Change:

July 2018 Visa Bulletin

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

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

July 2018 Visa Bulletin has been officially released (valid from July 1 to July 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 22APR11
22APR11 22APR11 01AUG97 01JUN06
F2A 22JUN16 22JUN16 22JUN16 08JUN16 22JUN16
F2B 15AUG11 15AUG11 15AUG11 08MAR97 01FEB07
F3 01MAY06 01MAY06 01MAY06 01DEC95  15APR95
F4 15NOV04 15NOV04 22MAR04 15JAN98 22MAR95
"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 08MAR12 08MAR12 08MAR12 01SEP98 15FEB08
F2A 01DEC17 01DEC17 01DEC17 01DEC17 01DEC17
F2B 08JAN12 08JAN12 08JAN12 08JUN97 15DEC07
F3 22SEP06 22SEP06 22SEP06 08OCT98 01AUG95
F4 01MAY05 01MAY05 01JAN05 01JUN98 01DEC95

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 VIETNAM
1st C 01JAN12 C 01JAN12 C C C
2nd 01JAN15 C 15MAR09 C C C
3rd C 01JAN13 C 01NOV08  01JAN17 C
Other Workers C 01MAY07 01NOV08 01JAN17 C
4th C C 08FEB16 C 08FEB16 C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 08FEB16 C 08FEB16 C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 01AUG14 C C C C 01AUG14
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 01AUG14 C C C C 01AUG14
"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 01APR15 C 22MAY09  C C
3rd C 01JAN16 C 01MAY09 C 01JUL17
Other Workers C 01JUN08 C 01MAY09 C 01JUL17
4th C C 01MAY16 C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 01MAY16 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 this year. As a result, it has been necessary to maintain a July 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. RETROGRESSION OF JULY EMPLOYMENT-BASED FINAL ACTION DATES

MEXICO E4 and SR: As readers were advised in item E of the June Visa Bulletin, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Dates in an effort to hold worldwide number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2018 annual limits.

The Mexico E4 and SR dates will return to October 22, 2016 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.


CHINA E3: There has been an extremely large increase in Employment Third preference applicant demand during the past two months. This is due to the “downgrading” of status by applicants who had originally filed in the Employment Second preference. As a result, it has been necessary to retrogress the July Final Action Date to January 1, 2013 in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 per-country limit.

The China E3 date will return to June 1, 2015 for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.

F. EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILTY IN THE COMING MONTHS

In recent weeks there has been a steadily increasing level of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A continuation of the current demand pattern would result in a temporary establishment or retrogression of some final action dates in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2018 annual limits.

Should such action be required, there would be a full recovery in the preference category for October, the first month of fiscal year 2019.


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:

Please click here for latest immigration news or see the top menu for analysis, news stories and other useful FAQ or USCIS links.
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