DOS Releases September 2023 Visa Bulletin

August 9, 2023

The DOS posted its September 2023 Visa Bulletin. USCIS determined that for September 2023, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart and all applicants in employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.

Compared to last month’s visa bulletin, Final Action Dates in the Family-Based F-2A preference category for foreign nationals of all chargeability areas except those listed, China, India, and the Philippines have moved up to January 1, 2018, from last month’s date of October 8, 2017. Mexico’s final action date in the F2A category remains the same for this upcoming month at September 1, 2016.

In the Dates for Filing section for Family-Based Preference Categories, all F2A cases have a Dates for Filing date of September 1, 2023, as opposed to this section remaining current in August’s Visa Bulletin.

For Employment-Based Preference Categories in the Final Action Dates section, there was some movement in dates. Of note, the EB-2 preference category for all chargeability areas except those listed, Mexico, and the Philippines dates all moved to July 01, 2022. China’s Final Action Date in the EB-3 preference category has also moved to September 1, 2019, for this upcoming month. In the Dates for Filing Section, China’s date for the EB-3 preference category moved up to November 1, 2019, from last month’s date of September 1, 2019. All other dates in this section remain the same for September 2023.

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01JAN15 01JAN15 01JAN15 22APR01 01MAR12
F2A 01JAN18 01JAN18 01JAN18 01SEP16 01JAN18
F2B 22SEP15 22SEP15 22SEP15 01AUG01 22OCT11
F3 08JAN09 08JAN09 08JAN09 15JAN98 08JUN02
F4 22APR07 22APR07 15SEP05 01AUG00 22AUG02

 

DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01SEP17 01SEP17 01SEP17 01APR05 22APR15
F2A 01SEP23 01SEP23 01SEP23 01SEP23 01SEP23
F2B 01JAN17 01JAN17 01JAN17 01AUG04 01OCT13
F3 01MAR10 01MAR10 01MAR10 15JUN01 08NOV03
F4 01MAR08 01MAR08 22FEB06 15APR01 22APR04

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st 01AUG23 01FEB22 01JAN12 01AUG23 01AUG23
2nd 01JUL22 08JUL19 01JAN11 01JUL22 01JUL22
3rd 01MAY20 01SEP19 01JAN09 01MAY20 01MAY20
Other Workers 01MAY20 01SEP15 01JAN09 01MAY20 01MAY20
4th 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18
Certain Religious Workers 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18 01SEP18
5th Unreserved
(including C5, T5, I5, R5)
C 08SEP15 01APR17 C C
5th Set Aside:
Rural (20%)
C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
High Unemployment (10%)
C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
Infrastructure (2%)
C C C C C

DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

 

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO  PHILIPPINES 
1st C 01JUN22 01JUN22 C C
2nd 01DEC22 08OCT19 01MAY12 01DEC22 01DEC22
3rd 01MAY23 01NOV19 01AUG12 01MAY23 01MAY23
Other Workers 01JUN20 01JAN16 01AUG12 01JUN20 01JUN20
4th 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18
Certain Religious Workers 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18
5th Unreserved
(including C5, T5, I5, R5)
C 01JAN16 08DEC19 C C
5th Set Aside:
(Rural – 20%)
C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
(High Unemployment – 10%)
C C C C C
5th Set Aside:
(Infrastructure – 2%)
C C C C C

To discuss what the dates in August’s Visa Bulletin may mean for your case, please feel free to set up a consultation with one of our attorneys by filling out our Consultation Request Form.

Written by: Marisabel Alonso, Esq.


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