Change:

April 2018 Visa Bulletin

For March 2018 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-march-2018.aspx

For analysis of April 2018 Visa Bulletin, please click here: https://www.mygcvisa.com/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-analysis-april-2018.aspx

April 2018 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 08APR11
08APR11 08APR11 08SEP96 01JAN06
F2A 01MAY16 01MAY16 01MAY16 01APR16 01MAY16
F2B 08APR11 08APR11 08APR11 01NOV96 01NOV06
F3 08JAN06 08JAN06 08JAN06 08JUL95  22MAR95
F4 15SEP04 15SEP04 15FEB04 08DEC97 15DEC94
"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 15JAN98 01OCT07
F2A 22SEP17 22SEP17 22SEP17 22SEP17 22SEP17
F2B 01SEP11 01SEP11 01SEP11 01JAN97 01SEP07
F3 01SEP06 01SEP06 01SEP06 15DEC97 15JUN95
F4 08MAR05 08MAR05 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 01JAN12 C 01JAN12 C C
2nd 01AUG14 C 22DEC08 C C
3rd C 01JUN15 C 01FEB08  01JAN17
Other Workers C 01APR07 01FEB08 01JAN17
4th C C 15DEC15  C 08AUG16 C
Certain Religious Workers U U U U U U
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 22JUL14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
U U U U U U
"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 01FEB15 C 08FEB09  C C
3rd C 01JAN16 C 01APR08 C 01JUL17
Other Workers C 01JUN08 C 01APR08 C 01JUL17
4th C C 15APR16 C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 15APR16 C C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 01SEP14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 01SEP14 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 this year. As a result, it has been necessary to maintain an April Final Action Date of April 22, 2012. 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. OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF THE CHINA-mainland born AND INDIA EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIRST (E1) PREFERENCE CATEGORIES

There continues to be an extremely high rate of demand for E1 numbers, primarily for USCIS adjustment of status applicants. Pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, it has been necessary to impose E1 Final Action Dates for these two countries, which have already reached their per-country limit. This action will allow the Department to hold worldwide number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2018 annual limits.

Should the level of worldwide demand for E1 numbers decline, there could be some future movement in this date prior to the end of the fiscal year.

F. DELAY IN OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF THE VIETNAM EMPLOYMENT FIFTH PREFERENCE CATEGORY

Continued heavy applicant demand had been expected to result in the Vietnam Employment Fifth preference (EB-5) category reaching the per-country annual limit during March. However, the return of unused February EB-5 numbers during the past few days has been much higher than had been expected. This appears to be a direct result of the continuing resolution signed on December 22, 2017 extending the immigrant investor pilot program until January 19, 2018, and the subsequent extension until February 9, 2018. Uncertainty over category extension greatly delayed the scheduling of February appointments, which would normally have occurred in early January. As a result, many applicants did not have sufficient advance notice to enable them to appear for their February interview, which could have been expected to result in the use of visa numbers.

The oversubscription of this category will definitely occur for May.

G. SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF TWO EMPLOYMENT VISA CATEGORIES

Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR):

Pursuant to the continuing resolution, signed on February 9, 2018, the non-minister special immigrant program expires on March 23, 2018. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight March 22, 2018. Visas issued prior to this date will only be issued with a validity date of March 22, 2018, and all individuals seeking admission as a non-minister special immigrant must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the U.S. no later than midnight March 22, 2018.

The final action date for this category has been listed as “Unavailable” for April. If there is legislative action extending this category for FY-2018, the final action date would immediately become “Current” for April for all countries except El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras which would be subject to a December 15, 2015 final action date, and for Mexico which would be subject to an August 8, 2016 date.

Employment Fifth Preference Categories (I5 and R5):

The continuing resolution signed on February 9, 2018 extended this immigrant investor pilot program until March 23, 2018. The I5 and R5 visas may be issued until close of business on March 23, 2018, 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 March 23, 2018.

The final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been listed as “Unavailable” for April. If there is legislative action extending them for FY-2018, the final action dates would immediately become “Current” for April for all countries except China-mainland born, which would be subject to a July 22, 2014 date.


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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