It is very reasonable to believe that DOS will change the policy to be consistent with USCIS very soon.
The following is cited at: Chapter 7 - Child Status Protection Act | USCIS
CSPA applies to both noncitizens abroad who are applying for an immigrant visa through the Department of State (DOS) and noncitizens physically present in the United States who are applying for adjustment of status through USCIS. This chapter primarily focuses on the impact of CSPA on adjustment applicants, though the same principles generally apply to noncitizens seeking an immigrant visa through DOS.
The following is cited at this link:
Applicability to Consular Processing
As confirmed in the USCIS Policy Manual, CSPA applies to “both noncitizens abroad who are applying for an immigrant visa through the Department of State (DOS) and noncitizens physically present in the United States who are applying for adjustment of status through USCIS.” While Chapter 7 of the Policy Manual primarily focuses on the impact of CSPA on adjustment applicants, USCIS emphasizes that the “same principles generally apply to noncitizens seeking an immigrant visa through DOS.”
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In the consular processing context, the same basic principles will apply. Similar to USCIS, NVC typically uses the Dates for Filing chart to let immigrant visa applicants know that they should get ready to submit the relevant documentation for their interviews at the U.S. Consulates. If NVC uses the Dates for Filing chart to begin the consular process, the Dates for Filing chart will be used for CSPA purposes.
