October 2023 Visa Bulletin (Archive)

How To Read the October 2023 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published its October 2023 Visa Bulletin, which shows the most recent priority date cut-offs for green card filings.

The Visa Bulletin can be confusing, 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 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.

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.

If you want to learn more about the visa bulletin, preference categories, or priority dates, you can read our visa bulletin guide.

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 were no changes in green card wait times for the family-based green card categories for the month of October.

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

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the F1 category compared to last month.

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

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the F2A category compared to last month.

Backlog for F2B (second preference) Green Cards: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the F2B category compared to last month.

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

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the F3 category compared to last month.

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

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the F4 category compared to last month.

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 has received your I-130 application.

Employment-Based Green Cards by Preference Category

There were a lot of changes in wait times for employment-based green card applicants for the month of October. Every country in the following categories saw a decrease in wait times: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-4.

Wait times for the EB-5 category decreased only for China and India.

Backlog for EB-1 Green Cards for Priority Workers 

Here's how wait times for EB-1 green card applicants changed by country:

• Mexico, the Philippines, and "all other countries" saw a 1 month decrease.

• China (main land born) saw a 6 month decrease.

• India saw a decrease of 7 years and 6 months.

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

Wait times for green cards in the EB-2 category decreased for all countries.

• Wait times for applicants from China (main land born) applicants decreased by 5 months

• Wait times decreased by 6 months for applicants from Mexico, the Philippines, and "all other countries"

• Wait times for applicants from India decreased by 1 year and 4 months

Backlog for EB-3 Green Cards for Skilled Workers & Professionals

Wait times for green cards in the EB-3: Skilled Workers & Professionals category decreased for applicants from all countries.

• Wait times for applicants from China (main land born) decreased by 1 year

• Wait times for applicants from Mexico and "all other countries" decreased by 1 year and 9 months

• Wait times for applicants from the Philippines decreased by 2 years and 8 months

• Wait times for applicants from India decreased by 3 years and 7 months

Backlog for EB-3 Green Cards for Other Workers

Wait times for EB-3 applicants from all countries decreased.

• The Philippines saw a 2 week decrease

• Mexico and "all other countries" saw a 7 month and 2 week decrease

• China (main land born) saw a 1 year and 9 month decrease

• India saw a decrease of 7 years and 6 months

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Certain Special Immigrants

All countries in this category saw a 6 month decrease.

Backlog for EB-5 Green Cards for Immigrant Investors - Unreserved

There were a few changes in the green card backlog in the EB-5 category (immigrant investors), compared to last month.

Mexico, the Philippines, and "all other countries" saw no change while China (main land born) saw a 1 year and 3 month decrease, and India saw a decrease of 5 years.

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 has received your employment-based visa application.

How We Calculate Changes in Wait Time

When the cut-off date changes from one month’s Visa Bulletin to the next, you’ll see a change in wait time listed in the tables above. Here’s the formula we use to calculate this change in wait time:

Prior month’s cut-off date – Current cut-off date = Change in wait time

In our calculations, “Current” equals the date that the U.S. Department of State actually released the Visa Bulletin. Each Visa Bulletin represents a snapshot in time; the data isn’t updated in real-time, but rather gathered and released monthly. Using the actual release date of the Visa Bulletin allows us to best estimate the change in wait time and current wait time for various green card preference categories.

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 are the same.