Last week, the State Department released its fifth 2023 visa bulletin, containing the final action dates for immigration petitions, including EB-5 investor visas. EB-5 investors should take this bulletin into account when submitting their visa applications.
The US Department of State Visa Bulletin is a tool that shows the dates by which eligible individuals can apply for certain visas and Green Cards.
The newsletter is published monthly and provides final action dates for many different types of employment and family-based visas. In addition to providing a timetable for when applicants can apply for these visas, it also shows how many applicants are currently waiting for a visa number or how long they have been waiting.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a document released each month by the US Department of State and provides information on how long it will take to process various types of immigrant visa applications at US embassies and consulates in the United States. abroad, as well as what dates may be available for family members who want to reunite with their loved ones in the United States.
This document orders priority dates for applicants by visa categories: through family petitions, employment-based, and the Diversity Visa Program (visa lottery).
It also updates the dates for the different categories based on the countries of origin of the immigrants, the number of visas that have been issued so far and an estimate of the demand for visas. The information in the Visa Bulletin may change from month to month.
This bulletin is very useful to know how long is the delay time for the different visa applications. And also, it serves as a guide for the National Visa Center to have clarity regarding the issuance of visas in the consulates and embassies of the United States.
USCIS also uses the Visa Bulletin to determine if it can accept or adjudicate an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
If you are waiting your turn for a visa, this document allows you to monitor and verify the progress, delay or non-movement of the deadlines to know when your priority date is being processed.
EB-5 Visa Bulletin May 2023
The May 2023 Visa Bulletin details the final action date for EB-5 investors from different countries.
For most countries, the final action date, which is the date that EB-5 investors are eligible to apply for Green Cards, is current, which indicates that there are no delays and means that EB-5 investors on a current final action date they can go ahead and apply for a green card.
For investors from mainland China, the largest nationality of EB-5 investors in 2022, the final action date is now set at September 8, 2015, which is a two-month progression from the final action date of April which fell on July 8, 2015.
The final action date for Indian EB-5 investors remains unchanged from April, June 1, 2018. The final action date, however, may not be so final. EB-5 investors from both countries could still apply for a green card.
“When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will indicate on its website that applicants may use the Visa Application Dates tables in this Bulletin,” it says the visa bulletin of May 2023.
Regarding the reserved categories, the final action dates for all countries, including China and India, are up to date.