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.
When is a a visa available?
A visa is available to you when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off date shown for your preference category and country of chargeability in the applicable chart in the Visa Bulletin, as described above in the Acceptance of Adjustment of Status Applications section. For example, if the Visa Bulletin shows a date ...
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.
What is date for filing in Visa Bulletin?
What is “Dates for Filing” in Visa Bulletin? The “dates for filing application” or simply “dates for filing” in Visa bulletin are the earliest dates when Green Card Applicants may be able to apply for green card or immigrant visa.
What is a current priority date with NVC?
The date your petition was filed is called your priority date.
How often is Visa Bulletin updated?
monthlyThe Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication that provides updated monthly numbers of the list of applicants and the "current" priority date for those applicants. The publication normally is issued the second or third week of each month.
What do I do if my priority date is current?
Only when your priority date becomes "current" can you take the next step: either apply for adjustment of status if you are already in the United States in legal status or otherwise eligible to use the adjustment of status procedure, or apply for an immigrant visa at an U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
How long does it take 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.
Is NVC scheduling interviews in 2022?
After reviewing your application, the NVC will schedule your immigrant visa interview. As of April 25, 2022, the NVC is reviewing documents submitted on or before February 4, 2022. Applicants must still complete all necessary formalities for their applications before the NVC reviews their case.
What happens when Visa Bulletin is current?
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 long does it take to get a green card 2022?
It takes 7 to 33 months to process a Green Card application. The Green Card processing time depends on the type of Green Card you are applying for, the location of the processing office and other factors. Family Preference Green Cards processing takes from 1 to 10 years depending on the wait time and yearly caps.
Why is USCIS taking so long to process 2022?
The reasons for these delays are twofold: (1) the COVID19 pandemic impacted the efficiency and productivity of USCIS and all government functions, including mail delivery, and (2) the Trump Administration delayed processing of visa petitions as a way to reduce the number of legal immigrants entering the United States.
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 long does it take to get green card after priority date becomes current?
After your priority date is current, you can submit your I-485, which will take around six months to process. Again, like the I-140, this depends on the caseload of your service center. All told, without premium processing, the total EB-2 processing time can range from a year and a half to several years.
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).
How long 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 is priority date determined?
In the employment-based categories, you are issued a priority date based on when your employer files a PERM application with the Department of Labor, or if no PERM application is required, by the date that an I-140 visa petition is filed on your behalf.
Is priority date same as filing date?
These two terms are often used interchangeably. This can be misleading because they do not always refer to the same date. A filing date is the date you file your application (for trade marks, patents or designs). The priority date is the date your legal right over such trade mark, patent or design commences.
How long does it take for NVC to send case to embassy?
After you have submitted all of your required documentation to the National Visa Center, paid the visa fees, and uploaded all of the necessary documents to your Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) portal, it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months for the National Visa Center to review your documentation and ...
When will the visa bulletin be released?
The U.S. Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for June 2021 . That’s a big deal if you’re waiting for your priority date to be current so that your green card application can move forward.
What countries are waiting for the EB-4?
No wait for the General Category, Central America, Mexico, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Four-month advance for China and two-month advance for India. In the EB-4 “special immigrants” category, most countries remain current, and Central America and Mexico advance.
How long does it take for Mexico to change its currency?
This category sees no change for all countries except Mexico, which sees a 4-month change
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 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.
Can I get an I-130 visa for my family?
If you have a family member that has filed an I-130 immigrant petition on your behalf, you may need to learn how to read the visa bulletin. Immediate relatives (spouses, parents and unmarried children under age 21 of U.S. citizens) have an unlimited number of visas available. But just about everybody else has to wait.
What is visa bulletin?
Visa bulletin is a monthly publication updated by the Department of State that controls the availability of immigrant visa numbers. It contains important information related to U.S. immigration. More specifically, the visa bulletin establishes cut-off dates for all employment-based and family-sponsored categories which are experiencing a shortage of visa numbers. Only applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date may apply for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status to become a permanent resident (receive a green card).
What is the final action date?
Final Action Date is a cutoff date set in the visa bulletin that controls visa number available. If your priority date is before the Final Action Date, your pending application is ready for approval.
What is preference based immigration?
Preference based immigration system sets an annual cap for the number of immigrants allowed each year, which ultimately determines the visa bulletin. However, the annual limits are not simple numbers; they are rather calculated based on complex formula set by various immigration laws.
Is priority date current?
If your preference category is subject to retrogression, but your priority date is prior to the cutoff date, this is also considered "current." In this case, your category is still backlogged, but your own priority date has become current.
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.
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.
When is a visa available?
A visa is available to you when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off date shown for your preference category and country of chargeability in the applicable chart in the Visa Bulletin, as described above in the Acceptance of Adjustment of Status Applications section.
What is the DOS visa bulletin?
DOS, working with the Department of Homeland Security, revises the Visa Bulletin each month to estimate immigrant visa availability for prospective adjustment of status applicants. If DOS makes any changes to either chart in the Visa Bulletin after publishing it, we will review those changes and determine if any further action is necessary. Check the latest dates for filing adjustment of status applications .
What does U visa mean?
If the Visa Bulletin shows “U” in a category, this means that immigrant visas are temporarily unavailable to all applicants in that particular preference category and/or country of chargeability.
What is the form I-485?
We will accept Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, from family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment of status preference applicants according to the monthly Visa Bulletin that DOS publishes as a guide for issuing visas at U.S. Consulates and Embassies.
What is the Immigration and Nationality Act?
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas the U.S. Department of State (DOS) can issue to aliens seeking to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) each year. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited, so they are always available.
What is visa retrogression?
Sometimes, a priority date that is current one month will not be current the next month, or the cut-off date will move backward to an earlier date. This is called visa retrogression, which occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category than there are visas available for that month. Visa retrogression generally occurs when the annual limit for a category or country has been exhausted or is expected to run out soon. When the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, a new supply of visa numbers becomes available. Usually, but not always, the new supply returns the cut-off dates to where they were before retrogression.
What is priority date for I-130?
For family-sponsored immigrants, the priority date is the date that the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, or in certain instances the Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow (er), or Special Immigrant, is properly filed with USCIS.
How to stay informed about the March 2021 visa?
To stay in the know about things like the March 2021 visa bulletin, you can subscribe to the Department of State’s newsletter by emailing [email protected] with the message “Subscribe Visa Bulletin.”
How long does it take for USCIS to announce chart?
USCIS announces which chart applicants can use within a week of the visa bulletin’s release.
How long did the Philippines advance in F-4?
Philippines advanced just over 5 months in the F-4 category. For the purposes of the July 2021 bulletin, USCIS has indicated to use the Dates for Filing chart for all Family-Sponsored preference categories, except the F2A category which should use the Final Action Dates Chart. Category. Rest of the. World.
What is the final action date chart?
The Final Action Date chart indicates whether or not it is expected that an immigrant visa number will be available.
What is priority date?
Each person who files a petition with the USCIS receives a priority date, which is the day that the government obtained your petition. A priority date establishes a person’s place in line to get an immigrant visa.
How long will the EB-5 advance?
The same goes for EB-3 (other) for India with advancement by over a year. EB-5 Vietnam also sees considerable advancement by one year and 11 months to April 1, 2020 and EB-5 China advances one month and 24 days to November 8, 2015. We will continue to monitor these movements and keep you informed whether USICS indicates applicants to use ...
Is it necessary to retrogress China-Mainland born and India Employment Third preference final action dates?
Regarding the November Visa Bulletin, the State Department has said, “It has been necessary to retrogress both the China-mainland born and India Employment Third preference final action dates. This is a direct result of hefty applicant demand for numbers, primarily by Citizenship and Immigration Services offices for adjustment of status cases.”