Visa Bulletin
Jan2019

Visa Bulletin

Jan2019

Priority Dates

January 2019
In effect January 1–31, 2019. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
January 2019 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing: cut-off dates by preference category and country of chargeability. “C” means current (no backlog); “U” means unavailable.
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First Preference01JUN1801OCT1701OCT1701JUN1801JUN18
EB-2Second PreferenceC08SEP1522MAY09CC
EB-3Third PreferenceC01JAN16↑01APR10↑C01AUG17
EB-3Other WorkersC01JUN0801APR10↑C01AUG17
EB-4Fourth PreferenceCCCCC
EB-4Certain Religious WorkersCCCCC
EB-5Unreserved-----
EB-5Set-aside (Rural)-----
EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment)-----
EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure)-----
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters08MAR1208MAR1208MAR1222AUG99↑15FEB08
F2ASpouses/Children01DEC1701DEC1701DEC1701DEC1701DEC17
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)22MAR1422MAR1422MAR1408SEP97↑15DEC07
F3Married Sons/Daughters08JAN0708JAN0708JAN0701MAY00↑01JUN97
F4Brothers/Sisters15MAY06↑15MAY06↑01JAN0508OCT98↑22APR97

Dates for Filing controls when you can submit your I-485 adjustment of status application if you are filing inside the U.S. Each month, USCIS decides whether AOS applicants may use this chart or must use Final Action Dates instead. When designated, Dates for Filing is typically more generous and lets you file earlier, lock in your priority date, and receive an EAD and advance parole while waiting for final approval. Why are there two charts?

Movement by Month

January 2019

Summary

9 of the 75 cut-offs on the Dates for Filing chart moved between December 2018 and January 2019: 9 advanced.

  • EB-3 India advanced 3mo to 01APR10
  • EB-3 China advanced 1mo 1d to 01JAN16
  • F4 all other areas advanced 3mo 13d to 15MAY06

Employment-Based

2 changed

EB-3

All Areas
—
China
1mo 1d
India
3mo
Mexico
—
Philippines
—

EB-3

All Areas
—
China
—
India
3mo
Mexico
—
Philippines
—

Family-Sponsored

4 changed

F1

All Areas
—
China
—
India
—
Mexico
4mo 2d
Philippines
—

F2B

All Areas
—
China
—
India
—
Mexico
1mo 8d
Philippines
—

F3

All Areas
—
China
—
India
—
Mexico
6mo 26d
Philippines
—

F4

All Areas
3mo 13d
China
3mo 13d
India
—
Mexico
3w 2d
Philippines
—

Movement by Year

January 2018 – January 2019
Category

EB-2

Second Preference

Avg pace (24 mo)

1 days

Longest stall

20 mo

Retrogressions

2

Jan '19+No change
Feb '18Jan '19

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

Past Visa Bulletins

See all 129 bulletins

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