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Last Updated On: September 29, 2023 | Published On: February 13, 2018
Each month, the Department of State releases the final action dates for the green cards that are currently available. If you are waiting on our priority date to be current, or are not sure what final action and priority dates are, this report is for you. We will go over how the dates have moved from last month and what we can expect in future months down the road.
If you are new to the green card journey, terms such as “priority date” and “final action date” my seem confusing at first. Let’s break these concepts down before diving into the March 2018 visa bulletin report so that you can better understand the significance of the dates.
Your priority date is the day that the USCIS receives your petition (not the date that you file it). You should always keep this date handy, as it is vital to the next few steps of your green card process. If you are pursuing an employment-based green card and you change jobs or employers, you will likely need to file a new petition.
This will reset your priority date to the date that the USCIS receives your second petition unless you indicate on the second petition that you would like to retain the priority date from the first.
For example, if you had filed petition A which the USCIS received on September 1, 2017, and you decided to change jobs, your new employer would need to file a new petition (petition B). Let’s say that petition B was received on February 8, 2018. By indicating that you would like to retain your priority date on petition B, you can have your priority date stay at September 1, 2017 instead of having it reset to February 8, 2018.
This is especially helpful if you are interested in “porting” your green card status from one preference level to a higher one.
The final action date is the date that the Department of State releases in the monthly visa bulletin. If you see that your priority date matches or passes the final action date given in your preference level and country, a visa number will become available and you will be able to move onto the next step along the immigration road.
The first large group of immigrant visas (green cards) that we will be reporting is based on having a family member who is either a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. This group has four main preference levels and five chargeability areas (geographical regions based on the volume of petitions). Those areas are China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and the general category (unlisted countries).
Here are the final action dates for family-based visas according to the March 2018 visa bulletin:
The F1 is for the children and dependents of U.S. citizens.
The F2 green card has two subcategories:
F2A: this is for unmarried children younger than 21 and spouses of lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
F2B: this is for married children who are older than 21 of lawful permanent residents.
The married children of U.S. citizens may qualify for the F3 green card.
Last, but not least, siblings (brothers and sisters) of U.S. citizens can petition for an F4 green card.
Here is the chart for family-based visas taken from the Department of State website.
This group of immigrant visas is, as the name suggests, based on gaining employment from a U.S. employer in the country. Like the family-based visas, this group is similarly broken down into five preference levels and six chargeability areas. The areas are China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador), and the general category. Due to the low volume of petitions for the fourth and fifth preference levels, we will only focus on the first three.
Here is how the final action dates for employment-based green cards have moved according to the March 2018 visa bulletin.
This is the most prestigious level of employment-based green cards. It does not require a PERM Labor Certification and is designed for three groups of people:
All dates for the EB-1 are current.
The EB-2 is the most popular employment-based visa due to it’s requirements and prestige. It is meant for those that have advanced degrees, can demonstrate exceptional ability in their field, or qualify for a National Interest Waiver.
The last preference level that we will cover is the EB-3, which was created for professional workers (those with bachelor’s degrees), skilled workers (those with 2 or more years of experience), and “other workers” (those with fewer than 2 years of experience.
Note that the “other workers” category has slightly different dates than the others.
Here is the chart for employment-based visas taken from the Department of State website.
This month has seen the most movement for the family-based visas in the last several months. If more funding and manpower is invested by the government into the Department of State, we will definitely begin to see a dramatic leap in the dates. For now, we can expect to see similar changes in the coming months.
In the world of immigration law, ignorance is not an excuse. It is up to you to be aware of any changes to fees, forms, and requirements for your green card. The best way to stay up-to-date is to subscribe to the Department of State newsletter, which will make sure that you get information like the March 2018 visa bulletin as soon as it is released. To subscribe, simply send an email to [email protected] with the message “Subscribe Visa Bulletin”.
It doesn’t matter which green card you are pursuing, immigrant visas represent a significant amount of both time and money. Even if you are just waiting on your priority date to be current, problems can always arise before you receive your green card. The best way to protect your investment is to hire an expert for your corner.
Here at SGM Law Group, our highly-experienced attorneys have been helping people like you immigrate to the U.S. through both family and employment for decades. Whether you’re in the middle of the green card process or just starting one, we can help you make sure everything is done right the first time.
To get in touch with one of our attorneys, you can fill out this contact form and schedule your consultation today!