December 2022 Visa Bulletin (Archive)

In a Nutshell

The U.S. Department of State released the December 2022 Visa Bulletin, which is the final bulletin of the year. Family-based green card cut-off times are the same for December as they were in November. This means the USCIS backlog — your wait time to apply for your green card — hasn’t changed either. There was more movement with employment-based green card cut-offs. The wait times for EB-2 and EB-3 applicants from China and India increased slightly. One piece of good news: The wait times for special immigrants, EB-4 applicants, decreased by 4 months and 1 day for all countries except those in Central America.

Written by ImmigrationHelp News Team
Written November 20, 2022


How To Read the December 2022 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published its December 2022 Visa Bulletin, which shows the most recent priority date cut-offs for green card filings.

The Visa Bulletin can be confusing to look at, 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 (if you submitted Form G-1145) 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.

*Note: For simplicity’s sake, our tables contain the language “All Other Countries” rather than USCIS’s language “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” but the meaning and intent is the same.

Family-Based Green Cards by Preference Category

There has been no change to the cut-off dates for family green cards in any preference category. That means your wait time when you checked last month’s bulletin is still your wait time now. 

Some trends of note:

Mexican nationals continue to have the longest wait times for family-based green cards in all preference categories except F2A/Second Preference, which includes spouses and children of permanent residents and is current for all countries as of the December 2022 Visa Bulletin.

This means Mexican nationals who are siblings, married children, or unmarried children of U.S. citizens or who are unmarried children of a U.S. legal permanent resident must often wait several years longer than people who apply for a family-based green card in the same category from a different country.

Nationals of the Philippines have the second longest family green card wait times by country.

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Aug. 8, 2016Aug. 8, 2016No Change
China- Mainland bornAug. 8, 2016Aug. 8, 2016No change
IndiaAug. 8, 2016Aug. 8, 2016No change
MexicoDec. 1, 2002Dec. 1, 2002No change
PhilippinesApril 22, 2015April 22, 2015No change

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*CurrentCurrentNo change
China- mainland bornCurrentCurrentNo change
IndiaCurrentCurrentNo change
MexicoCurrentCurrentNo change
PhilippinesCurrentCurrentNo change

Backlog for F2B (Second Preference) Green Cards: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Jan. 1, 2017 Jan. 1, 2017 No change
China- mainland bornJan. 1, 2017 Jan. 1, 2017 No change
IndiaJan. 1, 2017 Jan. 1, 2017 No change
MexicoJan. 1, 2017 Jan. 1, 2017 No change
PhilippinesOct. 1, 2013Oct. 1, 2013No change

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Nov. 8, 2009Nov. 8, 2009No change
China- mainland bornNov. 8, 2009Nov. 8, 2009No change
IndiaNov. 8, 2009Nov. 8, 2009No change
MexicoJune 15, 2001June 15, 2001No change
PhilippinesNov. 8, 2003Nov. 8, 2003No change

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Dec. 15, 2007Dec. 15, 2007No change
China- mainland bornDec. 15, 2007Dec. 15, 2007No change
IndiaFeb. 22, 2006Feb. 22, 2006No change
MexicoApril 1, 2001April 1, 2001No change
PhilippinesApril 22, 2004April 22, 2004No change

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’s received your I-130 application.

Employment-Based Green Cards by Preference Category

There is no wait time for EB-1 applicants (priority workers) from any country and most EB-5 (immigrant investors) green card applicants — India and China still have a backlog, though it’s unchanged from last month. Those are the only preference categories for employment green cards that did not see some changes to the current backlog:

  • The wait time for EB-2 and EB-3 green card applicants from China and India increased.

    For EB-2 applicants the increase was a moderate 10 days, but for EB-3 applicants the wait increased by one month for Indian applicants and over 1.5 months for applicants from China.

  • Good news for EB-4 green card applicants (special immigrants): Wait times decreased by four months for all countries excluding Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Backlog for EB-1 Green Cards for Priority Workers

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Current Current No change
China- mainland bornCurrent Current No change
El Salvador/Guatemala/HondurasCurrent Current No change
IndiaCurrent Current No change
MexicoCurrent Current No change
PhilippinesCurrentCurrentNo change

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*Dec. 1, 2022CurrentIncreased by 10 days
China- mainland bornJuly 8, 2019July 8, 2019No change
El Salvador/Guatemala/HondurasDec. 1, 2022CurrentIncreased by 10 days
IndiaMay 1, 2012May 1, 2012No change
MexicoDec. 1, 2022CurrentIncreased by 10 days
PhilippinesDec. 1, 2022CurrentIncreased by 10 days

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

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*CurrentCurrentNo change
China- mainland bornSept. 1, 2018July 15, 2018Increased by 1 month, 17 days
El Salvador/Guatemala/HondurasCurrentCurrentNo change
IndiaAug. 1, 2012July 1, 2012Increased by 1 month
MexicoCurrentCurrentNo change
PhilippinesCurrentCurrentNo change

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Certain Special Immigrants

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*July 22, 2022 CurrentDecreased by 4 months ,1 day
China- mainland bornJuly 22, 2022CurrentDecreased by 4 months ,1 day
El Salvador/Guatemala/HondurasApril 15, 2018April 15, 2018No change
IndiaJuly 22, 2022CurrentDecreased by 4 months ,1 day
MexicoOct. 15, 2020Oct. 15, 2020No change
PhilippinesJuly 22, 2022CurrentDecreased by 4 months ,1 day

Backlog for EB-5 Green Cards for Immigrant Investors

CountryCut-Off DatePrevious Cut-Off DateChange in Wait Time
All other countries*CurrentCurrentNo change
China- mainland bornJan. 1, 2016Jan. 1 , 2016No change
El Salvador/Guatemala/HondurasCurrentCurrentNo change
IndiaDec. 8, 2019Dec. 8, 2019No change
MexicoCurrentCurrentNo change
PhilippinesCurrentCurrentNo change

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’s received your employment-based visa application.