Visa Bulletin
Sep2016

Visa Bulletin

Sep2016

Priority Dates

September 2016
In effect September 1–30, 2016. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Final Action Dates.Which chart applies to me?
September 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 PreferenceC01JAN1001JAN10CC
EB-2Second Preference01FEB1401JAN1022FEB05↑01FEB1401FEB14
EB-3Third Preference01MAY16↑01JAN1015FEB05↑01MAY16↑01JUL10↑
EB-3Other Workers01MAY16↑01JAN0415FEB05↑01MAY16↑01JUL10↑
EB-4Fourth PreferenceCC01JAN1001JAN10C
EB-4Certain Religious WorkersCC01JAN1001JAN10C
EB-5Unreserved-----
EB-5Set-aside (Rural)-----
EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment)-----
EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure)-----
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters15SEP09↑15SEP09↑15SEP09↑22MAR95↑01JUL05↑
F2ASpouses/Children15NOV1415NOV1415NOV1401SEP1415NOV14
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)01FEB10↑01FEB10↑01FEB10↑15SEP95↑01DEC05↑
F3Married Sons/Daughters01DEC0401DEC0401DEC0415NOV94↑15JUN94↑
F4Brothers/Sisters08OCT03↑01JAN0301JAN0122APR97↑01MAR93↑

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

September 2016

Summary

24 of the 75 cut-offs on the Final Action Dates chart moved between August 2016 and September 2016: 24 advanced.

  • EB-2 India advanced 3mo 9d to 22FEB05
  • EB-3 all other areas advanced 1mo 17d to 01MAY16
  • EB-3 India advanced 3mo 9d to 15FEB05

Employment-Based

3 changed

EB-2

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

EB-3

All Areas
1mo 17d
China
—
India
3mo 9d
Mexico
1mo 17d
Philippines
1y 1mo

EB-3

All Areas
1mo 17d
China
—
India
3mo 9d
Mexico
1mo 17d
Philippines
1y 1mo

Family-Sponsored

4 changed

F1

All Areas
3mo 26d
China
3mo 26d
India
3mo 26d
Mexico
2w
Philippines
3mo 11d

F2B

All Areas
3w 3d
China
3w 3d
India
3w 3d
Mexico
1w
Philippines
2mo 17d

F3

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

F4

All Areas
3w 2d
China
—
India
—
Mexico
1w
Philippines
4w

Movement by Year

September 2015 – September 2016
Category

EB-2

Second Preference

Avg pace (24 mo)

-134 days

Longest stall

1 mo

Retrogressions

1

Sep '16+3mo 9d
Feb '16Sep '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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