The August 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 August 2022 on Filing for Adjustment of Status (immigrant visa applications filed within the U.S.) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by August 2022 click here.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
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 The program orders applicants' priority dates according to visa categories: family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa program (visa lottery) petitions. 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 the demand for visas.
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 visa applications.
This monthly visa bulletin serves as a guide for the National Visa Center (NVC) for visa processing and visa issuance in the United States. 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, this document allows you to monitor and check the progress, delay or non-movement of deadlines to know when your priority date is being processed.
How to read the August 2022 Visa Bulletin priority tables and dates
The U.S. Department of State and USCIS publish two tables for all visa preference categories 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 applications may be filed regardless of the applicant's priority date. If your priority date is current, you may apply for a visa upon qualifying.
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 a visa.
An immigrant's country of birth is also a factor in determining the availability of a visa.
The NVC notifies immigrants by email or regular mail about how to apply for a visa through the consular channel. You should review and follow their instructions carefully.
August 2022 Visa Bulletin
These are the tables of the Visa Bulletin for August 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 21 years of age.
All countries except those listed
| Family-based preference | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| F1 | 01DEC14 | 15MAR00 |
| F2A | C | 22ABR19 |
| F2B | 22SEP15 | 01ABR01 |
| F3 | 22NOV08 | 15OCT97 |
| F4 | 22MAR07 | 01JUN00 |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Family-based preference | CHINA - mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01DEC14 | 01DEC14 | 01MAR12 |
| F2A | C | C | C |
| F2B | 22SEP15 | 22SEP15 | 22OCT11 |
| F3 | 22NOV08 | 22NOV08 | 08JUN02 |
| F4 | 22MAR07 | 15SEP05 | 22 AUG02 |
Dates for submitting family-based case applications
All countries except those listed
| Family-based preference | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| F1 | 08AUG16 | 01DEC01 |
| F2A | C | C |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 08AGO01 |
| F3 | 08NOV09 | 15ABR01 |
| F4 | 15DEC07 | 15MAR01 |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Family-based preference | CHINA - mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 08AUG16 | 08AUG16 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | C | C | C |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 08NOV09 | 08NOV09 | 08NOV03 |
| F4 | 15DEC07 | 22FEB06 | 22APR04 |
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.
All countries except those listed
| Category based on employment | All countries except those listed | EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS | MEXICO |
| 1st | C | C | C |
| 2nd | C | C | C |
| 3rd | C | C | C |
| Other Workers | 08MAY19 | 08MAY19 | 08MAY19 |
| 4th | C | 08NOV17 | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | 08NOV17 | C |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Category based on employment | CHINA mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | C | C |
| 2nd | 01APR19 | 01DEC14 | C |
| 3rd | 22ABR18 | 15FEB12 | C |
| Other Workers | 01JUN12 | 15FEB12 | 08MAY19 |
| 4th | C | C | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | C | C |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | 22NOV15 | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
Dates for submitting applications for employment-based cases
All countries except those listed
| Category based on employment | All countries except those listed | EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS | MEXICO |
| 1st | C | C | C |
| 2nd | C | C | C |
| 3rd | C | C | C |
| Other Workers | C | C | C |
| 4th | C | 08DEC17 | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | 08DEC17 | C |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Category based on employment | CHINA mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | C | C |
| 2nd | 01MAY19 | 01JAN15 | C |
| 3rd | 22MAY18 | 22FEB12 | C |
| Other Workers | 01 AUG15 | 22FEB12 | C |
| 4th | C | C | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | C | C |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | 22DEC15 | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
Dates for submitting FY 2022 visa lottery-based case applications by August 2022
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 DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | Current | |
| ASIA | Current | |
| EUROPE | Current | |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | Current | |
| OCEANIA | Current | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | Current |
Dates for filing FY 2022 visa lottery-based case applications for September 2022
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | Current | |
| ASIA | Current | |
| EUROPE | Current | |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | Current | |
| OCEANIA | Current | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | Current |
Visa Lottery Results and Predictions
2023 Visa Lottery Results (DV-2023)
Individuals chosen to participate in the DV-2023 Diversity Visa Program have been registered and notified by the U.S. Department of State.
By fiscal year 2023, there will be up to 55,000 diversity visas available. The State Department distributes these visas among six geographic regions, and no country may receive more than seven percent of the available visas in any one year.
The Department of State received 9,570,291 qualified entries for the 2023 visa lottery.
Approximately 119,262 potential candidates have been registered in the 2023 visa lottery and informed of their eligibility to apply for a visa. This higher number of applicants should ensure that all diversity visas can be used during FY 2023, as the selection does not take into account the number of family members who could immigrate with the selectee and it is likely that some of those selected will not complete their cases or will not be eligible for a visa.
Those selected for the fiscal year 2023 visa lottery (October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023) must act immediately on their visa applications and complete all necessary steps by September 30, 2023. The FY 2023 program will come to an end once all available diversity visas have been issued.
Final action date for the F-2A family class
At the G point of the Visa Bulletin June 2022readers were informed that it may be necessary to set a final action date as early as August 2022 due to the continued use of the number in the second preference family category A (F-2A).
In August, it is anticipated that number usage will exceed the 75% of the total F-2A category limit. As a result, a final action date is now required to be established to regulate the continued use of the 75% of F-2A numbers that are free of per-country limits under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
For applicants from all nations with priority dates prior to April 22, 2019, country-by-country cap-exempt F-2A numbers are available.
F-2A numbers are available to applicants with priority dates on or after April 22, 2019 and are taxable to all nations except Mexico, subject to per-country restrictions.
The country limit does not apply to all F-2A numbers issued for Mexico.
The U.S. Department of State will continue to monitor the situation, and anticipates that as of October 1, 2022, under the FY 2023 annual numerical restrictions, the numbers exempted from the per-country limit will again be available to all applicants.
Immigration consultation
Anyone who has questions about U.S. immigration law, including how to read the Visa Bulletin and apply for an immigrant visa through consular channels or adjustment of status, should immediately consult with a licensed and experienced U.S. immigration attorney to determine their legal immigration options.
Avoid being victim of immigration fraud and never consult with notaries, immigration consultants, paper-fillers, multi-services and others. unlicensed persons to obtain immigration legal advice.
Dr. Nelson A. Castillo is an immigration attorney with over 20 years of legal experience and author of La Tarjeta Verde: Cómo Obtener la Residencia Permanente en los Estados Unidos (Green Card: How to Obtain Permanent Residence in the United States). He is a former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Westlake South Neighborhood Council of Los Angeles.
For information on how to consult with Dr. Castillo, click here. click here.
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