November 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 November, there was almost no movement in the employment-based preference categories. The EB-1 preference category on the Final Action Chart remains current for all countries other than China and India. The EB-1 priority date for China is now February 15, 2022, and for India it has remained January 1, 2017. The priority date for the EB-4 category as well as for Certain Religious Workers is now March 1, 2019.

Though U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determined that Chart B (Dates for Filing Employment-Based Visa Applications) could be used in November, unfortunately both the EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories remain backlogged for all countries, which means that individuals in these categories may not file Form I-485 applications until their priority dates become “current.”

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

Link:

US Department of State Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

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