No change in Dates for Filing chart again, but small advances in Final Action Dates chart.

The US Department of State has released its April 2017 Visa Bulletin setting out per-country priority date cutoffs that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of status adjustments and consular immigrant visa application filings and approvals.

What Does the April 2017 Visa Bulletin Say?

The April 2017 Visa Bulletin includes both a Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart and an Application Final Action Dates chart. The former indicates when intending immigrants may file their applications for adjustments of status or immigrant visas, and the latter indicates when adjustment of status applications or immigrant visa applications may be approved and permanent residence granted.

If US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines that there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, it will state on its website that applicants may use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart. Otherwise, applicants should use the Application Final Action Dates chart to determine when they may file their adjustment of status applications.

It is not yet clear which chart USCIS will select for April 2017 filings. To be eligible to file an employment-based (EB) adjustment application in April 2017, a foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for his or her preference category and country (changes from last month’s Visa Bulletin are shown in yellow).

Application Final Action Dates

Dates for Filing Visa Applications

On the Application Final Action Dates chart, the cutoff dates for EB-1 will remain “current” for all chargeable countries, including India and China.

The EB-2 cutoff dates for the worldwide allotment as well as for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Philippines will also remain “current.” Cutoff dates will advance by one month for EB-2 India and by three weeks for EB-2 China.

The EB-3 cutoff dates for the worldwide allotment as well as for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico will advance by 2.5 months to February 15, 2017. The cutoff date for EB-3 China will advance by five months to August 15, 2014 and the cutoff date for EB-3 India will advance by two days to March 24, 2005. The cutoff date for EB-3 Philippines will advance by six months to September 15, 2012.

The EB-5 China cutoff date will advance by five weeks to May 22, 2014.

Read the April 2017 Visa Bulletin.