approximately 140,000 family-based visas (along with some first and fifth preference employment-based visas) going unused last year and, due to statutory limitations, they cannot be used for those in the third preference employment-based category.
To be eligible to transfer the underlying basis of their Form I-485, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Continuously have maintained eligibility for adjustment of status;
- Have already filed a Form I-485 that is pending based on a different I-140 in a classification that is not current, e.g., EB-3;
- Be eligible for the first or second preference category; and
- Have a current priority date current in the new category.
Those who are requesting a transfer of the underlying basis of the I-485 to a previously filed and approved Form I-140 must also file a completed Form I-485 Supplement J, Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under Section 204(j), along with the written transfer request. If the previously filed petition is pending, the Form I-485 Supplement J is not required.
There is a complex web of requirements that must be followed in terms of evidence, and filing locations vary depending on the circumstances of the application. There can also be pitfalls. For instance, the position that will form the basis for the transfer must be the same position the applicant will assume when the adjustment is approved or a position to which the applicant is portable.
