June 2013 Visa Bulletin
Most immigrant visas to the United States are numerically limited both by preference category and by country of chargeability (which is, in most cases, one’s country of birth). Most immigrants are sponsored either by family members who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents or, alternately, through their employment or investment in the U.S.
Scroll down this page to see the current State Department Visa Bulletin showing backlogs in both the family and the employment immigrant visa preference categories.
If you are unfamiliar with the Visa Bulletin, here is an explanation of the Family Categories and the Employment Categories.
” I endorse this lawyer’s work. I’ve known Carl professionally for many years. He is highly respected within the immigration bar. Carl’s online site reflects his knowledge – and his generosity with the public and with the bar. Knowledge, hard work, and empathy combine in Carl to the benefit of his clients and the profession.” (More attorney endorsements…)
- Jay Solomon, Immigration Attorney, Atlanta, GA
FAMILY CATEGORIES
| Categories | Worldwide | China (PRC) | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4-22-06 | 4-22-06 | 8-15-93 | 1-1-00 |
| 2A | 6-8-11 | 6-8-11 | 5-8-11 | 6-8-11 |
| 2B | 7-8-05 | 7-8-05 | 6-15-93 | 11-1-02 |
| 3rd | 9-1-02 | 9-2-02 | 4-1-93 | 11-15-92 |
| 4th | 5-1-01 | 5-1-01 | 9-15-96 | 11-8-89 |
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
| Categories | Worldwide | China (PRC) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| 2nd | Current | 7-15-08 | 9-1-04 | Current | Current |
| 3rd | 9-1-08 | 9-1-08 | 1-8-03 | 9-1-08 | 9-22-06 |
| Unskilled | 9-1-08 | 10-22-03 | 1-8-03 | 9-1-08 | 9-22-06 |
| 4th | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| Religious | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| 5th | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
Persons born in countries other than India, China, Mexico and the Philippines should look in the “Worldwide” current on the left side of the page to determine their “priority date”. A priority date is established by the submission of a relative visa petition in the family categories, and by either the submission of an application for alien labor certification or by the submission of an employment-based visa petition in the employment categories.
The word “Current” indicates that no backlog presently exists in a particular category. Alternately, the word “Unavailable” indicates that it is not possible to apply for permanent residence in that category.
The dates in the Visa Bulletin can be misleading. Some dates, particularly in the Employment Based Categories, are “current” now, but may backlog before you can say “I-485″. Others, particularly in the Family Based Categories, look closer on the Bulletin than they are in reality. To see the rate of advance in a particular category, check the State Department’s Visa Bulletin Archive. This allows you to see Visa Bulletins from February 1995 to the present.
See the complete State Department Visa Bulletin.