Visa Bulletin
Jan2016
Visa Bulletin
Priority Dates
January 2016In effect January 1–31, 2016. USCIS: employment-based filers use Final Action Dates, family-sponsored use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based | |||||
| EB-1First Preference | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-2Second Preference | C | 01FEB12 | 01FEB08 | C | C |
| EB-3Third Preference | 01OCT15 | 01JUL12 | 15MAY04 | 01OCT15 | 01NOV07 |
| EB-3Other Workers | 01OCT15 | 01DEC06 | 15MAY04 | 01OCT15 | 01NOV07 |
| EB-4Fourth Preference | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-4Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| EB-5Unreserved | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Rural) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Family-Sponsored | |||||
| F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters | 15MAY08 | 15MAY08 | 15MAY08 | 22DEC94 | 01JUN03 |
| F2ASpouses/Children | 01AUG14 | 01AUG14 | 01AUG14 | 01JUN14 | 01AUG14 |
| F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+) | 01APR09 | 01APR09 | 01APR09 | 08SEP95 | 01JAN05 |
| F3Married Sons/Daughters | 01AUG04 | 01AUG04 | 01AUG04 | 01AUG94 | 01NOV93 |
| F4Brothers/Sisters | 22APR03 | 22APR03 | 22APR03 | 01APR97 | 22JUL92 |
Final Action Dates controls when USCIS or the Department of State can actually approve your green card. If you are processing through a U.S. consulate abroad, DOS always uses this chart. If you are adjusting status in the U.S. and USCIS has not designated Dates for Filing for the month, you must also use this chart. Your priority date must be earlier than the cutoff shown for your case to be approved. Why are there two charts?
Movement by Month
January 2016Summary
No category moved on the Final Action Dates chart in January 2016.
No categories moved into January 2016 on the Final Action Dates chart.
Movement by Year
January 2015 – January 2016Category
Category
EB-2
Second Preference
Avg pace (24 mo)
0 days
Longest stall
0 mo
Retrogressions
0
No movement data for this combination yet.
No movement data for this combination yet.
How the Visa Bulletin Works
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly U.S. Department of State update that shows when you can move forward in the green card process.
Because a limited number of green cards are issued each year, not everyone can apply at once.
Key terms
- Priority dates
- : your place in line, set when your petition was filed. If it’s earlier than the listed cutoff, you’re eligible to move ahead.
- Final Action Dates
- : the chart showing when a green card can actually be approved.
- Dates for Filing
- : the chart showing when you may submit your application, in months USCIS authorizes its use.
- Current (“C”)
- : no backlog: you can move ahead regardless of your priority date. A category “becoming current” means the wait has cleared.
- Retrogression
- : a cutoff date moves backward, so some applicants who were eligible must wait again.
- Unavailable (“U”)
- : no green cards are available in that category this month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visa Bulletin
FAQ
Common questions about priority dates and what to do when your date is current.
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that tells applicants for family- and employment-based green cards whether their priority date is current - i.e., whether they can move forward with the next step of the immigration process.
Final Action Dates control when USCIS or DOS can actually approve a green card. Dates for Filing is usually earlier and controls when you can submit your I-485 or get documentarily qualified at the NVC. Filing under Dates for Filing doesn’t mean approval - it parks your application so you can get an EAD and advance parole while waiting for the Final Action date to become current.
It depends on where you’re filing. Consular processing abroad always uses Final Action Dates. For Adjustment of Status inside the U.S., USCIS decides each month whether family and employment AOS filers may use the more generous Dates for Filing chart. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the current month’s determination. If your category is “C” (current) on Final Action or the Final Action cutoff is later than the Dates for Filing cutoff, you can use Final Action regardless.
Find your preference category (EB-2, F2A, etc.) in the left column, then find your country of chargeability. The cell is either a date (your priority date must be earlier than this to act), “C” (current - no wait), or “U” (unavailable - no visas in this category).
For employment-based cases, it’s usually the date your PERM labor certification (or I-140 if PERM wasn’t required) was filed. For family cases, it’s the date your I-130 petition was filed. It determines your place in the queue.
Typically between the 8th and 15th of each month, for the following month. The State Department posts it on travel.state.gov. We update this page within minutes of each release.
Per-country annual limits cap how many green cards can be issued to nationals of any single country each year. High-demand categories from India and China often stall or retrogress because demand vastly exceeds those limits.
If you’re in the U.S., you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application. If you’re abroad, the National Visa Center will schedule a consular interview. Either way, act quickly - dates can retrogress in future months.
Data ingested from travel.state.gov