Change:

December 2017 Visa Bulletin

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

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

December 2017 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from December 1 to December 31 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 01FEB11
01FEB11 01FEB11 01APR96 01JAN05
F2A 22DEC15 22DEC15 22DEC15 15NOV15 22DEC15
F2B 22NOV10 22NOV10 22NOV10  22JUL96 01JUL06
F3 08SEP05 08SEP05 08SEP05 22MAY95  08MAR95
F4 08JUN04 08JUN04 22NOV03 08OCT97 01AUG94
"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 01JAN12 01JAN12 01JAN12 01NOV96 01OCT07
F2A 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16
F2B 01SEP11 01SEP11 01SEP11 01JAN97 01SEP07
F3 01DEC05 01DEC05 01DEC05 01OCT95 15JUN95
F4 15NOV04 15NOV04 22JUN04 08FEB98 01MAR95

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 01JUL13 C 01NOV08 C C
3rd C 08MAR14 C 15OCT06  15JAN16
Other Workers C 01JUL06 15OCT06 15JAN16
4th C C 08NOV15  C 22APR16  C
Certain Religious Workers C C 08NOV15 C 22APR16 C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 15JUL14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 15JUL14 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
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO  PHILIPPINES 
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 15NOV13 C 08FEB09  C C
3rd C 01SEP15 C 01JAN08 C 01AUG16
Other Workers C 01JUN08 C 01JAN08 C 01AUG16
4th C C 15APR16 C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 15APR16 C C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 01OCT14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 01OCT14 C C C C

Special Notice from USCIS:(Show/Hide)

D. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT (SI) TRANSLATOR CATEGORY VISA AVAILABILITY

Given the limited availability of visa numbers and the existing demand, the Department expects to reach the FY-2018 annual limit of 50 Special Immigrant Visas in the SI category early in the Fiscal Year. As a result, it has been necessary to hold the December Final Action Date at April 1, 2010. It is likely that number use will require the SI category to become “unavailable” in the coming months. Once the annual limit of 50 visas is reached, further issuances in the SI category will not be possible until October 2018, under the FY-2019 annual limit. The SQ Special Immigrant Visa category for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan is not affected and remains current.

E. RETROGRESSION OF PHILIPPINES FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CATEGORIES

The Philippines F1 and F2B final action dates had been advanced very rapidly during the course of the past year in an effort to generate sufficient demand to fully utilize all available numbers. In recent months the amount of applicant demand being received has been increasing at a steady pace. The level of such demand has reached a point where it has become necessary to retrogress each of those final action dates in an effort to hold number use within the annual limit for these preference categories.

F. SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF TWO EMPLOYMENT VISA CATEGORIES

Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR):

Pursuant to the continuing resolution, signed on September 8, 2017, the non-minister special immigrant program expires on December 8, 2017. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight December 7, 2017. Visas issued prior to this date will only be issued with a validity date of December 7, 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 December 7, 2017.

The final action date for this category has been listed as “Current” for December for all countries except El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, which are subject to specific final action dates for December. If there is no legislative action extending this category for FY-2018, the final action date would immediately become “Unavailable” for December for all countries effective December 8, 2017.

Employment Fifth Preference Categories (I5 and R5):

The continuing resolution signed on September 8, 2017 extended this immigrant investor pilot program until December 8, 2017. The I5 and R5 visas may be issued until close of business on December 8, 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 December 8, 2017.

The final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been listed as “Current” for December for all countries except China-mainland born, which is subject to a July 15, 2014 final action date. If there is no legislative action extending them for FY-2018, the final action dates would immediately become “Unavailable” for December for all countries effective December 9, 2017.


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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