Visa Bulletin August 2023-Family Based and Employment Based Preference

Visa Bulletin August 2023-Family Based and Employment Based Preference

The Visa Bulletin for August 2023 has been published by the U.S. Department of State, which is significant news for individuals eagerly anticipating their priority date to become current, allowing them to proceed with their green card application.

If you have prior knowledge of these terms, you can skip ahead to our summary of significant advancements or directly explore the filing category that best suits your interests. Each month, USCIS makes announcements regarding whether applicants already residing in the United States should submit their “adjustment of status” applications based on either the “Final Action Dates” or the “Dates for Filing. In August, applicants applying through family-based categories should refer to the ‘Dates for Filing’ (accessible on the State Department’s website), whereas those applying through employment-based categories must follow the ‘Final Action Dates’ (also available on the State Department’s website).

Family-based categories

F-1: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens are allocated 23,400 visas, with any additional numbers beyond this quota being allocated to the fourth preference category.
F-2A: Regarding the second preference limitation, which constitutes 77% of the total, there is an exemption for 75% of the spouses and children of permanent residents from the per-country limit
F-2B: Individuals who are unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents, aged 21 years or older, account for 23% of the total allocation within the second preference category.
F-3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens are allocated 23,400 visas, and any remaining numbers not utilized by the first and second preferences are added to this category
F-4: Siblings of U.S. citizens who are adults: 65,000, along with any additional numbers not utilized by the first three preferences

Family-Based Green Card Backlogs

F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 And Older) Of U.S. Citizens :

F-2a: Spouses And Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) Of U.S. Green Card Holders

This category sees no change, with all countries remaining current.

Important Notes: 

In April, a notable modification occurred in the Visa Bulletin pertaining to the F-2A family-based category, which covers spouses and unmarried children (under the age of 21) of U.S. Green Card holders. Because of an increasing accumulation of cases in this specific category, the “Final Action Dates” for F-2A applications are no longer considered “current,” marking the first time in several years. The term “Final Action Dates” pertains to applications with priority dates that have reached the forefront of the queue and are now eligible for adjudication.

While the “Final Action Dates” are no longer up-to-date, the “Dates for Filing” are still current for the F-2A category, allowing spouses and unmarried children of U.S. green card holders to submit their green card applications at the moment. However, it’s important to note that despite being eligible for submission, these cases will not undergo the adjudication process until the priority date becomes current. this alteration is poised to substantially extend the waiting period for green cards in the F-2A category. Boundless remains committed to closely monitoring this progress — stay tuned to receive forthcoming updates.

F-2B: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 OR OLDER) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS

This category sees no change for all countries except Mexico, which sees a 2-year change.

F-3: MARRIED CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS

This category sees no change for all countries.

F-4: SIBLINGS OF U.S. CITIZENS

This category sees no change for all countries.

Employment-based categories

EB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and 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

Eb-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers And Professors, And Multinational Executives And Managers

In this category, India experiences a regression of 9 years and 11 months, China remains unchanged, and General Category, Central America, Mexico, and the Philippines transition from “no wait” to a wait time until August 1, 2023.

Eb-2: Exceptional People And Advanced Degree Holders

This category experiences a 1-month and 2-week shift for General Category, Central America, Mexico, and the Philippines, a 1-month shift for China, and remains unchanged for India.

Eb-3: Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, And Unskilled Workers

In this category, General Category, Central America, Mexico, and Philippines experience a retrogression of -1 year and 9 months, while China observes a 2-month change, and India remains unchanged.

This month, there were no modifications observed in the EB-4 “special immigrants” category and the EB-5 “investors” category.

Why Its important ?:

If you are awaiting a green card, it’s essential to stay informed about current updates and potential future changes in the Visa Bulletin. It’s wise to prepare all the necessary documents for your green card application in advance, enabling you to file promptly when the Visa Bulletin indicates that green cards are available for your category. Failing to apply in a month when green cards are available may expose you to the risk of experiencing a sudden backward movement (“retrogression”) in the subsequent Visa Bulletin, which could close your opportunity to apply for a green card. Keep an eye out for the upcoming monthly update, where we will highlight all the significant changes for your convenience.