Visa Bulletin published by the United States Department of State notifies whether applicants already in the US should file their AOS – “adjustment of status” applications based on “Final Action Dates” or “Dates for Filing.”
If you’re expecting your priority date to be current so that your Green Card application can move forward, then the release of the May 2022 Visa Bulletin by USCIS will be of importance. The US Department of State publishes a visa bulletin once a month.
This article will list the changes in wait times and a few predictions for the upcoming Visa Bulletin 2022.
Family-based categories
- F-1 : Unmarried Children (Age 21 and above) of US Citizens
- F-2A : Spouses and unmarried children (under age 21) of US Green Card Holders
- F-2B : Unmarried Children(Age 21 or above) of US Green Card Holders
- F-3 : Married Children of US Citizens
- F-4 : Siblings of US Citizens
Employment-based categories
- EB-1 : Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers, Professor,
Multinational Executives and Managers
- EB-2 : Exceptional people and Advanced Degree Holders
- EB-3 : Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, and Unskilled Workers
- EB-4 : Special Immigrants
- EB-5 : Investors
Family-Based Green Card Backlogs
F-1: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 AND OLDER) OF U.S. CITIZENS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 01-JUN-16 | 15-MAY-16 | – 17 days |
| General Category | 01-JUN-16 | 15-MAY-16 | – 17 days |
| India | 01-JUN-16 | 15-MAY-16 | – 17 days |
| Mexico | 08-JUN-01 | 01-MAY-01 | – 1 month, 7 days |
| Philippines | 08-JUN-15 | 22-APR-15 | – 1 month, 17 days |
This Category sees a change of 17 days for India, China and the rest of the world (General Category) while 1month 7 days for Mexico and 1month 17days for the Philippines.
F-2A: SPOUSES AND UNMARRIED CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 21) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
There is no change in this category, as all countries remain current.
F-2B: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 OR OLDER) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 01-OCT-16 | 22-SEP-16 | – 7 days |
| General Category | 01-OCT-16 | 22-SEP-16 | – 7 days |
| India | 01-OCT-16 | 22-SEP-16 | – 7 days |
| Mexico | 15-MAY-01 | 22-APR-01 | – 24 days |
| Philippines | 22-OCT-13 | 01-OCT-13 | – 21 days |
This Category sees a change of 7 days for India, China and the rest of the world. Mexico 24 days and Philippines 21 days
F-3: MARRIED CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 08-SEP-09 | 22-AUG-09 | – 17 days |
| General Category | 08-SEP-09 | 22-AUG-09 | – 17 days |
| India | 08-SEP-09 | 22-AUG-09 | – 17 days |
| Mexico | 15-MAR-01 | 01-MAR-01 | – 14 days |
| Philippines | 22-NOV-03 | 08-NOV-03 | – 14 days |
This Category sees a change of 17 days in India, China and General Category. Mexico 14 days and Philippines 14 days
F-4: SIBLINGS OF U.S. CITIZENS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 22-OCT-07 | 01-OCT-07 | – 21 days |
| General Category | 22-OCT-07 | 01-OCT-07 | – 21 days |
| India | 01-MAR-06 | 22-FEB-06 | – 7 days |
| Mexico | 15-FEB-01 | 22-DEC-00 | – 1 month, 24 days |
| Philippines | 15-MAY-04 | 01-FEB-04 | – 3 months, 14 days |
This Category sees a change of 21 days for China and General Category and India 7 days, Mexico 1 month 24 days and Philippines 3 months 14 days
EB-1: EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSORS, AND MULTINATIONAL EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
This category is current for all the countries
EB-2: EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE AND ADVANCED DEGREE HOLDERS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 01-JUN-19 | 01-APR-19 | – 2 months |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | 22-DEC-14 | 01-SEP-14 | – 3 months, 21 days |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
This category sees no change except India 3 months 21 days and China 2 months
EB-3: BACHELOR’S DEGREE HOLDERS, SKILLED WORKERS, AND UNSKILLED WORKERS
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 01-MAY-18 | 01-APR-18 | – 1 month |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | 15-FEB-12 | 22-JAN-12 | – 24 days |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No change |
This category sees no change except India 24 days and China 1 month
EB-4: Special Immigrants Category
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
EB-5: Investors category
| Country | New Cut-Off Dates | Old Cut-Off Dates | Change in Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| General Category | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| India | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Mexico | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
| Philippines | No Wait | No Wait | No Change |
All countries remain current or see no change in the EB-4 “special immigrants” and EB-5 “investors” category
Important Dates for Visa Bulletin 2022
- Priority Dates:
When the government receives your petition, each person who files a petition with the USCIS receives a priority date. A priority date determines a person’s position in line for an immigrant visa. Keep this data handy in case you need to compare it to the dates in this bulletin. - Final Action Dates:
Final action dates are determined by your Green Card category and chargeability area which is your country of origin. Your priority date will be considered current once the final action date in your Green Card preference level and chargeability area (Country of Origin) reaches it. You will either adjust your status or go through consular processing once you are current.
Why Does This Matter?
If you’re waiting for a Green Card, it’s necessary to stay up to date on current (and expected future) changes in the Visa Bulletin. It’s always a good idea to gather all of the paperwork you’ll need for your Green Card application ahead of time, so you’ll be ready to file as soon as the Visa Bulletin indicates that your Green Card is available.
Check out what other applicants are predicting for the next Visa Bulletin on Trackitt.
