Visa Bulletin
Oct2016
Visa Bulletin
Priority Dates
October 2016In effect October 1–31, 2016. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
Summary
Changed from September 2016: Employment-based and Family-sponsored filers may now use Dates for Filing.
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based | |||||
| EB-1First Preference | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-2Second Preference | C | 01MAR13↓ | 22APR09↓ | C | C |
| EB-3Third Preference | C | 01MAY14↓ | 01JUL05 | C | 01SEP13↑ |
| EB-3Other Workers | C | 01AUG09 | 01JUL05 | C | 01SEP13↑ |
| EB-4Fourth Preference | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-4Certain Religious Workers | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5Unreserved | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Rural) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Family-Sponsored | |||||
| F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters | 01JAN11↑ | 01JAN11↑ | 01JAN11↑ | 01JUN95↑ | 01MAY06↑ |
| F2ASpouses/Children | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 |
| F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+) | 08FEB11 | 08FEB11 | 08FEB11 | 01JUN96↑ | 01FEB07↑ |
| F3Married Sons/Daughters | 22AUG05 | 22AUG05 | 22AUG05 | 01MAY95 | 01JAN95↓ |
| F4Brothers/Sisters | 01JUL04↑ | 01JUL04↑ | 01MAY04 | 01DEC97↓ | 01APR94↑ |
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
October 2016Summary
17 of the 75 cut-offs on the Dates for Filing chart moved between September 2016 and October 2016: 12 advanced, 5 retrogressed.
- EB-2 India retrogressed 2mo 10d to 22APR09
- EB-2 China retrogressed 3mo 2d to 01MAR13
- EB-3 China retrogressed 1y to 01MAY14
Employment-Based
3 changedEB-2
All Areas—
China
3mo 2d
India
2mo 10d
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-3
All Areas—
China
1y
India—
Mexico—
Philippines
8mo 3d
EB-3
All Areas—
China—
India—
Mexico—
Philippines
8mo 3d
Family-Sponsored
4 changedF1
All Areas
1y
China
1y
India
1y
Mexico
2mo 1d
Philippines
4mo 10d
F2B
All Areas—
China—
India—
Mexico
1w 3d
Philippines
1y
F3
All Areas—
China—
India—
Mexico—
Philippines
7mo 2d
F4
All Areas
2w 2d
China
2w 2d
India—
Mexico
6mo 2d
Philippines
8mo 20d
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-2Second Preference
–
Retro 3mo 2d
Retro 2mo 10d
–
–
EB-3Third Preference
–
Retro 1y
–
–
8mo 3d
EB-3Other Workers
–
–
–
–
8mo 3d
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters
1y
1y
1y
2mo 1d
4mo 10d
Biggest advance this monthAll Areas · advanced 1y
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)
–
–
–
1w 3d
1y
F3Married Sons/Daughters
–
–
–
–
Retro 7mo 2d
F4Brothers/Sisters
2w 2d
2w 2d
–
Retro 6mo 2d
8mo 20d
Movement by Year
October 2015 – October 2016Category
Category
EB-2
Second Preference
Avg pace (24 mo)
-8 days
Longest stall
9 mo
Retrogressions
1
Oct '16−2mo 10d
Oct '16−2mo 10d
Feb '16Oct '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