Visa Bulletin
Oct2019
Visa Bulletin
Priority Dates
October 2019In effect October 1–31, 2019. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
Summary
Changed from September 2019: Employment-based filers may now use Dates for Filing.
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based | |||||
| EB-1First Preference | 01JUL19↑ | 01SEP17↓ | 15MAR17↓ | 01JUL19↑ | 01JUL19↑ |
| EB-2Second Preference | C | 01AUG16↓ | 01JUL09↑ | C | C |
| EB-3Third Preference | C | 01MAR17↑ | 01FEB10↓ | C | C |
| EB-3Other Workers | C | 01AUG08↑ | 01FEB10↓ | C | C |
| 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 | 15JUL13↑ | 15JUL13↑ | 15JUL13↑ | 15NOV99↑ | 01JAN09↑ |
| F2ASpouses/Children | 01AUG19↑ | 01AUG19↑ | 01AUG19↑ | 01AUG19↑ | 01AUG19↑ |
| F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+) | 01DEC14↑ | 01DEC14↑ | 01DEC14↑ | 01APR99↑ | 01MAR09↑ |
| F3Married Sons/Daughters | 15MAR08↑ | 15MAR08↑ | 15MAR08↑ | 15JUL00 | 01OCT98↑ |
| F4Brothers/Sisters | 15MAY07↑ | 15MAY07↑ | 01JUN05↑ | 01JAN99↑ | 08JAN99↑ |
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 2019Summary
35 of the 75 cut-offs on the Dates for Filing chart moved between September 2019 and October 2019: 30 advanced, 5 retrogressed.
- EB-2 India advanced 1mo to 01JUL09
- EB-1 India retrogressed 6mo 20d to 15MAR17
- EB-1 all other areas advanced 10mo 3d to 01JUL19
Employment-Based
4 changedEB-1
All Areas
10mo 3d
China
1mo
India
6mo 20d
Mexico
10mo 3d
Philippines
10mo 3d
EB-2
All Areas—
China
10mo 4d
India
1mo
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-3
All Areas—
China
9mo 3d
India
1mo 29d
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-3
All Areas—
China
2mo 1d
India
1mo 29d
Mexico—
Philippines—
Family-Sponsored
5 changedF1
All Areas
2mo 15d
China
2mo 15d
India
2mo 15d
Mexico
1w
Philippines
1mo 1d
F2A
All Areas
1mo 1d
China
1mo 1d
India
1mo 1d
Mexico
1mo 1d
Philippines
1mo 1d
F2B
All Areas
1mo 17d
China
1mo 17d
India
1mo 17d
Mexico
1mo 1d
Philippines
4w
F3
All Areas
1mo 23d
China
1mo 23d
India
1mo 23d
Mexico—
Philippines
2mo 1d
F4
All Areas
2mo 8d
China
2mo 8d
India
1w 3d
Mexico
1w 3d
Philippines
1w
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First Preference
10mo 3d
Retro 1mo
Retro 6mo 20d
10mo 3d
10mo 3d
Biggest advance this monthAll Areas · advanced 10mo 3d
EB-2Second Preference
–
Retro 10mo 4d
1mo
–
–
EB-3Third Preference
–
9mo 3d
Retro 1mo 29d
–
–
EB-3Other Workers
–
2mo 1d
Retro 1mo 29d
–
–
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters
2mo 15d
2mo 15d
2mo 15d
1w
1mo 1d
F2ASpouses/Children
1mo 1d
1mo 1d
1mo 1d
1mo 1d
1mo 1d
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)
1mo 17d
1mo 17d
1mo 17d
1mo 1d
4w
F3Married Sons/Daughters
1mo 23d
1mo 23d
1mo 23d
–
2mo 1d
F4Brothers/Sisters
2mo 8d
2mo 8d
1w 3d
1w 3d
1w
Movement by Year
October 2018 – October 2019Category
Category
EB-2
Second Preference
Avg pace (24 mo)
6 days
Longest stall
20 mo
Retrogressions
2
Oct '19+1mo
Oct '19+1mo
Nov '18Oct '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