Where can I find my place in the queue for an immigration visa

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US Department of State published "Visa Bulletin" as of October 2016, a monthly document that provides information on immigrant visa applications by categories limited by the quota system.

The bulletin indicates the priority dates, which are appointed after the submission of a petition or an application for these categories. These dates show the place in the queue and the period when you can apply for a visa.

Applicants for categories based on family relationship or employment can use the application date table provided in the bulletin entitled “Visa Application Dates” (Dates for Filing Visa Applications).

Exceptions apply to applicants for EB-4 (Certain Special Immigrants) and EB-5 (Targeted Employment Areas/Regional Centers and Pilot Programs) visas.

Representatives of these 2 groups should use the table called “Application Final Action Dates”.

The statutory deadline for applications for EB-4 and EB-5 visas is September 30, 2016. Thus, if these programs are renewed by Congress and approved by the President of the United States, then they will again be available for application. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will include this information in a future Visa Bulletin.

Each year, the US Congress sets a quota for the number of immigration visas for categories based on family kinship or employment. However, as noted, immigration visas for direct relatives (parents, spouses and unmarried / unmarried children up to 21) are not quotaed.

The letter “C” in the immigration table for the purpose of employment means that there are no queues for visas for these categories, and the letter “U” indicates that visas are not available for these categories.

If your priority date is earlier than the one shown in the table (for example, your priority date is April 18, 2015, and the date in the table is April 25, 2015), this means that you can already acquire immigration status.

The US Department of State updates the Visa Bulletin on or after the 8th day of each month. USCIS encourages citizens who are awaiting immigrant visas to regularly review the information published in the bulletin.

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