Change:

April 2017 Visa Bulletin

For March 2017 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-march-2017.aspx

For analysis of April 2017 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-analysis-april-2017.aspx

April 2017 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from April 1 to April 30 only). Please see below for more details.

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. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 15OCT10 15OCT10 15OCT10  22MAY95  15JAN06
F2A 08JUN15 08JUN15 08JUN15  22MAY15 08JUN15
F2B 15SEP10 15SEP10 15SEP10 22DEC95 15JUN06
F3 15MAY05 15MAY05 15MAY05 08JAN95 15SEP94
F4 08MAY04 08MAY04 15AUG03 15JUN97 08SEP93
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01JAN11 01JAN11 01JAN11 01JUN95 01MAY06
F2A 22NOV15 22NOV15 22NOV15  22NOV15  22NOV15
F2B 08FEB11 08FEB11 08FEB11 01JUN96 01FEB07
F3 22AUG05 22AUG05 22AUG05 01MAY95 01JAN95
F4 01JUL04 01JUL04 01MAY04 01DEC97 01APR94

Employment 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. Your priority date should be before this date.
Employment-
based
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 15JAN13 C 22JUN08 C C
3rd 15FEB17  15AUG14 15FEB17  24MAR05  15FEB17   15SEP12
Other Workers 15FEB17  01MAR06 15FEB17  24MAR05 15FEB17  15SEP12
4th C C 15JUL15 C 15JUL15 C
Certain Religious Workers C C 15JUL15 C 15JUL15 C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 22MAY14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 22MAY14 C C C C
"Date for Filing Application" is the date when you can submit I-485/NVC applications to USCIS/DOS. Your priority date should be before this date.
Employment-
based
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO  PHILIPPINES 
1st C C C C C
2nd C 01MAR13 22APR09  C C
3rd C 01MAY14 01JUL05 C 01SEP13
Other Workers C 01AUG09 01JUL05 C 01SEP13
4th C C C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C C C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 15JUN14 C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 15JUN14 C C C

Special Notice from USCIS:(Show/Hide)

D.  RAPID MOVEMENT IN WORLDWIDE FAMILY FOURTH PREFERENCE CATEGORY

Despite the forward movement of the final action dates, the level of demand and resulting number use in several Family preferences has been below expectations.  This lower than expected demand has resulted in advancement of the April Worldwide Family Fourth Preference date at a pace that covers the period of several months projected in the March Visa Bulletin’s “Visa Availability in the Coming Months”.  This action will allow the overall desired allocation level of number use for and through April to be met.  There are signs that demand in the other categories will increase in the coming months, resulting in the higher monthly allocation totals required to allow number use to reach those desired levels.  The Fourth Preference date will then be held for a period of time while the anticipated monthly allocation levels in those other preferences increase, without drastically altering overall workload patterns.

E.  SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF TWO EMPLOYMENT VISA CATEGORIES

Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR): 

Pursuant to the continuing resolution signed on December 10, 2016, the non-minister special immigrant program expires on April 28, 2017.  No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight April 27, 2017. Visas issued prior to this date will only be issued with a validity date of April 27, 2017, and all individuals seeking admission as a non-minister special immigrant must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the U.S. no later than midnight April 27, 2017.

The final action date for this category has been listed as “Current” for April for all countries except El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, which are subject to a July 15, 2015 final action date for April.  If there is no legislative action extending this category for FY-2017, the final action date would immediately become “Unavailable” for April for all countries effective April 28, 2017.  

Employment Fifth Preference Categories (I5 and R5):

The continuing resolution signed on December 10, 2016 extended this immigrant investor pilot program until April 28, 2017. The I5 and R5 visas may be issued until close of business on April 28, 2017, and may be issued for the full validity period. No I5 or R5 visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after April 28, 2017.

The final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been listed as “Current” for April for all countries except China-mainland born, which is subject to a May 22, 2014 final action date.  If there is no legislative action extending them for FY-2017, the final action dates would immediately become “Unavailable” for April for all countries effective April 29, 2017.  

F.   SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA AVAILABILITY

The Department expects to exhaust the Special Immigrant Visas allocated by Congress under the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, as amended, not later than June 1, 2017.  As a result, the Final Action Date for the SQ category for certain Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan will become “Unavailable” effective June 2017.  No further interviews for Afghan principal applicants in the SQ category will be scheduled after March 1, 2017, and further issuances will not be possible after May 30, 2017. 

The SQ category for certain Iraqi nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq is not affected and remains current, though the application deadline was September 30, 2014. 

The FY-2017 annual limit of 50 Special Immigrant Visas in the SI category was reached in December 2016 and the Final Action Date remains “Unavailable.”  As included in the January 2017 Visa Bulletin, further issuances in the SI category will not be possible until October 2017, under the FY-2018 annual limit.


Also See:

More Options: If you are new to immigration process or would like to see what other immigration options are available, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/immigration/

Email Newsletter: To receive email as soon as latest visa bulletin is released, please click here.

When Can I Get My Green Card: Get step-by-step details on when you can expect to get your green card (including latest timeframe for each step of GC process for both EB and FB categories).

USCIS/NVC Timeframe: Please click here to see how long it currently takes to process application.

Current Step: If your priority date is not current, then you can calculate when it may become current, check your case status, case processing time, etc: https://www.mygcvisa.com/calculator

Next Steps: If priority date is current and

1. If applicant is inside US, they will have to file I-485: https://blog.mygcvisa.com/2013/04/how-to-file-i-485-application.html

2. If applicant is outside US, it will be sent to NVC: https://www.mygcvisa.com/nvc/overview-after-nvc-petition-approved.aspx

Recommended Reading:

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