Visa Bulletin
May2016

Visa Bulletin

May2016

Priority Dates

May 2016
In effect May 1–31, 2016. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Final Action Dates.Which chart applies to me?

Summary

Changed from April 2016: Family-sponsored filers must now use Final Action Dates.

May 2016 Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates: cut-off dates by preference category and country of chargeability. “C” means current (no backlog); “U” means unavailable.
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First PreferenceCCCCC
EB-2Second PreferenceC01SEP1222NOV08↑CC
EB-3Third Preference15FEB1615AUG1301SEP04↑15FEB1608AUG08↑
EB-3Other Workers15FEB1622APR07↑01SEP04↑15FEB1608AUG08↑
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/Daughters22NOV08↑22NOV08↑22NOV08↑08FEB95↑01OCT04↑
F2ASpouses/Children01NOV14↑01NOV14↑01NOV14↑15AUG14↑01NOV14↑
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)01SEP09↑01SEP09↑01SEP09↑08SEP9501MAY05↑
F3Married Sons/Daughters01DEC04↑01DEC04↑01DEC04↑08OCT94↑22JAN94↑
F4Brothers/Sisters22JUL0322JUL0322JUL0308APR9701OCT92↑

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

May 2016

Summary

26 of the 75 cut-offs on the Final Action Dates chart moved between April 2016 and May 2016: 26 advanced.

  • EB-2 India advanced 2w to 22NOV08
  • EB-3 India advanced 3w 3d to 01SEP04
  • F2A all other areas advanced 1w 3d to 01NOV14

Employment-Based

3 changed

EB-2

All Areas
—
China
—
India
2w
Mexico
—
Philippines
—

EB-3

All Areas
—
China
—
India
3w 3d
Mexico
—
Philippines
3mo 9d

EB-3

All Areas
—
China
1mo 22d
India
3w 3d
Mexico
—
Philippines
3mo 9d

Family-Sponsored

5 changed

F1

All Areas
2mo 1d
China
2mo 1d
India
2mo 1d
Mexico
2w 3d
Philippines
3mo 2d

F2A

All Areas
1w 3d
China
1w 3d
India
1w 3d
Mexico
3w 3d
Philippines
1w 3d

F2B

All Areas
2mo 18d
China
2mo 18d
India
2mo 18d
Mexico
—
Philippines
1mo

F3

All Areas
1w 2d
China
1w 2d
India
1w 2d
Mexico
1w
Philippines
1mo 1d

F4

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

Movement by Year

May 2015 – May 2016
Category

EB-2

Second Preference

Avg pace (24 mo)

74 days

Longest stall

0 mo

Retrogressions

0

May '16+2w
Feb '16May '16

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

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