Visa Bulletin
Sep2019
Visa Bulletin
Priority Dates
September 2019In effect September 1–30, 2019. USCIS: employment-based filers use Final Action Dates, family-sponsored use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based | |||||
| EB-1First Preference | 01OCT17↑ | 01JAN14↓ | U↓ | 01OCT17↑ | 01OCT17↑ |
| EB-2Second Preference | 01JAN18↑ | 01JAN17 | 08MAY09↑ | 01JAN18↑ | 01JAN18↑ |
| EB-3Third Preference | 01JUL16 | 01JAN14↓ | 01JUL05↓ | 01JUL16 | 01JUL16 |
| EB-3Other Workers | 01JUL16 | 22NOV07 | 01JUL05↓ | 01JUL16 | 01JUL16 |
| EB-4Fourth Preference | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ |
| EB-4Certain Religious Workers | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ | U↓ |
| EB-5Unreserved | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Rural) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment) | - | - | - | - | - |
| EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Family-Sponsored | |||||
| F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters | 01JAN13↑ | 01JAN13↑ | 01JAN13↑ | 01AUG96 | 22JUN08↑ |
| F2ASpouses/Children | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+) | 01JUN14↑ | 01JUN14↑ | 01JUN14↑ | 01JUL98↑ | 01AUG08↑ |
| F3Married Sons/Daughters | 01SEP07↑ | 01SEP07↑ | 01SEP07↑ | 01DEC95 | 01FEB98↑ |
| F4Brothers/Sisters | 01NOV06↑ | 01NOV06↑ | 22SEP04↑ | 01JAN97 | 01JUL98↑ |
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 2019Summary
36 of the 75 cut-offs on the Final Action Dates chart moved between August 2019 and September 2019: 24 advanced, 12 retrogressed.
- EB-2 India advanced 6d to 08MAY09
- EB-2 all other areas advanced 1y to 01JAN18
- EB-1 all other areas advanced 1y 3mo to 01OCT17
Employment-Based
6 changedEB-1
All Areas
1y 3mo
China
2y 6mo
India—
Mexico
1y 3mo
Philippines
1y 3mo
EB-2
All Areas
1y
China—
India
6d
Mexico
1y
Philippines
1y
EB-3
All Areas—
China
2y 6mo
India
6mo 4d
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-3
All Areas—
China—
India
6mo 4d
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-4
All Areas
Retrogressed
China
Retrogressed
India
Retrogressed
Mexico—
Philippines
Retrogressed
EB-4
All Areas
Retrogressed
China
Retrogressed
India
Retrogressed
Mexico—
Philippines
Retrogressed
Family-Sponsored
4 changedF1
All Areas
6mo 4d
China
6mo 4d
India
6mo 4d
Mexico—
Philippines
4mo 1d
F2B
All Areas
5mo 1d
China
5mo 1d
India
5mo 1d
Mexico
1mo
Philippines
4mo 2d
F3
All Areas
2mo 11d
China
2mo 11d
India
2mo 11d
Mexico—
Philippines
4mo 3d
F4
All Areas
1mo 1d
China
1mo 1d
India
1w
Mexico—
Philippines
2mo 1d
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First Preference
1y 3mo
Retro 2y 6mo
–
1y 3mo
1y 3mo
Biggest advance this monthAll Areas · advanced 1y 3mo
EB-2Second Preference
1y
–
6d
1y
1y
EB-3Third Preference
–
Retro 2y 6mo
Retro 6mo 4d
–
–
EB-3Other Workers
–
–
Retro 6mo 4d
–
–
EB-4Fourth Preference
Left current
Left current
Left current
–
Left current
EB-4Certain Religious Workers
Left current
Left current
Left current
–
Left current
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters
6mo 4d
6mo 4d
6mo 4d
–
4mo 1d
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)
5mo 1d
5mo 1d
5mo 1d
1mo
4mo 2d
F3Married Sons/Daughters
2mo 11d
2mo 11d
2mo 11d
–
4mo 3d
F4Brothers/Sisters
1mo 1d
1mo 1d
1w
–
2mo 1d
Movement by Year
September 2018 – September 2019Category
Category
EB-2
Second Preference
Avg pace (24 mo)
11 days
Longest stall
2 mo
Retrogressions
2
Sep '19+6d
Sep '19+6d
Oct '18Sep '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