Did you know that the U.S. Department of State has a publication called the Visa Bulletin that can help you stay updated on your visa processing? Read on to learn more about what the visa bulletin is and how it can provide you with important information!
What is the visa bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a website that has updates from the Department of State and USCIS including Final Action Dates, Dates for Filing Applications, and indications of when visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit documentation to the National Visa Center (NVC). The purpose of the Visa Bulletin is to provide a current waiting list, also known as Priority Dates, for people seeking visas with a cap or quota. You can check each monthly bulletin for information such as visa priority categories, final action dates, when to expect to hear back from NVC, what phase of processing your case is in, and more. Green Card holders can use the “Final Action Date” charts on the monthly visa bulletins to determine when to file for Adjustment of Status. The charts are broken down into different visa types with specific action dates. You can find the link to the Visa Bulletin.
The Visa Bulletin is updated monthly and includes a chart with filing deadlines. For visa categories that include preference rankings, such as family preference categories, the Visa Bulletin has key information about each preference category and the applicable filing dates. To learn more about the family preference categories, check out our blog post.
Who does it apply to?
The Visa Bulletin is a resource for anyone seeking a visa or Green Card that has a quota system. It is designed to help applicants keep track of the most important dates to their application based on their priority category. The primary group that benefits from the information in the Visa Bulletin is people submitting family petitions because of the preference category-specific information to be found on the website.
How can it be a useful resource?
The Visa Bulletin has updated monthly numbers for the list of applicants and the “current” priority date for those applicants. It sorts priority dates into 3 categories: family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrants, and diversity immigrants. The tables on the bulletin will indicate the availability of visas and what the cut off is for priority dates.
If you would like to learn more about quota-based immigration benefits and how to use the Visa Bulletin, contact us for an appointment. We are happy to help you navigate the immigration system and obtain your visa.
