UPDATE - In October, USCIS will accept I-485 applications based on the Department of State’s more favorable Dates for Filing chart. If the applicant’s priority date is before the date listed in the Dates for Filing chart for the applicable preference category and country of birth, an I-485 application can be filed. However, the case will not be adjudicated until the applicant’s priority date is current based on the Final Action Dates chart.
The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.
Below is a summary of the October Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month.
China: EB-1 advances three months to June 1, 2018; EB-2 moves forward six weeks to March 1, 2016; and EB-3 advances nearly five months to July 1, 2017.
India: EB-1 advances three months to June 1, 2018; EB-2 moves ahead two months to September 1, 2009; and EB-3 jumps forward three months to January 15, 2010.
All Other Countries: EB-1 and EB-2 remain current; EB-3 returns to current for the first time since February 2020.
NOTE 1: The October Visa Bulletin predicts “rapid forward movement” across all categories and countries in the coming months.
NOTE 2: Do not be fooled by the favorable dates listed in the Dates for Filing chart. USCIS has not yet announced if it will accept I-485 applications in October based on the Department of State’s Dates for Filing chart. The trend over the last several months has been to NOT honor the Dates for Filing chart, and instead only accept I-485 applications based on the Final Action Dates as listed above.
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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 continue to accelerate availability of green cards for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.
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 has resulted in accelerating them for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.
The State Department has published the February Visa Bulletin. All categories will freeze next month except All Other Countries EB-3 Professionals, which advances under both Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.
The State Department has published the January Visa Bulletin. In most cases, advances in priority dates are even greater than they were in December, ranging from 1 week for All Other Countries EB-3 Professionals to 1 full year for China EB-3 Other Workers. Moreover, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing chart in January, allowing from 2 to 10 months of additional filing time, depending on nationality and category, with India the clear front-runner here.
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