January 2023 Visa Bulletin (Archive)

How To Read the January 2023 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published its January 2023 Visa Bulletin, which shows the most recent priority date cut-offs for green card filings.

The Visa Bulletin can be confusing, so we’ve put all the information you need to know in easy-to-read charts below. To find the cut-off date for your category, you’ll need to know your preference category and your priority date.

• Your preference category is based on:

  • Your familial connection if you’re applying for a family-based green card

  • Your professional credentials and education if you’re applying for an employment-based green card

• Your priority date is the date USCIS received your green card application. You can find yours on the Notice of Action (Form I-797) that USCIS sent you via mail or email after receiving your application.

If your priority date is before the cut-off date listed in the relevant chart below — congratulations! — you can submit your green card application. If your priority date is after the cut-off date, you need to wait to submit your green card application.*

If you want to learn more about the visa bulletin, preference categories, or priority dates, you can read our Visa Bulletin guide.

*There are two different dates on the Visa Bulletin: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. Each month, USCIS announces which date U.S.-based green card applicants should reference. The information in the tables below will always reference whichever date USCIS has announced for the current month.

Family-Based Green Cards by Preference Category

The USCIS backlog for family-based green cards didn’t change from December 2022 to January 2023 in any preference category.

Backlog for F1 (first preference) Green Cards: Unmarried Children (at least 21 years old) of U.S. Citizens

Backlog for F2A (second preference) Green Cards: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents

Backlog for F2B (second preference) Green Cards: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents

Backlog for F3 (third preference) Green Cards: Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

Backlog for F4 (fourth preference) Green Cards: Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens

What This Means for Family-Based Green Card Applicants

If your priority date is before the cut-off date listed above, you can submit your green card application. If your priority date is after the cut-off date, you need to wait to submit your green card application. Your priority date is the date USCIS received your Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative. You can find your priority date on the Notice of Action (Form I-797) that USCIS sends you to confirm it has received your I-130 application.

Employment-Based Green Cards by Preference Category

Priority worker (EB-1) green card applicants from mainland China and India will have to wait an additional six months and three weeks to have their applications processed. The USCIS backlog for all other employment-based green card preference categories didn’t change from December 2022 to January 2023.

Backlog for EB-1 Green Cards for Priority Workers 

Backlog for EB-2 Green Cards for Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability

Backlog for EB-3 Green Cards for Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Certain Special Immigrants

Backlog for EB-5 Green Cards for Immigrant Investors - Unreserved

What This Means for Employment-Based Green Card Applicants

If your priority date is before the cut-off date listed above, you can submit your green card application. If your priority date is after the cut-off date, you need to wait to submit your green card application. Your priority date is the date USCIS received your PERM application or (if not required) the date USCIS received your Form I-140 or Form I-526, employment-based visa petition. You can find your priority date on the Notice of Action (Form I-797) that USCIS sends you to confirm it has received your employment-based visa application.

How We Calculate Changes in Wait Time

When the cut-off date changes from one month’s Visa Bulletin to the next, you’ll see a change in wait time listed in the tables above. Here’s the formula we use to calculate this change in wait time:

Prior month’s cut-off date – Current cut-off date = Change in wait time

In our calculations, “Current” equals the date that the U.S. Department of State actually released the Visa Bulletin. Each Visa Bulletin represents a snapshot in time; the data isn’t updated in real-time, but rather gathered and released monthly. Using the actual release date of the Visa Bulletin allows us to best estimate the change in wait time and current wait time for various green card preference categories.