*This page is for people waiting on an immigration case or visa approval. It helps you understand how long cases may take and how the Visa Bulletin affects when you can move forward.*

The State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin every month to show the backlog for those waiting on a green card. It functions as a monthly update to the waiting list by showing the Priority Dates for family and employment-based categories. 

The Priority Date is the date when a principal applicant first demonstrated their intent of immigration to the U.S. government. 

• For family-based applications, the Priority Date is the date that the immigration petition was filed and received by USCIS. 

• For employment-based applications, the priority date is the date that the immigration petition was filed with USCIS, under categories where a labor certification is not required, or when the U.S. Department of Labor, receives the labor certification application, under categories where a labor certification is required. 

The Priority Date is not established until USCIS approves the immigration petition. You can find your priority date on the top of the I-797 Notice of Action.

Family-Based Applications: Finding Your Preference Category 

Your preference category for family-based applications is determined by your relationship to the petitioner. It also depends on whether the petitioner is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.

• F1 - Unmarried, adult sons and daughters (age 21 or over) of U.S. citizens

• F2A - Spouses and unmarried children (under 21) of permanent residents

• F2B - Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents

• F3 - Married sons and daughters (any age) of U.S. citizens

• F4 - Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens

F2A Category Cutoff Date:

In the F2A category, there is a cutoff date on the Dates for Filing chart. However, the category is “current” on the Final Action Dates chart. This means that applicants in the F2A category may file using the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for that month.

For all the other family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for the current month.

Employment-Based Applications: Finding Your Preference Category

Preference categories for employment-based applications have cap levels and are broken down into the following employment categories:

• First: Priority Workers

  • Aliens of Extraordinary Ability

  • International Managers/Executives

  • Outstanding Professors and Researchers

• Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability

• Third: Skilled Workers

• Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants

  • Religious Workers

  • Special Immigrant Juveniles

• Fifth: Employment Creation

The Visa Bulletin has a few more employment categories:

• Under the Employment Third Preference, there’s a separate category called “Other workers.”

• Under the Employment Fourth Preference, there’s a separate category for “Certain religious workers.”

• The Fifth Category is divided into two subcategories:

  • 5th Non-Regional Center. (C5 and T5)

  • 5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)

Restriction for Fifth Preference:

USCIS will not accept any new employment-based fifth preference adjustment of status applications based on the Regional Center Program until that program is reauthorized. 

Reading the Visa Bulletin

In order to read the Visa Bulletin, you will need to visit the U.S. Department of State website, and click on the “Current Visa Bulletin.” From there, you will need to visit your corresponding preference, whether it is “Family-Sponsored Preferences” or “Employment-Based Preferences.” 

Next, find your preference category, and compare your priority date to the date listed. If your priority date is before the date listed on the table, then your immigrant visa is current.

Please note that the column labeled “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” refers to all countries other than China, India, Mexico, or Philippines. 

Final Action Dates

Final Action Dates on the Visa Bulletin refer to the dates when the actual green card numbers are available for that country and category. 

Date of Filing

The “Date of Filing” determines whether or not you can submit the final immigrant visa application.

Why do immigration cases take so long?

Immigration processes can take a long time, and the wait times for different processes can vary greatly. The following factors may contribute to the delays:

• Type of case

• Complexity of the case

• Workload of the agency

• Political climate

For example, deportation proceedings can take a long time because of the large number of cases that immigration courts handle, as well as the complexity of the cases. Additionally, the right to due process and the ability to appeal a decision can also prolong the process.

Family-based green card cases can also take a long time due to the large number of applications that are submitted and the limited number of green cards that are available each year. Additionally, the process can be further delayed if the individual is subject to the visa backlog, which is determined by the country of origin.

Employment-based green card cases can take a long time due to the limited number of green cards available each year and the large number of applications that are submitted. Additionally, the process can be further delayed if the individual is subject to the visa backlog, which is determined by the country of origin.

Visa applications can also take a long time due to the large number of applications that are submitted and the limited number of visa numbers that are available each year. Additionally, the process can be further delayed if the individual is subject to security checks or if the consular post is located in a country with a high demand for visas.

FOIA requests, or Freedom of Information Act requests, take a long time due to the large number of requests that are submitted and the limited resources available to process the requests. Additionally, some requests may be denied if the information requested is classified or if it is considered to be sensitive.