Business Immigration Insights

The State Department has published the March Visa Bulletin, marking the midpoint in the fiscal year. This is typically when priority dates slow their forward movement, stop entirely, or even reverse, but a series of executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries (see Note 1) has resulted in accelerating them for other countries that are not subject to the suspension. Further moving things ahead, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing chart in March, allowing from 3.5 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 March Visa Bulletin:

All Other Countries progresses in all categories:

• EB-1 remains current
• EB-2 advances 5 months to October 15, 2024
• EB-3 Professionals advances 4 months to October 1, 2023
• EB-3 Other Workers advances 2 months to November 1, 2021

 India progresses in two categories:

• EB-1 advances 1 month to March 1, 2023
• EB-2 advances 2 months to September 15, 2013
• EB-3 Professionals and EB-3 Other Workers are still frozen at November 15, 2013

 China progresses in one category:

• EB-1 advances 1 month to March 1, 2023
• EB-2 holds at September 1, 2021
• EB-3 Professionals pauses at May 1, 2021
• EB-3 Other Workers stalls at December 8, 2018

 NOTE 1:  Effective January 21, 2026, the State Department paused all immigrant visa issuance to applicants 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.

NOTE 2:  USCIS will accept I-485 applications in March based on the more favorable Dates for Filing chart, which allows from 3.5 to 14 months of additional filing time depending on nationality and category:

• Nationals in All Other Countries category may file I-485 applications 3.5 months before their priority dates are current in EB-3 Professionals and almost 8 months in EB-3 Other Workers. Moreover, EB-2 is current in March under Dates for Filing.
• Indian nationals gain 9 months to file in EB-1; almost 14 months in EB-2; and 9 months in EB-3 Professionals/Other Workers.
• Chinese nationals gain 9 months to file in EB‑1; 4 months in EB-2; 8 months in EB‑3 Professionals; and almost 10 months in EB‑3 Other Workers.