visa bulletin 2022 predictions
According to the Department of State's March 2022 Visa Bulletin, the following final action cutoff dates will apply for the issuance of an immigrant visa for employment-based categories: EB-1: All countries, including India and China, will remain current. Nepal 1,450. The final action date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASEDVISAAPPLICATIONS. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category unavailable, and no further requests for numbers would be honored. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category unavailable, and no further requests for numbers would be honored. U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2023 program ends as of September 30, 2023. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. For October, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2023 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. A. It does not include future demand (which can increase or decrease anytime). 4. 4. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program. March 2023 Visa Bulletin Predictions Here are our predictions for the March 2023 visa bulletin: India EB2 will remain the same India EB3 will advance by 1 month Family-based preference categories will begin advancing again, possibly by 1 month for some countries Will India EB2 Receive Spillover Numbers? If a category is designated current, all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2022 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2022. The results of the October 2022 Visa Bulletin were not only frustrating for potential green card applicants, but also shocking. Your priority date should be before this date. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of States National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of States National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The fiscal year 2022 limit for employment-based preference immigrants calculated under INA 201 is 281,507. U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS. (NOTE: Numbers are authorized for issuance only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the final action date listed below. ForFebruary, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2022 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. Preliminary consolidated number use by State and USCIS for all of FY-2022 shows there were approximately 57,000 unused family-sponsored visa numbers. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit; B. The October 2022 Visa Bulletin has been released by the USCIS, with new priority dates listed for the month of October. B.DIVERSITYIMMIGRANT(DV)CATEGORY FOR THE MONTHOF NOVEMBER. 4. * Note: Dates in red indicate that priority went backwards instead of forwards which is known as retrogression. Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications charts in this Bulletin. Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which is earlier than the listed date may file their application. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The key of our prediction is that there will be no 'forward movement' for F1-All Countries until at least the summer of 2022, and most likely no movement until the end of fiscal year 2022 in September 2022. US Dept of State Work-Sponsored Visa Bulletin Predictions for September 2022 All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed Mainland China India Mexico Philippines Need help? With FY23 starting in a few weeks, Mr. Parker also provided predictions on what to expect in the October 2022 Visa Bulletin. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASEDVISAAPPLICATIONS. Heavy China-mainland born and India demand along with lower visa number availability for FY-2023 as compared to FY-2021 and FY-2022 has made these corrective actions necessary to keep number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2023 annual limits. Visas issued prior to this date will only be issued with a validity date of February 17, 2022, and all individuals seeking admission as a non-minister special immigrant must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the U.S. no later than midnight February 17, 2022. For Fiscal Year 2022 this reduction will be limited to approximately 150. Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSOREDVISA APPLICATIONS. F1: Family-Sponsored First Preference (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) F2A: Family-Sponsored Second Preference, Subcategory A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) F2B: Family-Sponsored Second Preference, Subcategory B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents) Procedures for determining dates. Fifth:Employment Creation: 7.1% of the worldwide level, of which 32% are reserved as follows: 20% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a rural area; 10% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a high unemployment area; and 2% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in infrastructure projects. Philippines - Next Month's Predictions Latest Published Visa Bulletin India F4 - Next Month's Prediction Latest Published F4 Visa Bulletin Gain access to 20+ year prediction for your personal timeline or message us with a question. Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State. It was necessary to retrogress the final action date for the China-mainland born Employment-Based Fifth Preference unreserved categories due to heavy demand for numbers, primarily for visa issuances abroad. If a category is designated current, all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date. Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. Let's take a deeper dive into the results of the bulletin and what this means for green card hopefuls. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website atwww.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo,individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security must use the Final Action Dates charts below for determining when they can file such applications. A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. Final Action Date - Feb 8, 2012. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbersBELOWthe specified allocation cut-off number: Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by September1st. Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 4.A.) L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. C.THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANTCATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFSWHICH WILL APPLY IN OCTOBER. A. The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. EB-2: China will remain at July 1, 2018, and India will remain at September 1, 2011. *Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. The SR category is subject to the same final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability. B.DIVERSITYIMMIGRANT(DV)CATEGORY FOR THE MONTHOF JANUARY. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2023 program ends as of September 30, 2023. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website atwww.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo,individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security must use the Final Action Dates charts below for determining when they can file such applications. You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit; B. Upcoming Visa Bulletin March 2023 USCIS, in coordination with Department of State (State), is revising the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status. Increased demand in the Employment Second category may necessitate the establishment of a worldwide final action date in the coming months to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the Fiscal Year 2023 annual limit. this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. ), B. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly. In addition, sufficient India demand has materialized in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference unreserved categories to require the imposition of a final action date for October. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbersBELOWthe specified allocation cut-off number: Except: Iran 2,500 If it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a final action date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new final action date announced in this bulletin. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30. The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. Your priority date should be before this date. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSOREDVISA APPLICATIONS. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbersBELOWthe specified allocation cut-off number: D.EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE ANNUAL LIMIT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023. For November, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2023 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. 1. EB-2: India will advance by 4 months to May 1, 2013, and China will remain at March 1, 2019. Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows: First:(F1)Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas: CHINA-mainland born, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES. January 2022 About the Visa Bulletin DOS publishes current immigrant visa availability information in a monthly Visa Bulletin. Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. November 2022 Visa Bulletin Predictions. Therefore, further corrective action has been necessary to ensure that the limited supply of visa numbers is allocated by priority date in accordance with INA 203(e). This is a change from recent predictions. Visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until December 15, 2022, and all individuals seeking admission in the non-minister special immigrant category must be admitted (repeat admitted) into the United States no later than midnight December 15, 2022. August 2022 Visa Bulletin Predicted Priority Dates for India EB3. 4. It marked the beginning of the government's 2023 fiscal year, and a retrogression in India's EB2 category of over 2 years and 8 months was simply not expected, even by experts in the field. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 35,525 for FY-2022. B. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. Except for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, all countries are subject to a final action date of 22JUN22 and an application filing date of 22JUL22. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2022 program ends as of September 30, 2022. You can estimate your own green card date based on the same AI algorithm which we use for predicting visa bulletins. C.THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANTCATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFSWHICH WILL APPLY IN DECEMBER. Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers". Since the EW final action date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2023 program ends as of September 30, 2023. INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. A. *Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. H.R. Please see September 2022 Visa Bulletin Predictions below (for both Family Based and Employment Based categories for all countries): Family Based: Final Action Dates Dates For Filing Applications "Final Action Date" is the date when when USCIS/DOS may render their final decision on submitted applications. Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers". Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of States National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. Date of Filing (DOF) Filing Action (FA) Predictions . The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications charts in this Bulletin. Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference. If not all demand could be satisfied, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences. The C listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicants priority date. If there is legislative action extending this category, the December dates would be applied for the entire month. Due to patterns we have seen in the past, the USCIS typically tries to narrow the gap between India EB2 and EB3 priority dates. Your priority date should be before . If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; USCIS reports applicants for adjustment of status. INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers". Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. J. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbersBELOWthe specified allocation cut-off number: Except: Iran 4,000 This will result in reduction of the DV-2022 annual limit to approximately 54,850. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of States National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. ForDecember, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2023 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows: First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences. Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows: First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of States National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. Reset Update Tracker Graph Results New Immigrants Insurance Get Quotes New Immigrants Insurance Overview Read Article Visitors Insurance Get Quotes No Results Found Legend Please see below for more details or click here to view in PDF format. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbersBELOWthe specified allocation cut-off number: D.SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE (SR) RELIGIOUS WORKERSCATEGORY. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal.