Visa Bulletin Archive for July 2023

This is an archived version of the State Department’s Visa Bulletin. Here’s the latest Visa Bulletin.

If you don’t know what a “visa bulletin” or a “priority date” is, we’ve got you covered. Start by checking out the Boundless guide on How to Read the Visa Bulletin.

If you’re already familiar with those terms, scroll down to our summary of key developments or to the filing category that’s most relevant to you:

Family-based categories

• F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. Citizens
• F-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders
• F-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card Holders
• F-3: Married Children of U.S. Citizens
• F-4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens

Employment-based categories

• EB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and Multinational Executives and Managers
• EB-2: Exceptional People and Advanced Degree Holders
• EB-3: Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, and Unskilled Workers
• EB-4: Special Immigrants
• EB-5: Investors

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Every month, USCIS announces whether applicants already living in the United States should file their “adjustment of status” applications based on the “Final Action Dates” or the “Dates for Filing.”

For July, family-based applicants must use the “Dates for Filing” (available on the State Department’s website), while employment-based applicants must use the "Final Action Dates" (also available on the State Department's website).

IMPORTANT: In April, the Visa Bulletin saw a significant change to the F-2A family-based category (Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders).

Due to a growing backlog of cases in this category, the “Final Action Dates” for F-2A applications are no longer “current” for the first time in several years. *“Final Action Dates” refer to applications whose priority dates have reached the front of the line and can now be adjudicated.

Although the “Final Action Dates” are no longer current, the “Dates for Filing” have remained current for the F-2A category, meaning spouses and unmarried children of U.S. green card holders can still file their green card applications for now. Despite still being able to file, these cases will NOT be adjudicated until the priority date is current.

This change is likely to significantly increase wait times for green cards under the F-2A category. Boundless will continue to track this development closely — stay tuned here for future updates.

Family-Based Green Card Backlogs

F-1: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 AND OLDER) OF U.S. CITIZENS

This category sees an 8-month change for the General Category, China, and India, and a 1-month change for India. No change for the Philippines.

F-2A: SPOUSES AND UNMARRIED CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 21) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS

This category sees no change, with all countries remaining current.

F-2B: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 OR OLDER) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS

This category sees no change for all countries except Mexico, which sees a 3-month change.

F-3: MARRIED CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS

This category sees a 3-week change for the General Category, China, and India, and no change for all other countries.

F-4: SIBLINGS OF U.S. CITIZENS

This category sees a 1-month change for the General Category and China, a 2-week change for Mexico, and no change for all other countries.

EB-1: EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSORS, AND MULTINATIONAL EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS

This category sees no change for all countries.

EB-2: EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE AND ADVANCED DEGREE HOLDERS

This category sees no change for all countries.

EB-3: BACHELOR’S DEGREE HOLDERS, SKILLED WORKERS, AND UNSKILLED WORKERS

This category saw a retrogression of -3 years, 6 months, 2 weeks for India, a 4-month retrogression for the General Category, Central America, Mexico, and the Philippines, and no change for China.

The EB-4 “special immigrants” category saw no change for each country. The EB-5 "investors" category saw no changes except an 11-month retrogression for India.

Why This Matters

If you’re in line for a green card, it’s important to keep track of actual changes (and likely future developments) in the Visa Bulletin. It’s always a good idea to prepare all the documents needed for your green card application ahead of time, so you can be ready to file as quickly as possible once the Visa Bulletin shows that a green card is available to you. By failing to file in a month when a green card is available, you risk facing a surprise backward movement (“retrogression”) in the next Visa Bulletin, which would close your window of opportunity for filing a green card application. Stay tuned for next month’s update! As always, we’ll highlight all the important changes for you.