May 2023 Visa Bulletin

Each month, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) publishes the Visa Bulletin, listing all "preference" categories and states whether a backlog exists for each one.  In addition, the categories are folded into two charts: “Final Action” chart and a “Dates for Filing” chart for Family-Based immigration and Employment-Based immigration.

In May, the EB-1 preference category on the Final Action Chart for all countries, excluding China and India, will be “current.” This means the I-485 applications may be filed immediately with the Form I-140. The EB-1 priority date for India and China is February 1, 2022. This means an otherwise qualified national of China or India with an approved EB-1 I-140 may file the I-485 in May if their priority date is earlier than February 1, 2022.

The EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories remains backlogged for all countries, which means that individuals in these categories may not file Form I-485 applications until their priority date becomes “current.”

The complete Visa Bulletin, including priority dates for family-based immigrant applications, can be found on the Department of State website.

If you have questions about planning, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Iandoli, Desai & Cronin (info@iandoli.com).