If you or your family member are applying for residency through a relative or through employment, then you’ve likely heard about the Department of State Visa Bulletin.
The visa bulletin is issued every month by the Department of State. It shows which residency applications can move forward, based on when the I-130 or I-140 petition that starts the green card process was originally filed. It also lets you estimate how long it will take before you will be able to get your green card, based on how quickly the “line” is moving now. Once your I-130 or I-140 petition has been filed, you’ll be able to check the visa bulletin and watch your place in line move forward.
This is Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their permanent residency (Adjustment of Status) or Immigrant Visa appointment at the Consulate based on employment.
July 2023, Table A, for residency, based on employment.
The USCIS is expected to use Table A: Final Action Dates chart for I-485 employment-based filings. A Beneficiary must be current on the above Table A chart to file their I-485, Adjustment of Status applications.
This Visa Bulletin shows that the DOS has almost exhausted all employment-based visas for FY 2023. All categories remained the same or retrogressed.
The two categories that retrogressed were EB-3 for All Other Countries, including the Philippines. The date was moved back to Feb 1, 2022, from June 1, 2022, a four-month retrogression. India EB-3 dropped back to January 1, 2009, which is a significant retrogression. We will likely see any more progression throughout the end of fiscal year 2023, through September 30, 2023. This means that the time for you to receive permanent residency based on employment will likely be longer than expected.