Last week, the US State Department released its first 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.
Bulletin EB-5 January 2023
The EB-5 Visa Bulletin for January has come out with some important dates for early 2023. First, there are four new employment-based immigrant visas available in January 2023.
Here is the date an applicant can file an adjustment of status application or immigrant visa petition once they obtain a priority date:
- Category EB-1: Worldwide (priority date 01/01/2021).
- Category EB-2: Worldwide (priority date 01/01/2019).
- Category EB-3: Worldwide (priority date 01/01/2019).
- Category EB-4: Worldwide (priority date 01/01/2018).
Family Preference Types
What are the types of family preferences stipulated in this bulletin? We show you below.
- First preference (F1): unmarried children, over the age of twenty-one, of US citizens.
- Second preference A (F2A): spouses of permanent residents and unmarried children, under the age of twenty-one, of permanent residents.
- Second preference B (F2B): unmarried children, over the age of twenty-one, of permanent residents.
- Third preference (F3): married children of US citizens, their spouses, and unmarried children under twenty-one years of age.
- Fourth preference (F4): siblings of US citizens, their spouses, and unmarried children under 21 years of age.
