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September 2023 Visa Bulletin Changes | US Immigration
The September 2023 Visa Bulletin published by the US Department of State (DOS). In the most recent Visa Bulletin, several categories go backward, although at least some of the backlogs ought to start shrinking in October when the new fiscal year starts.
August 2023 Visa Bulletin Summary
Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category
China, which continues to use a deadline of February 1, 2022, is the only nation in the EB1 category that has not retrogressed. The cut-off date for EB1 India has been advanced by more than ten years to January 1, 2012.
The EB1 category will no longer apply to any other nations as of August 1, 2023. All nations excluding China and India would likely fall under the EB1 category once more in October. The deadline for EB1 India is also anticipated to improve in the October 2023 Visa Bulletin, at least to a deadline of February 1, 2022.
Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category
The deadline for EB2 India is still January 1, 2011. The deadline also moved to July 8, 2019, for China. ED2 is now set to begin on April 1, 2022, for all other countries of changeability.
Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category
The deadline for EB3 India remains January 1, 2009, and it does not change. The deadline for EB3 China moved up to June 1, 2019. The EB-3 cutoff date advances to May 1, 2020, for all other nations of changeability.
EB3 Other Workers
The deadlines for EB3 other workers, except China, are the same for each nation as their respective EB3 deadlines. The deadline for China’s EB3 other workers category is still September 1, 2015.
Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category
The EB4 category remains unchanged, with all nations maintaining a September 1, 2018, deadline.
Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category
The EB5 category has not changed. The deadline for India’s EB5 unreserved application remains April 1, 2017. The deadline for China’s EB5 unreserved remains September 8, 2015. For all other EB5 categories and changeable countries, the EB5 stays in effect.
Family-Based, Second Preference
In August, the FB2A category—reserved for spouses and children of residents with legal status—regresses even more. The FB2a cut-off date for Mexico is September 1, 2016, and the cut-off date for all other nations with changeability is October 8, 2017.