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How To Read the U.S. Visa Bulletin

Many green card applicants will have to wait for an immigrant visa to become available before they can file their green card applications with the U.S. government. The visa bulletin is a monthly update that the U.S. government provides to keep green card applicants who have to wait for visas informed about whether the time is right to submit their green card applications. In this article, we explain in more detail what the visa bulletin is and how green card caps come to play, how to read the visa bulletin, and what visa retrogressions are.

Written by Jonathan Petts .  Updated November 22, 2022

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 : Petition for Alien Relative. Once you have submitted Form I-130, you’ll be able to check the visa bulletin to figure out the wait time for continuing your green card application.

Spouses, parents, and unmarried children (under the age of 21) of U.S. citizens who are applying for a green card do not have to wait for a visa number to become available. This means you don't need to read the Visa Bulletin if you are in these categories.

Spouses and unmarried children (under the age of 21) of U.S. green cardholders, however, will have to wait 12-18 months for their green card. Applicants from other categories will face varying green card wait times, which can range from years to even decades sometimes. Reading the Visa Bulletin is how you'll know what the current wait time is for your preference category and application type.

Green Card Caps, Backlogs, and the Visa Bulletin

The U.S. government places a limit on the number of green cards and visas issued each year. The Visa Bulletin allows the government to manage its backlog of green card and visa applications for foreign nationals. Each year, the government offers around 366,000 green cards, with quotas for specific applicant categories. Approximately 226,000 green cards go to  family-based green card  applicants and 140,000 go to employment-based green card applicants.

The U.S. government also limits available green cards by country of origin. No country can account for over 7% of all green cards in each category. Applicants from high-population countries such as China, El Salvador, India, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Philippines may face significant backlogs in the processing of their green card applications.

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.

Understanding Important Terms

First, you need to understand what some of the most important Visa Bulletin terms mean:

Priority date: A priority date is the date that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives your Form I-130. This date may determine your wait time for a green card. USCIS lists your priority date on the Form I-797 they sent you notifying you of USCIS’s approval of your Form I-130 petition.

Current: Your priority date will switch to “current” status when there is no backlog and no wait time for your green card. Your priority date becomes “current” once USCIS has a green card available for you.

Chargeability area: The chargeability area is your country of birth. USCIS uses this information to count your green card toward the quota for your foreign nation.

Immediate relative: An immediate relative is a U.S. citizen’s spouse, parent, or child (under the age of 21). Family-based green card applicants will fall under this category.

Cut-off date: The cut-off date is the boundary on which priority date holders are eligible to begin applying for green cards. If the cut-off date listed is on or after your priority date, you now have eligibility to apply.

Understanding Preference Categories

Next, you’ll need to understand how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) organizes green card applications for family-based applicants and identify which category your application falls under. You, your  parent(s) , or your  children  may be pursuing green cards based on a familial connection to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

USCIS uses four major preference cases to divide applications: ‍

The F1 (first preference) category: The cap for the F1 category is 23,400 green cards each year. This category applies to unmarried adults (aged 21 and over) who are the children of U.S. citizens

The F2 (second preference) category: The cap for the F2 category is 114,200 green cards each year. This category applies to spouses and unmarried children of U.S. green cardholders. The F2 category has two different subcategories.

The F2A subcategory: The cap for the F2A subcategory is 87,934 green cards each year. This subcategory applies to the spouses and unmarried minor children (under the age of 21) of U.S. green cardholders. The wait time for this category is much shorter than for other family-based preference categories. 75 percent of the green cards in the F2A subcategory are exempt from the country caps.

The F2B subcategory: The cap for the F2B subcategory is 26,266 green cards each year. This subcategory applies to unmarried adult children (aged 21 and over) of U.S. green cardholders.

The F3 (third preference) category: The cap for the F3 category is 23,400 green cards each year. This category applies to married children of U.S. citizens, regardless of their age.

The F4 (fourth preference) category: The cap for the F4 category is 65,000 green cards each year. This category applies to brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.

Reading Date Charts

Once you have identified your priority date and preference category, you can now move on to read the “dates for filing” chart . This chart will tell you which green card applicants living outside of the United States may now submit their applications with the National Visa Center (NVC), although a green card won’t yet be ready for them. These applicants will be able to work on gathering and submitting all necessary documents for their application earlier. 

Another chart, the “ final action dates” chart , tells you which priority dates are current. Cut-off dates in the dates for filing chart are a bit later (between 1-10 months later) than those in the final action dates chart. The NVC does this so that, if you’re applying from outside the United States, you can focus on assembling your applications in advance. Once your priority date appears in the final action dates chart, the NVC will have all of your materials ready to consider.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) directs the dates for filing chart toward those applying for green cards from outside of the United States through a local U.S. consulate or embassy (consular processing). USCIS also maintains a page on its  website  for green card applicants living in the United States. This page describes whether green card applicants in the United States can submit their applications based on the dates for filing chart on the visa bulletin or whether they must follow the dates listed on their final action dates chart instead.

If you are a green card applicant living in the United States, you can start an  adjustment of status  application through  Form I-485 : Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status while simultaneously applying for a work permit ( Employment Authorization ) or travel permit ( Advance Parole  document). These benefits can allow you to work in the United States or travel abroad while waiting for your green card application decision.

A Note on Country-Specific Columns

You’ll also see that there are columns for certain countries including China, El Salvador, India, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Philippines. You should be aware that, for applicants from these countries, wait times for green cards can take much longer. The annual demand for green cards from these countries always exceeds the official 7% cap from each country, so there can be a lot of backlogs.

If applying from the F2A preference subcategory, however, spouses from China, El Salvador, India, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Philippines may only need to wait a few additional weeks to receive their green cards. Most green card applications in the F2A subcategory are exempt from the country cap. Other relatives from these countries may face wait times of years to over a decade depending on their unique circumstances.

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. USCIS calls this a “visa retrogression.” Visa retrogressions happen most commonly in September, which is the end of the government’s fiscal year. Visa retrogressions can come either with an advance warning or unexpectedly.

Since visa retrogressions may happen at any time, you should be prepared to file your green card application as soon as the bulletin says a green card is available for you. If you don’t file your application during a month when a green card is available for you, you may face a retrogression in the next month and have to wait even longer to complete your application.

If you have already filed your application and USCIS announces a visa retrogression, they will hold your application until they can next review it at their earliest convenience. Make sure to keep your contact information, such as your address , up to date with USCIS.

If you have not yet filed your green card application and USCIS announces a visa retrogression, you’ll need to wait until your priority date becomes current to continue filing your application.

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Secretary Mayorkas Announces Extension and Redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status

News release  originally published by the Department of Homeland Security.

WASHINGTON —Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced the extension and redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from Aug. 4, 2024, to Feb. 3, 2026, due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti. The corresponding Federal Register Notice provides information about registering for TPS as a new or current beneficiary under Haiti’s extension and redesignation.

After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Mayorkas determined on June 3, 2024, that an 18-month extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS is warranted because conditions that support Haiti’s designation are ongoing and that doing so was not contrary to the national interest of the United States. Several regions in Haiti continue to face violence or insecurity, and many have limited access to safety, health care, food, and water. Haiti is particularly prone to flooding and mudslides, and often experiences significant damage due to storms, flooding, and earthquakes. These overlapping humanitarian challenges have resulted in ongoing urgent humanitarian needs.

“We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “In doing so, we are realizing the core objective of the TPS law and our obligation to fulfill it.”

The redesignation of Haiti for TPS allows an estimated 309,000 additional Haitian nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to file initial applications for TPS, if they are otherwise eligible and if they established residence in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, and have continued to reside in the United States since then (“continuous residence”). Eligible individuals who do not have TPS may submit an initial Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status , during the initial registration period that runs from July 1, 2024, through Feb. 3, 2026. Applicants also may apply for TPS-related Employment Authorization Documents and for travel authorization. Applicants can request an EAD by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , with their Form I-821, or separately later.

Haitians who were not residing in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, are not eligible for such protection, and will face removal to Haiti if they do not establish a legal basis to stay.

The extension of TPS for Haiti allows current beneficiaries to retain TPS through Feb. 3, 2026, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. Current beneficiaries under TPS for Haiti must re-register in a timely manner during the 60-day re-registration period from July 1, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2024, to ensure they keep their TPS and employment authorization. Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for and were granted TPS under Haiti’s initial designation.

DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants who apply for a new EAD may receive it before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending through Aug. 3, 2025, the validity of certain EADs previously issued under Haiti’s TPS designation. Details will be available on USCIS.gov.

If you have one of these EADs, to get an EAD that is valid after Aug. 3, 2025, you must re-register for TPS and file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , following the instructions in the Federal Register notice extending and redesignating Haiti for TPS through Feb. 3, 2026. If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approves your newly filed Form I-765, USCIS will issue you an EAD valid through Feb. 3, 2026.

USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Haiti. Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status , or a related Form I-765 as of July 1, 2024, do not need to file either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designation of TPS for Haiti, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through Feb. 3, 2026, and issue an EAD valid through the same date.

The Federal Register Notice explains eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs, and for new applicants to submit an initial application under the redesignation and apply for an EAD.

This extension and redesignation does not apply for anyone who was not already in the United States on June 3, 2024, and consequences continue to be enforced on those attempting to cross unlawfully or without authorization into the United States. Since the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and Interim Final Rule was issued in early June, over 24,000 noncitizens have been removed or returned to more than 20 countries. All irregular migration journeys, especially maritime routes, are extremely dangerous, unforgiving, and often result in loss of life. DHS will continue to enforce U.S. laws and policy throughout the Florida Straits and the Caribbean region, as well as at the southwest border. U.S. policy is to return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.

Security Alert May 17, 2024

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The Visa Bulletin

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Accepting, Serving in, or Performing Duties of a Position with the Government of a Foreign State - Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Sectioin 349(a)(4)

Loss of U.S. Nationality and Service in the Armed Forces of a Foreign State - Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 349(a)(3)

Visa Bulletin For January 2022

Number 61 Volume X Washington, D.C

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A. STATUTORY NUMBERS

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during  January  for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at  www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo , individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security must use the “Final Action Dates” charts below for determining when they can file such applications. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” charts in this Bulletin. 

1.  Procedures for determining dates. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; USCIS reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by December  8th . If not all demand could be satisfied, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The final action date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. If it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a final action date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new final action date announced in this bulletin. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category “unavailable”, and no further requests for numbers would be honored.

2.  Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000.  The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.  Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620.  The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.

3.  INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas:  CHINA-mainland born, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES. 

4.  Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows: 

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First : ( F1 ) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second : Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents:  114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. ( F2A ) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:  77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. ( F2B ) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents:  23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third : ( F3 ) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth : ( F4 ) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens:  65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

A.   FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); "C" means current, i.e., numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants; and "U" means unauthorized, i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance. (NOTE: Numbers are authorized for issuance only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the final action date listed below.)

B.  DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date.

The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which is earlier than the listed date may file their application.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 4.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. 

5.  Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows: 

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES

First :  Priority Workers:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second :  Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third :  Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers:  28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers".

Fourth :  Certain Special Immigrants:  7.1% of the worldwide level.

Fifth :  Employment Creation:  7.1% of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of Pub. L. 102-395.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

*Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category:  Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW final action date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002. For Fiscal Year 2022 this reduction will be limited to approximately 150.

B.  DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. 

B .   DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program.  This will result in reduction of the DV-2022 annual limit to approximately 54,850. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.

For  January , immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2022 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers  BELOW  the specified allocation cut-off number:

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-2022 program ends as of September 30, 2022. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2022 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2022 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2022. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2022 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.

C.   THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN FEBRUARY

For  February , immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2022 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers  BELOW  the specified allocation cut-off number:

D.   EXPIRATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIFTH PREFERENCE I5 AND R5 REGIONAL CENTER VISA CATEGORIES

Division O, Title 1, Section 104 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extended the immigrant investor pilot program until June 30, 2021.  No I5 or R5 visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases after June 30, 2021.

The final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been listed as “Unavailable” for January.

If there is legislative action extending this category for January, the final action dates would immediately become “Current” for January for all countries except China-mainland born I5 and R5, which would be subject to a November 22, 2015 final action date.

E.   EXTENSION OF EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE CERTAIN RELIGIOUS WORKERS (SR) CATEGORY

H.R. 6119, “Further Extending Government Funding Act” extended the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until February 18, 2022. Pursuant to the continuing resolution, the non-minister special immigrant program expires on February 18, 2022. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight February 17, 2022. Visas issued prior to this date will only be issued with a validity date of February 17, 2022, and all individuals seeking admission as a non-minister special immigrant must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the U.S. no later than midnight February 17, 2022.

The SR category is listed as current for all countries for January except El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which are subject to a March 15, 2019 final action date, and Mexico, which is subject to an April 1, 2020 final action date. 

F.   FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON VISA PROCESSING AT U.S. EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PLEASE VISIT THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS WEBSITE AT TRAVEL.STATE.GOV

Department of State Publication 9514 CA/VO:   December 8, 2021

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