Application Final Action Dates for Employment-Sponsored Preference Cases

Employment-Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	China-Mainland Born	El Sal- vador Gua- temala Honduras	India	Mexico	Phili-ppines	Vietnam
1st	03/01/18	02/22/17	03/01/18	02/22/17	03/01/18	03/01/18	03/01/18
2nd	Current	05/15/16	Current	04/16/09	Current	Current	Current
3rd	Current	08/22/15	Current	07/01/09	Current	06/01/18	Current
Other Workers	Current	09/01/07	Current	07/01/09	Current	06/01/18	Current
4th	Current	Current	03/08/16	Current	08/01/18	Current	Current
Certain Religious Workers	Current	Current	03/08/16	Current	08/01/18	Current	Current
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	Current	09/22/14	Current	Current	Current	Current	09/22/16
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	Current	09/22/14	Current	Current	Current	Current	09/22/16

 

Dates for filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications

Employment-Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	China-Mainland Born	El Salvador Guatemala Honduras	India	Mexico	Philippines
1st	09/01/18	10/01/17	09/01/18	10/01/17	09/01/18	09/01/18
2nd	Current	09/01/16	Current	06/01/09	Current	Current
3rd	Current	01/01/16	Current	04/01/10	Current	10/01/18
Other Workers	Current	06/01/08	Current	04/01/10	Current	10/01/18
4th	Current	Current	07/01/16	Current	Current	Current
Certain Religious Workers	Current	Current	07/01/16	Current	Current	Current
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	Current	10/15/14	Current	Current	Current	Current
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	Current	10/15/14	Current	Current	Current	Current

Note:
“1st” refers to the First Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category (EB-1), i.e., persons of “extraordinary ability” in the sciences, arts, education, business, and athletics, outstanding professors and researchers and certain executives and managers;
“2nd” refers to the Second Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category (EB-2), i.e., professionals holding advanced degrees, or persons of exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, or business (NIW applicants);
“3rd” refers to the Third Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category (EB-3), i.e., skilled workers and professionals holding baccalaureate degrees;
“Other Workers” refers to the unskilled worker under the Third Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category;
“4th” refers to the Fourth Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category (EB-4), i.e., religious workers, certain overseas employees of the U.S. Government, former employees of the Panama Canal Company, retired employees of international organizations, certain dependents of international organization employees and certain members of the U.S. Armed Forces; and
“5th” refers to the Fifth Preference in Employment-Based Immigration category (EB-5), i.e., employment creation investors.

Application Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Preference Cases

Family-Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	China-Mainland Born	India	Mexico	Philippines
1st	01/08/12	01/08/12	01/08/12	08/08/97	05/15/07
2A*	05/15/17	05/15/17	05/15/17	05/01/17	05/15/17
2B	02/01/13	02/01/13	02/01/13	02/15/98	10/01/07
3rd	11/08/06	11/08/06	11/08/06	02/15/96	10/08/96
4th	02/15/06	02/15/06	08/01/04	02/08/98	03/01/97

*NOTE: For May, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01MAY17. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 01MAY17 and earlier than 15MAY17. All F2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit.

Dates for filing of Family-Sponsored Visa Applications

Family-Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	China-Mainland Born	India	Mexico	Philippines
1st	08/22/12	08/22/12	08/22/12	10/08/99	04/15/08
2A*	01/08/18	01/08/18	01/08/18	01/08/18	01/08/18
2B	08/01/14	08/01/14	08/01/14	10/01/98	05/15/08
3rd	06/22/07	06/22/07	06/22/07	06/22/00	10/01/97
4th	10/01/06	10/01/06	03/15/05	11/22/98	02/15/98

Note:

“1st” refers to the First Preference in Family-Based Immigration category, i.e., unmarried children of U.S. citizens over age of 21;

“2A”  refers to the first subcategory of the Second Preference in Family-Based Immigration category, i.e., spouses or unmarried children under age 21 of permanent residents;

“2B”  refers to the second subcategory of the Second Preference in Family-Based Immigration category, i.e., unmarried children of 21 years of age or older of permanent residents;

“3rd” refers to the Third Preference in Family-Based Immigration category, i.e., married children of U.S. citizens; and

“4th” refers to the Fourth Preference in Family-Based Immigration category, i.e., brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.

Immediate family members of U.S. citizens, i.e., spouses, parents and unmarried children under age of 21, are not subject to the numerical restriction of visa quotas.