Business Immigration Insights

The State Department has published the April Visa Bulletin. The trend that began in March continues in April: the executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries (see Note 1) continue to accelerate availability of green cards for other countries that are not subject to the suspension. Further moving things ahead, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing chart in April, allowing from 6 to 14 months of additional filing time, depending on nationality and category.

Below is a summary, which is based on Final Action Dates and shows changes from the previous month, but first – some background if you’re new to these blog posts.  If you’re familiar with the Visa Bulletin, feel free to skip the following bullet points:

• The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which then releases two charts – “Dates for Filing” and “Final Action Dates” – and designates which chart will apply that month.
• If USCIS designates Dates for Filing and your priority date (that is, the date you were placed on the waiting list) is earlier than the cutoff date for your nationality and category in that chart, you may submit your I‑485 adjustment of status application (if you’re eligible to apply with USCIS from inside the United States). However, USCIS cannot approve the application and issue your green card until your priority date is current in Final Action Dates.
• If you are applying from outside the United States, you cannot file your DS‑260 immigrant visa application until the National Visa Center notifies you to do so, and your home embassy cannot issue you an immigrant visa until your priority date is current in Final Action Dates.

Now for the April Visa Bulletin:

All Other Countries is current in two categories and progresses in one:

• EB-1 remains current
• EB-2 becomes current
• EB-3 Professionals advances 8 months to June 1, 2024
• EB-3 Other Workers pauses at November 1, 2021

 China progresses in three categories:

• EB-1 advances 1 month to April 1, 2023
• EB-2 holds at September 1, 2021
• EB-3 Professionals advances5 months to June 15, 2021
• EB-3 Other Workers advances almost 3 months to February 1, 2019

 India progresses in two categories:

• EB-1 advances 1 month to April 1, 2023
• EB-2 advances 10 months to July 15, 2014
• EB-3 Professionals and EB-3 Other Workers hold at November 15, 2013

 NOTE 1: Effective January 21, 2026, the State Department paused adjudications of all immigrant visa and I-485 adjustment adjudications for individuals from the following countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

These individuals may still file their applications, but government agencies will not process them.  See our blog entry, USCIS Pauses Adjudication of Benefit Requests, for details.

NOTE 2: USCIS will accept I-485 applications in April based on the more favorable Dates for Filing chart, which allows from 6 to 14 months of additional filing time depending on nationality and category:

• Nationals in the All Other Countries chargeability area may file I-485 applications 9 months before their priority dates are current in EB-3 Other Workers. Moreover, EB-2 and EB-3 Professionals are current in April under Dates for Filing.
• Chinese nationals gain 8 months to file in EB‑1; 4 months in EB-2; 6.5 months in EB‑3 Professionals; and 8 months in EB‑3 Other Workers.
• Indian nationals gain 8 months to file in EB-1; 6 months in EB-2; and 14 months in EB-3 Professionals/Other Workers.