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.

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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