Visa Bulletin March 2022

The March 2022 Visa Bulletin is now available. The new tables include dates for consular filing and final visa issuance action by U.S. embassies or consulates.

If you want to see the tables of the Visa Bulletin about Filing for Adjustment of Status (immigrant visa applications filed within the U.S.) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by March 2022 click here.

Several of the employment categories either do not have visas available or their final action dates or dates for filing applications have been significantly delayed. An explanation of these delays appears at the end of this article.

What is the Visa Bulletin March 2022?

Each month, the U.S. Department of State (USDOS) publishes a report that specifies the availability and priority date of immigrant visas that are ready for processing and establishes the cut-off date after which visas will no longer be available for each visa category.

The Visa Bulletin lists the priority dates for applicants according to visa categories: family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa program (visa lottery). It also updates the dates for the various categories based on the immigrants' countries of origin, the number of visas that have been issued so far, and an estimate of visa demand.

The information in the Visa Bulletin may change from month to month. It is useful to find out how much of a delay there is for different types of immigrant visa applications.

This monthly report serves as a guide for issuing visas at U.S. consulates and embassies.

USCIS also uses the Visa Bulletin to determine whether it can accept or adjudicate an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

If you are waiting your turn for a visa, the Visa Bulletin allows you to monitor the movement of deadlines to find out when your priority date is being processed.

How to read the March 2022 Visa Bulletin Tables

The U.S. Department of State and USCIS publish two tables for each visa preference category with the following information:

Family or employment based cases

In sections where a "C" is marked, it means that the category is current or available, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant's priority date.

In the sections where a "U" is marked, it means that the category is "not current" or "unavailable", and that "no" applications can be filed regardless of the applicant's priority date.

Final Action Dates: dates on which immigrant visas can finally be issued.

Dates for Filing: earliest date a person can file an application for an immigrant visa.

Visa Bulletin March 2022

These are the tables of the Visa Bulletin for March 2022 of the U.S. Department of State published for cases based on the family, employment or the fiscal year 2022 visa lottery:

Final Action Dates for Family Based Case Requests

Types of Family Preference

• First preference (F1): unmarried children, over the age of twenty-one, of U.S. 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 U.S. citizens, their spouses and unmarried children under the age of twenty-one.
• Fourth preference (F4): siblings of U.S. citizens, their spouses and unmarried children under the age of twenty-one.

Pfamily-based referral	All countries except those listed	CHINA	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01DEC14	01DEC14	01DEC14	08SEP99	01MAR12
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	22SEP15	22SEP15	22SEP15	01SEP00	22OCT11
F3	22NOV08	22NOV08	22NOV08	15SEP97	08JUN02
F4	22MAR07	22MAR07	15SEP05	22ABR99	22 AUG02

Dates for submitting family-based case applications

Pfamily-based referral	All countries except those listed	CHINA	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	15MAY16	15MAY16	15MAY16	01ABR01	22ABR15
F2A	01DEC21	01DEC21	01DEC21	01DEC21	01DEC21
F2B	22SEP16	22SEP16	22SEP16	01ABR01	01OCT13
F3	22 AUG09	22 AUG09	22 AUG09	01MAR01	01OCT03
F4	01OCT07	01OCT07	01JAN06	01SEP00	01FEB04

Final action dates for employment-based case applications

Types of Employment Preference:

• First preference (EB-1): priority workers.
• Second preference (EB-2): professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability.
• Third preference (EB-3): skilled workers, professionals and unskilled workers.
• Fourth preference (EB-4): certain special immigrants.
• Fifth preference (EB-5): immigrant investors.

Category based on employment	All countries except those listed	CHINA	EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01MAR19	C	01MAY13	C	C
3rd	C	22MAR18	C	15JAN12	C	C
Other Workers	C	01MAY12	C	15JAN12	C	C
4th	C	C	01MAY17	C	01ABR20	C
Certain Religious Workers	U	U	U	U	U	U
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	C	C	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	U	U	U	U	U	U

Dates for submitting applications for employment-based cases

Category based on employment	All countries except those listed	CHINA	EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01ABR19	C	01SEP13	C	C
3rd	C	01ABR18	C	22JAN12	C	C
Other Workers	C	01JUL15	C	22JAN12	C	C
4th	C	C	15JUN17	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	15JUN17	C	C	C
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	C	C	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	C	15DEC15	C	C	C	C

Dates for filing FY 2022 visa lottery-based case applications

How to read the table of cases based on the FY 2022 Diversity Visa Program (DV, visa lottery).

Below are the allocation cut-off numbers for diversity visas, based on region or eligible countries, for applicants who meet all requirements. When a maximum number is shown, it means that there are only visas available for DV applicants below the number specifically allocated in the region.

The person who "wins the lottery" is only entitled to receive immigrant status in the DV category until the end of the visa fiscal year for which he or she was selected. For all applicants registered in the FY 2022 visa lottery, that entitlement ends on September 30, 2022.

DV visas may not be issued to DV-2022 lottery participants after that date. This also applies to spouses and children of FY 2022 visa lottery winners, who are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2022.

There can be no guarantee that DV visas will be available until the end of fiscal year 2022, because they could be exhausted before September 30, 2022.

Region	All areas except listings
AFRICA	21,000	Except: Egypt 11,000
ASIA	8,300	Except: Iran 6,000                  Nepal 4,200
EUROPE	13,500
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)	8
OCEANIA	850
SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN	1,200

Important additional information for the March 2022 Visa Bulletin

1. Expiration of I5 and R5 employment-based fifth preference visa categories for Regional Centers

The immigrant investor pilot program was extended through June 30, 2021, under Division O, Title 1, Section 104 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

After June 30, 2021, no I5 or R5 visas will be issued, and no final decisions will be made on adjustment of status cases.

For the month of March, the final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been marked as "U" or "Unavailable".

If legislation is passed to extend this category by March, the final action dates for all countries will become "Current" by March, with the exception of China-born I5s and R5s, which will have a final action date of November 22, 2015.

To keep number usage within the maximum allowed under the FY2022 annual restrictions, it may be necessary to set a final action date and filing date for China-born C5 and T5 categories as early as April.

In addition, if adequate demand materializes for the employment-based Fifth Preference category, corrective action may be required in India's employment-based Second Preference category, which would have utilized any unused numbers from the employment-based Fifth Preference.

Rollback of the March 2022 final action date for fourth preference employment categories and certain religious workers (RH) from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

In order to keep worldwide number usage below the maximum allowed under the FY2022 annual restrictions, the final action deadlines for the Fourth Employment and Certain Religious Workers (RH) categories for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have had to be delayed.

This is due to the high demand for numbers in cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for juvenile court dependents seeking adjustment of status. This issue will be closely monitored and changes will be made as necessary.

3. Scheduled expiration of the fourth preference category for certain religious workers (RH) based on employment.

The Fourth Preference Employment of Certain Religious Workers (SR) category was extended through February 18, 2022, through H.R. 6119, the "Further Extension of Government Funding Act."

The special non-ministerial immigrant program will expire on February 18, 2022, according to the continuing resolution.

After midnight on February 17, 2022, no SR visas will be issued and no final action will be taken on adjustment of status cases.

Prior to this date, visas will only be granted with a validity date of February 17, 2022, and all non-minister special immigrant applicants must be admitted to the United States. before midnight on February 17, 2022.

For the month of March, the SR category is marked as "U" or "Unavailable" in all countries.

If legislation to extend the category is passed, it will become "Current" immediately for all nations except El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which have a final action date of May 1, 2017, and Mexico, which has a final action date of April 1, 2020.