October 2021 Visa Bulletin: USCIS will use Dates for Filing Chart

 

October is the first month of the Fiscal Year 2022, which means a new batch of visa numbers has been released. 

As previously predicted, USCIS announced that they are going to use the Dates for Filing chart in both the family-based and employment-based cases, with an exception for the F2A category under family-based petition. F2A applicants can use the Final Action Date chart because final action dates are "current". 

The cut-off dates for family categories stay the same. 

In employment-based categories, the filing date for EB-2 India advances 7 months, but EB-3 India and China filing dates retrogress for a few months. 

AD: Dates for Final Action (Green Card Approval)           
FD: Dates for Filing Applications Only

Family		Other Countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	AD	12/01/2014	12/01/2014	12/01/2014	01/15/1999	03/01/2012
	FD	05/15/2016	05/15/2016	05/15/2016	08/01/2000	04/22/2015
F2A	AD	C	C	C	C	C
	FD	06/01/2021	06/01/2021	06/01/2021	06/01/2021	06/01/2021
F2B	AD	09/22/2015	09/22/2015	09/22/2015	03/15/2000	10/22/2011
	FD	09/22/2016	09/22/2016	09/22/2016	10/01/2000	10/01/2013
F3	AD	11/22/2008	11/22/2008	11/22/2008	05/15/1997	06/08/2002
	FD	08/22/2009	08/22/2009	08/22/2009	09/08/2000	10/01/2003
F4	AD	03/22/2007	03/22/2007	09/15/2005	02/08/1999	08/22/2002
	FD	10/01/2007	10/01/2007	01/01/2006	06/01/1999	02/01/2004

1st: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens (about 23,400 per year).
2A: The 2 "A" preference is for Spouses and Children (under 21 & unmarried) of LPR's.
2B: The 2 "B" Preference is for Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 or older) of LPR's.
3rd: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens (about 23,400 per year)

4th: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens. (about 65,000 per year)

Employment		Other  Countries	China	El Salvador Guatemala Honduras	India	Mexico	Philippines	Vietnam
EB1	AD	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
	FD	C	C	C	C	C	C	C
EB2	AD	C	07/01/2018	C	09/01/2011	C	C	C
	FD	C	09/01/2018	C	07/08/2012	C	C	C
EB3	AD	C	01/08/2019	C	01/01/2014	C	C	C
	FD	C	01/15/2019	C	01/08/2014	C	C	C
Other Workers	AD	C	02/01/2010	C	01/01/2014	C	C	C
	FD	C	05/01/2010	C	01/08/2014	C	C	C
EB4	AD	C	C	03/15/2019	C	03/01/2020	C	C
	FD	C	C	05/15/2019	C	C	C	C
EB5	AD	C	11/22/2015	C	C	C	C	C
	FD	C	12/15/2015	C	C	C	C	C

1st: Priority Workers (Extraordinary ability aliens, multinational companies executives/managers, outstanding prof./researchers)

2nd: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability.

3rd: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (Unskilled.)

4th: "Special Immigrants" (Religious & others)    

5th: Employment Creation (Investors) 

 *(IR&R5 are "Unavailable in the October visa bulletin)

(Immigration laws and policies change regularly.  If you have any questions regarding this article, please visit www.1visa1.com to schedule legal consultation.)