FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

A. APPLICATION FINAL ACTION DATES FOR
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); \"C\" means current, i.e., numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants; and \"U\" means unauthorized, i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance. (NOTE: Numbers are authorized for issuance only for applicants whose priority date is earlierthan the cut-off date listed below.)

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	22NOV08	22NOV08	22NOV08	08FEB95	01OCT04
F2A	01NOV14	01NOV14	01NOV14	15AUG14	01NOV14
F2B	01SEP09	01SEP09	01SEP09	08SEP95	01MAY05
F3	01DEC04	01DEC04	01DEC04	08OCT94	22JAN94
F4	22JUL03	22JUL03	22JUL03	08APR97	01OCT92

*NOTE: For May, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 15AUG14. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 15AUG14 and earlier than 01NOV14. (All F2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit; there are no F2A numbers for MEXICO subject to per-country limit.)

B. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED
VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of Stateâ€™s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated â€œcurrent,â€ all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date.

The â€œCâ€ listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicantâ€™s priority date. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which isearlier than the listed date may file their application.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 4.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01OCT09	01OCT09	01OCT09	01APR95	01SEP05
F2A	15JUN15	15JUN15	15JUN15	15JUN15	15JUN15
F2B	15DEC10	15DEC10	15DEC10	01APR96	01MAY05
F3	01AUG05	01AUG05	01AUG05	01MAY95	01AUG95
F4	01MAY04	01MAY04	01MAY04	01JUN98	01JAN93

5. Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows:

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES

First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to \"*Other Workers\".

Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the worldwide level.

Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1% of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of Pub. L. 102-395.

A. APPLICATION FINAL ACTION DATES FOR
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

Employ- ment based	All Charge- ability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01SEP12	C	22NOV08	C	C
3rd	15FEB16	15AUG13	15FEB16	01SEP04	15FEB16	08AUG08
Other Workers	15FEB16	22APR07	15FEB16	01SEP04	15FEB16	08AUG08
4th	C	C	01JAN10	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	01JAN10	C	C	C
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	08FEB14	C	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	C	08FEB14	C	C	C	C

*Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW cut-off date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002.

B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED
VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of Stateâ€™s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated â€œcurrent,â€ all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS.

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01JUN13	01JUL09	C	C
3rd	C	01MAY15	01JUL05	C	01JAN10
Other Workers	C	01APR08	01JUL05	C	01JAN10
4th	C	C	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	C	C	C
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	01MAY15	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	C	01MAY15	C	C	C

6. The Department of State has a recorded message with the cut-off date information for Final Application Action which can be heard at: (202) 485-7699. This recording is updated on or about the tenth of each month with information on cut-off dates for the following month.

VISA AVAILABILITY DURING THE COMING MONTHS

FAMILY-SPONSORED:

CHINA F4: The level of applicant demand being received has begun to increase. Should this pattern continue, it will be necessary to either hold or retrogress this final action date in late summer. That action would be necessary to hold number use within the overall China Family-sponsored annual limit.

INDIA F4: The amount of demand being reported for applicants with priority dates which are significantly earlier than the established cut-off date has increased dramatically in recent months. As a result, it is likely that this final action date will be retrogressed, possibly as early as June. This action would be necessary to hold number use within the overall India Family-sponsored annual limit.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED:

CHINA E3: There has been an extremely large increase in Employment Third preference applicant demand in recent weeks. This is likely due to the â€œdowngradingâ€ of status by applicants who had originally filed in the Employment Second preference. This has resulted in the Third preference final action date being held for the month of May. Continued heavy demand for numbers will require a retrogression of this date for June to hold number use within the FY-2016 annual limit.

During the past month, there have been extremely high levels of Employment-based demand in most categories for cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for adjustment of status. If this sudden and unanticipated change in the demand pattern continues, it could impact final action dates in the coming months and possibly require corrective action in some.

Visa Bulletin-May 2016