- Based on your visa petition type, look at either the family-sponsored or employment-based chart on the Visa Bulletin. Thank you for subscribing! ...
- Find your visa type in the left-hand column.
- Stay in that row and move directly to the right to find the cut-off date for your country.
Full Answer
What is the priority date on the Visa Bulletin?
Important terms in the Visa Bulletin Priority date: This is the date that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received your I-130 petition. Think of this date as your place in the green card line. You can find your priority date on the I-797 form mailed by USCIS approving your I-130 petition.
What is the Visa Bulletin for USCIS?
The Visa Bulletin. USCIS, in coordination with Department of State (DOS), is revising the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status.
Do you need to read the monthly Visa Bulletin?
Everything you need to know about this important monthly update is explained below, but here’s the bottom line for family members seeking green cards: If you’re the spouse, parent, or unmarried child (under age 21) of a U.S. citizen, you don’t even need to read the visa bulletin—there’s no green card backlog or wait time for you!
What does current status mean on the Visa Bulletin?
Current: In the context of the visa bulletin, “current” means no backlog and no wait time for a green card. A particular priority date becomes “current” once it reaches the front of the line and a green card is available.
How do you read a visa bulletin current date?
Select the "Current Visa Bulletin." Forward to "Family-Sponsored Preferences" to see a table similar to the sample below. Find your family preference category and compare your priority date to the date listed. If your priority date comes before the date listed, your immigrant visa is current.
What does the Visa Bulletin tell you?
The visa bulletin is issued every month by the Department of State. It shows which green card applications can move forward, based on when the I-130 petition that starts the green card process was originally filed.
How do you read a DV Visa Bulletin?
6:489:38How to read Visa Bulletin - DV Lottery - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNumber is current for that month it is in the month that the visa bulletin.MoreNumber is current for that month it is in the month that the visa bulletin.
How do I read my US visa?
The visa number, also called a visa foil number, is a red number that is generally printed on the bottom right side of newer visa documents. In most cases, the U.S. visa number contains eight numeric characters. In some cases, the number contains one letter followed by seven numeric characters.
What priority date means?
Priority date is the date on which an application was filed with the immigration authorities. It is used by the Department of State (DOS) to determine an individual's place in line in the visa queue where there are a limited number of immigrant visas available in a given year.
How long it takes after priority date is current?
Still, after your priority date becomes current in the “Application Final Action Dates” chart, you will have one year to pursue your visa or green card. If you miss this as well, the government will perceive you have quit, and the next person in the line will get your visa number to the next.
How do you read a DV case number?
1:464:08What is CASE NUMBER in DV Lottery? Can you trick ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt will say congratulations blah blah blah blah all the way in the at the bottom they will be havingMoreIt will say congratulations blah blah blah blah all the way in the at the bottom they will be having your case number the case number will be starting with the year of the fiscal. Year the v2022.
How DV lottery winners are selected?
The winners of the Diversity Visa lottery are chosen at random by a computer program, with a certain number of visas allocated to each region of the world and no one country receiving more than 7% of the Diversity Visas available in any given year.
What do I do if my priority date is passed?
In general, when the priority date has already passed, it means that your case is under review by the immigration authorities. So, an immigrant visa number may already be available to continue your process.
What does 2 stars on US visa mean?
What do these stars on US visa mean? 1 star: The embassy will probably check emails, phone calls and whereabouts. 2 stars: In addition to your email, phone, and location, you are also tracked by your network activities.
What does B2 stamp mean?
Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2).
What does M on US visa mean?
multiple”The letters/numbers to the right of the R (B1/B2) is the visa type/classification; H) Under entries, "M" is an abbreviation for “multiple” entries, meaning that the visa holder may seek entry into the US multiple times.
What does no wait in Visa Bulletin mean?
The Visa Bulletin uses “Current (C)” to indicate that there's no backlog/no wait time for a green card. A priority date becomes current when it reaches the front of the line which indicates a green card is available. An entire preference category can also be current – if that category has no backlog/wait time.
How long does it take for NVC to schedule interview 2022?
How long does it take to get an appointment? Although NVC strives to schedule appointments within three months of NVC's acceptance of all requested documentation, this timeframe is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.
What is final action date in Visa Bulletin?
A: The Final Action Date on the Visa Bulletin is the date when an immigrant visa is available and a green card may finally be issued. A green card case cannot be completed (approved) unless the applicant's priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date listed on the Visa Bulletin.
What happens when final action date is current?
Final action dates are the dates that are most commonly used by applications for filing adjustment of status applications with USCIS during rest of the year after first few months. If the final action dates chart shows as 'Current' or 'C', then it means that there is no wait time in the green card queue.
What is the visa bulletin?
The U.S. Department of State issues the “ visa bulletin ” each month. The visa bulletin shows you when you may proceed with your green card application based on when you originally filed your Form I-130 (the “Petition for Alien Relative”).
How to read the visa bulletin
To read the visa bulletin correctly, you’ll first need to familiarize yourself with some important terms and procedures.
What is a visa retrogression?
Typically, cut-off dates for the visa bulletin continue to move forward. But, sometimes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State get more green card applications for certain categories in a month than they had expected. When this happens, the cut-off dates for the next month may move backward.
Conclusion
Applying for a green card can be complicated, but working with a good immigration attorney can make it easier. If you can't afford the attorney fees and don't want to handle your green card case alone, we may be able to help.
How often is the visa bulletin issued?
The visa bulletin is issued every month by the Department of State. It shows which green card applications can move forward, based on when the I-130 petition that starts the green card process was originally filed. It also lets you estimate how long it will take before you will be able to get your green card, based on how quickly the “line” is moving now. Once your I-130 petition has been filed, you’ll be able to check the visa bulletin and watch your place in line move forward.
What does "current" mean in visa?
Current: In the context of the visa bulletin, “current” means no backlog and no wait time for a green card. A particular priority date becomes “current” once it reaches the front of the line and a green card is available.
Why is there a backlog for green cards?
Green card backlogs and the Visa Bulletin. The visa bulletin exists because Congress caps the number of green cards that can be issued each year . The number of people who are seeking green cards has consistently exceeded this annual limit, creating a backlog—in fact, several backlogs.
How long does it take to get a green card?
If you’re the spouse or unmarried child (under age 21) of a U.S. green card holder, you’ll have to wait extra 12-18 months for your green card to become available.
What is the maximum number of green cards you can get in a year?
F1 (first preference): Unmarried adults (age 21 and over) who are children of U.S. citizens. The cap for this category is 23,400 green cards per year.
What is the visa bulletin?
Here are some useful tips and a few examples. The visa bulletin is issued every month by the Department of State and, simply put, it shows three things: Which categories are eligible for filing of the green card application (i.e. I-485 if you are in the U.S.).
How many charts are there on the visa bulletin?
There are also two charts on the visa bulletin to understand:
What is priority date for green card?
Priority Date: This is your place in line. It determines when you can file the green card application (I-485).
Is the visa bulletin easy to read?
The visa bulletin is by no means an easy read and can require a lot of research in order to gain a full understanding of your personal status. That's why Legalpad has developed a tool to help you find out in minutes if you are eligible to file your green card application. Get started here!
Can I use my spouse's country of birth for I-485?
Retrogression is the priority date on the visa bulletin moving backwards due to increase in demand. Cross-chargeability: If I-485s for you and your spouse are filed together, you can both use your spouse’s country of birth for filing the I-485s.
What is the Department of State's report for visas?
Each month, the Visa Office of the Department of State receives a report for each consular post for allocating visa numbers of categories subject to numerical limitations. Part of this report lists the number of documentarily qualified immigrant visa applicants. There are essential things to remember:
When is the visa bulletin for 2020?
How to Read the Visa Bulletin. May 25, 2020. May 15 , 2020 by crispinaranda. To ensure that admitting huge numbers of new permanent residents will not overwhelm the economy of the United States, the U.S. government follows a strict visa allocation system. The U.S. Department of State reports the availability of immigrant numbers in its monthly ...
How many immigrant visas are issued in the US each year?
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the U.S. government may issue up to 675,000 immigrant visas each year. There are, however, more than that number of applicants every year. In fact, the Department of State or DOS, has over three million immigrant visa applicants in its database. This includes applicants within the U.S. waiting to adjust their status and applicants living outside the U.S. waiting for their interviews at a consular post. The DOS however, issues visas according to the visa categories and the date by which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, receives a specific visa petition.
What is the priority date for visas?
Visa petitions are queued based on the date the USCIS filed and acknowledged them. The date of filing is the “priority date.”
When did the EB3 visas go retrograde?
The USCIS did this to reduce the backlog in July 2007. By reallocating visa numbers, the EB3 category suffered retrogression until the Visa Office made employment preference numbers available in October of that year.
How many visas are there per country?
There is a per-country yearly allocation of 25,620 for immigrant visa numbers.
What is VO visa?
The Visa Office (VO) computes the annual preference and foreign state limitations into monthly allotments. Several factors determine the numbers available for a specific allotment period, including:
Introduction
T he Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication issued by the US Department of State. The visa bulletin discloses the following three items of information:
Why the Visa Bulletin is Required Reading for Visa and Green Card Applicants?
The bulletin exists, according to Legal Pad, because the number of green cards that can be issued yearly is capped. There are also limits based on the country the immigrant lives in. As a rule, there’s always a backlog. The bulletin is essentially a way for applicants to watch their place in line. The cap number may change from year to year.
The Overall Caps by Family-Based Green Cards
There are four basic family classifications, according to Boundless. Each of these classifications has the following current caps:
The Overall Caps for Employment-Based Green Cards
Workers can apply for green cards based on their priority and based on the following cap levels – most of which are based on a percentage. According to the December 2020 Visa Bulletin, the employment categories are:
Is there a Cap on the Number of Green Cards for the Spouses of US Citizens?
The good answer is no. The spousal cap only applies to spouses of US green card holders, not to spouses of US citizens. Since there isn’t a limit on spousal green cards – there’s no backlog and thus no need to review the visa bulletin.
A Few Key Visa Bulletin Definitions
There are a few precise terms that are used in the Visa Bulletin that it helps to understand (or to have an experienced immigration lawyer explain to you). These terms are:
What are the Visa Bulletin Charts?
The Visa Bulletin uses four charts to determine your place in line. How to use and read these charts are discussed in a separate article.
