Here is an example from the August 2015 Visa Bulletin of what the employment-based preferences table looks like: To read it, and similar to the family-sponsored preferences table, you need to know the following factors: your birth country, your preference category, and your priority date. First find the column for your birth country.
Full Answer
What is a Visa Bulletin?
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.
Should you monitor the Visa Bulletin?
Monitoring the Visa Bulletin is, therefore, useful if you are the recipient of an employment-based immigrant visa petition or have a family-based petition in the preference categories. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the U.S. government may issue up to 675,000 immigrant visas each year.
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.
How do I know if my immigrant visa is current?
The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly visa bulletin that lists the priority dates which have become current. In other words, these are the priority dates that now have an immigrant visa available to be claimed. You must review the U.S. Department of State’s visa bulletin to determine if your immigrant petition is current.
What is priority date for employment-based green card?
If your category is employment-based green card and requires a labor certification, the priority date is established on the date a labor certification is filed with the State Workforce Agency.
What does C means in Visa Bulletin?
currentFor the preference visa categories, tables for family-sponsored and employment-based visa number availability are published in each Visa Bulletin release. In the tables, "C" means current, i.e., visa numbers are available for all qualified applicants; and "U" means unavailable, i.e., no visa numbers are available.
What is Chart B in Visa Bulletin?
B. This second chart indicates when the intending immigrant can apply for an immigrant visa. Specifically, the applicant may file an adjustment of status application provided that the applicant's priority date is before the date listed in the visa bulletin's filing dates chart.
What does it mean when the Visa Bulletin says current?
Important terms in 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.
What is final action dates for employment based preference cases?
The “final action dates” or “application final action dates” are the dates when the actual green card numbers are available for that category & country of birth, so that the final Green Cards or immigrant visas can be issued.
What does visa Class F11 mean?
Unmarried son or daughter of U.S.F11. Unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen.
How do I know if my visa is approved?
Check the Status of a Visa Application For nonimmigrant visas, call 1-603-334-0888. Or use the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
Will USCIS speed up 2022?
USCIS Extends Premium-Processing to Certain Pending Immigrant Petitions. On May 24, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an expansion of premium processing service to two additional categories of Form I-140 immigrant petitions.
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.
Does USCIS check Internet history?
This does not permit USCIS to search your social media account or internet history, but the agency is now collecting and storing records of your social media use available in the public domain.
How do I know if my visa is approved?
Check the Status of a Visa Application For nonimmigrant visas, call 1-603-334-0888. Or use the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
What is a F24 visa?
F24. Unmarried son or daughter of lawful permanent resident.
How do I know my priority date?
Finding Your Priority Date If you are a prospective immigrant, you can find your priority date on Form I-797, Notice of Action, for the petition filed on your behalf. The waiting time before receiving an immigrant visa or adjusting status depends on the : Demand for and supply of immigrant visas.
What does final action date mean?
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 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 visa bulletin?
The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly visa bulletin. The visa bulletin lets you know when it’s time to claim your green card.
How to know if your visa is current?
Once you know your priority date and your preference category, proceed to the U.S. State Department's monthly visa bulletin. 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.
When do visas go backwards?
Generally, the cut-off dates on the visa bulletin move forward in time. But sometimes they go backwards. Visa retrogression occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category or country than there are visas available for that month. Retrogression typically occurs toward the end of the fiscal year as visa issuance approaches the annual category, or per-country limitations. Sometimes a priority date that meets the cut-off date one month will not meet the cut-off date the next month. When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, a new supply of visas is made available and usually, but not always, returns the dates to where they were before retrogression.
What is the first chart for visa numbers?
The first chart is for “final action dates.” A visa number is actually available if a priority date comes before the date listed in this example chart.
What is CitizenPath online?
The online service is a powerful, do-it-yourself tool that puts you in control. And we've got your back -- CitizenPath provides live customer support and guarantees that USCIS will approve your petition.
What is an I-130?
Use Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) to start the immigration process for a family member. Each year, USCIS rejects or denies thousands of I-130 petitions. Therefore, it's important to get it right.
What does an approved I-130 mean?
The approved I-130 petition means that you’ve established your place in line for a visa, but it is not yet available. In fact, it is the priority date that specifies your specific place in line. You have reached the front of the line when your priority date becomes "current.".
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:
How to find out when the visa bulletin is released?
There are multiple ways to find out when visa bulletin is released: Frequently visit US State Department website every day between 7th and 23rd of each month. Frequently call US State Department at (202) 485-7699 to get recorded message with the Final Action date information.
What is visa bulletin?
Visa Bulletin is the monthly report released by US State Department (DOS) with the help of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and various field offices all over the world. Applicants whose priority date, based on their family-based (I-130) or employment-based (PERM/I-140) petition, is before the posted date are eligible to move forward.
When does DV status end?
Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2021 program ends as of September 30. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2021 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2021 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until Sept 30. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2020 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.
How often should I check my visa?
This will give you a rough idea about what dates they are currently processing application. After your I-130/I-140 application is approved, you should start checking it every month.
When does visa retrogression occur?
Visa retrogression generally occurs when the annual limit for a category or country has been used up or is expected to be used up soon. When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, a new supply of visa numbers is available for allocation.
How to contact the US State Department about the final action date?
Frequently call US State Department at (202) 485-7699 to get recorded message with the Final Action date information.
What does the C listing mean?
A. The "C" listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.
How Available Visa Numbers Are Determined
- 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: 1. Past number use such as the number of applicants who qualified for a visa per category. 2. Estimates of future number use and return rates. The State Department “returns” un…
The Consular Post and Reallocation of Visa Numbers
- 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: 1. Immediate Relatives are not subject to numerical limitations. 2. There is a per-cou…
Visa Categories and Visa Numbers
- If there are enough visa numbers in any preference category for all reported documentarily qualified visa applicants, US government considers the category “current.” So, if the monthly allocation target is 3,000 and the DOS only reports 1,000 qualified applicants, the priority date cut-off is current. Sometimes, the total documentarily qualified ap...