The U.S. Department of State has released the February 2016 Visa Bulletin. EB-2 India has moved from February 1, 2008 to August 1, 2008.

The Department of State issued the February 2015 Visa Bulletin. EB-3 has advanced in all categories, particularly EB-3 Rest-of-World, China, Mexico and the Philippines. EB-2 China and EB-2 India have also advanced.

The Department of State has issued the January 2015 Visa Bulletin. Notable movement includes EB-3 China moving up to

The U.S. Department of State has issued the December 2014 Visa Bulletin. Notable changes include:

The U.S. Department of State has announced that beginning November 12th, the United States and China will both increase the validity period of business and tourist visitor visas and student and exchange visitor visas. This will serve as a major benefit to Chinese nationals seeking to visit the United States temporarily may obtain 10-year multiple entry visas, whereas in previous years, visitor visas were issued to Chinese nationals for only one year.

According to the Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual, Consulates and embassies may issue H visas to visa applicants up to 90 days before the beginning date of employment-authorized legal status. Thus, Beneficiaries of H-1B petitions who are outside the United States may now apply for H-1B visas. In the case of cap-subject H-1B petitions, H-1B employment may begin no earlier than October 1st of the year that the petition was accepted for processing.

Charlie Oppenheim of the U.S. Department of State Visa Office indicated to members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that the National Visa Center (NVC) is requesting payment of NVC fees 8-12 months in advance of the date that an applicant's priority date is expected to become current.

The U.S. Department of State released the May 2014 Visa Bulletin. F-2A remains stuck at September 8, 2013 for most areas of the world, with Mexico slightly behind on April 15, 2012. In the Employment-based context, EB-3 and Other Workers for the Philippines has moved up a few months to November 1, 2007, and the EB-3 and Other Workers categories remain at October 1, 2012 for people of all other nationalities. EB-3 China remains ahead of EB-2 China. EB-2 India has moved up one month to November 15, 2004.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of State made international news when it refused to issue proof of U.S. Citizenship to the newborn baby of a U.S. Citizen mother. The mother had carried the baby to term, but due to issues conceiving, she had carried the fertilized egg of another woman to term. (In today's terms, she might be called a gestational mother.) The Department of State determined that since the biological mother and father of the child (the egg and sperm donors) were not U.S. citizens, the child was not a U.S. Citizen.