Cut-off date movements in recent months have been greater than might ordinarily be expected, in an effort to maximize number use within the annual numerical limits. This has been necessary because demand being received from Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Offices for adjustment of status cases has been relatively light. As these dates have advanced, however, many thousands of applicants have become eligible for processing at CIS Offices. Once number use increases significantly as CIS addresses its backlog, cut-off date movement will necessarily slow or stop. Moreover, in some categories cut-off date retrogression is a particular possibility.
Readers should be aware that the recent rate of cut-off date advances will not continue indefinitely; however, it is not possible to predict when significantly increased CIS number use will begin to influence the cut-off date determinations.