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 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.
What does “C” mean on a Visa Bulletin?
If the visa bulletin chart states “C” for a given category and country, that indicates that the numbers are current in the particular category for the country of chargeability.
What do the FA chart dates on the Visa Bulletin mean?
The FA chart dates listed for both the EB and FB categories indicate which I-485 or immigrant visa cases may be approved in a given month. If the visa bulletin chart states “C” for a given category and country, that indicates that the numbers are current in the particular category for the country of chargeability.
What is the priority date for U visa?
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 does C means in Visa Bulletin?
currentIn 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. Visa numbers are available only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed in the tables.
How can I check my U visa status?
How can I check the status of my pending U Visa case? You can check USCIS processing times for U Visas on the USCIS website: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/.
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 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 does visa Class F11 mean?
Unmarried son or daughter of U.S.F11. Unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen.
What happens after U visa is approved?
Once USCIS has approved your U visa application, you may only enter the U.S. with an official visa from the consulate or with advance parole if you have filed your application for lawful permanent residence.
What is current U visa processing time?
After you submit your application, the U visa waiting time can range between 12 to 18 months. However, this process can be prolonged if you fail to correctly fill out the application or are required to submit additional documentation.
How long is the U visa process?
It currently takes up to around six years for USCIS to fully process U visa applications, which includes the agency taking biometrics (photographs and fingerprints), processing all forms and supporting information (such as the Certification of Helpfulness by a qualifying agency), and finally, issuing an approval notice ...
What is current priority date for F4?
What does Immigration Planner predict? The key of our short-term prediction is that there will be no 'forward movement' for F4-All Countries until at least the summer of 2022, and most likely no movement until the end of fiscal year 2022 in September 2022.
How long does F4 visa category take?
between 18 and 25 yearsHow long is the F4 visa processing time? The F4 Visa processing time is generally long. Depending upon your country, it could take anywhere between 18 and 25 years to get your visa processed.
What is the priority date for F3?
As with most 'preference' categories, we are not expecting any forward movement for F3 until at least the end of the current Fiscal Year in September 2022....How did F3-All Countries Final Action Date move in the past few months?F3LatestVisa Bulletin Date:Sep 2022Chargeability:allCountries2 more rows
How do you read a DV Visa Bulletin?
3:069:38How to read Visa Bulletin - DV Lottery - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo it is the information that is in the second table that is going to be of concern to diversityMoreSo it is the information that is in the second table that is going to be of concern to diversity visa applicants who were recently selected that information concerns the month of october.
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.
What happens after priority date becomes current?
Generally, it is cause for celebration when these individuals' priority dates become current, as then are eligible to apply for adjustment of status. When the Final Action Date becomes current, the individual should receive permanent residence.
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 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 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.".
Where is the priority date on an I-130?
The priority date is in the top section of the document . In the example below, a red circle identifies the priority date.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The visa bulletin is where individuals who have filed petitions for various types of U.S. visas can see which round of Green Card applications are eligible to move forward in the process. The visa bulletin is updated and posted each month by the United States Department of State on its website. Individuals who have petitioned for a Green Card must refer to the visa bulletin to know where their Green Card application is in the approval process.
What Information Does the Visa Bulletin Have?
The visa bulletin contains a lot of information presented in a concise manner, which can make it difficult to understand if the terms used and charts are unfamiliar.
Why is the Visa Bulletin Important?
The visa bulletin is how applicants can understand when their Green Card application is ready for approval , or when applicants should file their application with the National Visa Center (NVC).
What is Visa Retrogression?
Retrogression occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category or from a particular country than there are visas available for that category or country in the given month. This causes the cut-off dates for the subsequent month to move backwards, pushing individuals further back in line than previously anticipated. This occurs most frequently around September, near the end of the fiscal year.
How are Adjustment of Status Cases Handled?
Individuals who are already living in the United States and would like to become a lawful permanent resident by obtaining a Green Card may file to adjust their status. When adjusting status, an applicant is given a priority date, much like other Green Card applicants, after the applicant’s employer or relative files an immigrant petition on the individual’s behalf or the Department of Labor accepts a labor certification for processing.
What are Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates?
For each of the major visa categories, the visa bulletin includes a chart that informs Green Card applicants of “dates for filing,” or “final action dates” along with cut-off dates. Cut-off dates are the month, day, and year shown beside each category on the charts that indicate whether an applicant has a Green Card available for them. Cut-off dates on the final action dates charts inform applicants when their Green Card is ready for approval. And, cut-off dates on the dates for filing charts inform Green Card applicants when it is time to submit their application with the NVC, which means the Green Card will likely be ready for approval within the next year.
What does "current" mean in visa?
However, the term also is commonly used to simply indicate that a person has a case with a priority date that is earlier than the cutoff date.
Why is there a visa cutoff date?
As indicated above, the reason for the visa bulletin cutoff date system is that, by law, there are annual limits on the number of foreign nationals who can become U.S. permanent residents under most immigrant visa categories. The quota is controlled by the use of visa numbers, and allocated between the EB and FB green card categories.
What is priority date for FB?
In a family-based (FB) case, the priority date is assigned based on the date that the petition for alien relative (form I-130) is properly filed with the USCIS. Note, however, that in an immediate relative case – that is, a FB case filed for the spouse, parent, or minor child of a U.S. citizen – the priority date generally is not important. This category is not subject to visa backlogs and, therefore, such a case can move forward without waiting for a visa number to become available.
What is the second chart for I-485?
The second chart is designated as dates for filing (DF). For consular processing cases, these dates indicate “… when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.” Each month, the USCIS indicates on its website whether the DF dates can also be used as a basis for filing an I-485 application. Under this system, specified applicants are permitted to file their respective I-485s well in advance of green cards actually being available to them.
What does the FA chart mean for I-485?
The FA chart dates listed for both the EB and FB categories indicate which I-485 or immigrant visa cases may be approved in a given month. If the visa bulletin chart states “C” for a given category and country, that indicates that the numbers are current in the particular category for the country of chargeability. This means that there are enough visa numbers for anyone with an approved petition in this category to either receive an immigrant visa or obtain approval of her/his pending I-485 application.
What is the priority date for a green card?
The priority date in an employment-based (EB) green card case requiring a PERM labor certification is the officially acknowledged date that the case is filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). If the EB case is filed in a category that does not require a labor certification, then the priority date assigned is the date that the immigrant petition (most commonly form I-140) is properly filed with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
When can I file an I-485?
If, for example, a given priority date is not current for September, but shows as being available in the October Visa Bulletin, then the foreign national typically will be able to file the I-485 any date between October 1st and October 31st.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
A priority date is a date an immigrant petition was filed and received by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The priority date is secured once your immigrant petition is approved, at which time the applicant is placed in the visa queue for further processing. In other words, the priority date represents your place in line and helps estimate how long it will take before arriving in the US and receiving your green card.
What is the chart for employment based visas?
There are two important charts to monitor for the employment-based category visas, which are Chart A: Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases, and Chart B: Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications. Chart A is what we know as true as of the moment the Visa Bulletin is issued. Applications with the dates listed on Chart A: Final Action Dates on the monthly Visa Bulletin may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.
Why is there a limit on the number of green cards that can be issued each year?
The reason for a date showing on this chart is due to an overuse of that category. The U.S. Congress puts a limit on the number of green cards that can be issued each year with a specific quota for each visa category. Thousands of people are seeking green cards every year which has created several backlogs because the annual limit has been reached. Unfortunately, the Immigration Service will continue to file petitions; however, your place in that queue gets longer and longer if you do not have a green card petition filed.
What is chart B?
Chart B, is less talked about, and it is almost like the immigration crystal ball. What this chart states, is that by the end of the government fiscal year, (end of September) this is where the Immigration Service EXPECTS priority dates to have moved to. Chart B is often forgotten about, but it’s crucial to see what the future might look like!
Is every country listed in the Visa Bulletin?
As you can see, not every country is listed in these charts. In that second column, you can see “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” which refers to every single country in the world, except those listed in the columns to the right of that. In this month’s Visa Bulletin, “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” have the letter C listed. The countries that are typically separated from the rest of the world will have a specific date listed if there is a backlog.
