Every month, the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes a series of visa updates. Here’s what you should know.

Family-Sponsored Visas

According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 23,400 unmarried sons and daughters of United States citizens have been issued visas with first preference. Additionally, 114,200 children and spouses are also eligible for visas. However, the number of family-based visas will not exceed 226,000 this year.

The Department of State also published action dates for family-sponsored visas, which are as follows:

China Mainland-Born Applicants

• Must submit F1 visa applications before November 1
• Must submit F2A and F2B visas before August 22
• Must submit F3 visa applications before September 1
• Must submit F4 visas before December 8

Indian Applicants

• Must submit F1 visa applications before November 1
• Must submit F2A and F2B visas before August 22
• Must submit F3 visas before September 1
• Must submit F4 visas before May 8

Mexican Applicants

• Must submit F1 visa applications before May 1
• Must submit F2A and F2B visas before September 8
• Must submit F3 visa applications before November 15
• Must submit F4 visas before September 1

Filipino Applicants

• Must submit F1 visa applications before February 22
• Must submit F2A and F2B visas before October 15
• Must submit F3 visa applications before June 8
• Must submit F4 visas before June 8

Employment-Based Visas

According to the visa bulletin, employment-based visa final action dates are as follows:

China mainland-Born Applicants

• Must submit 2^nd preference visas for final action by May 1
• Must submit 3^rd preference visas for final action by September 1
• Must submit other workers visas by October 1

Indian Applicants

• Must submit 2^nd preference visas for final action by December 1
• Must submit 3^rd preference visas for final action by November 1

By creating strict deadlines and a tiered process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can process immigrant visas more efficiently. Especially with employment-based visas, acceptance limits are crucial to the process. These caps protect USCIS agents from being overwhelmed by the system and the number of applicants each year.

Ensuring Success

There are no guarantees in the immigration process, but following the strict guidelines set up by the USCIS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is a solid start.

Many countries are experiencing significant backlogs of applications from green cards to work visas. Unfortunately, this means that applying for a visa has never been more competitive. Because of this, immigration processing agents are working hard to process applications efficiently, but even one clerical error can ruin the whole process.

That’s why it is important to have an advocate on your side who understands what is at stake. At Lim Law, P.A., we work with countless clients every year and guide them through the complicated immigration process one step at a time.

Our legal team has extensive experience with a variety of immigration matters, including but not limited to:

• Work visas
• Student visas
• Appeals
• Green cards
• And more

When you need a fierce advocate on your side, don’t hesitate to contact Lim Law, P.A. today.

Categories