Change:

October 2017 Visa Bulletin

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

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

October 2017 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from October 1 to October 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 22DEC10
22DEC10 22DEC10 01MAR96 01JAN07
F2A 22OCT15 22OCT15 22OCT15 15OCT15 22OCT15
F2B 08NOV10 08NOV10 08NOV10  15JUL96 01JAN07
F3 22JUL05 22JUL05 22JUL05 22APR95  22FEB95
F4 08MAY04 08MAY04 01OCT03 01OCT97 01JUN94
"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 22MAY13 C 15SEP08 C C
3rd C 01JAN14 C 15OCT06  01DEC15
Other Workers C 01JAN06 15OCT06 01DEC15
4th C C 01NOV15  C 01MAR16  C
Certain Religious Workers C C 01NOV15 C 01MAR16 C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 22JUN14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 22JUN14 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 establish an October Final Action Date of 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. EXTENSION OF TWO EMPLOYMENT VISA CATEGORIES

HR 601 — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 extended both the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) and Employment Fifth Preference Pilot (I5 and R5) Categories until December 8, 2017.

F. VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS

FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential monthly movement)

Worldwide dates:

F1: Up to several months
F2A: Up to one month
F2B: Up to one month
F3: Three or four weeks
F4: Two or three weeks

EMPLOYMENT-based categories (potential monthly movement)

Employment First: The category will remain “Current”.

Employment Second:

Worldwide: Current

China: Up to four weeks

India: Up to one month

Employment Third:

Worldwide: Current

China: Up to four months

India: Limited forward movement

Mexico: Current

Philippines: Up to two months

Employment Fourth: Current for most countries.

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras: Up to three weeks

Mexico: some forward movement

Employment Fifth: The category will remain “Current” for most countries.

China-mainland born: Up to one week

The above final action date projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen on a monthly basis through January based on current applicant demand patterns. Readers should never assume that recent trends in final action date movements are guaranteed for the future, or that "corrective" action will not be required at some point in an effort to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits. The determination of the actual monthly final action dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables.


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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