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 final action date listed below.)

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	08JAN10	08JAN10	08JAN10	22APR95	01OCT05
F2A	22MAR15	22MAR15	22MAR15	08MAR15	22MAR15
F2B	08JUN10	08JUN10	08JUN10	15OCT95	08APR06
F3	01MAR05	01MAR05	01MAR05	15DEC94	01SEP94
F4	22JAN04	22NOV03	15MAY03	15MAY97	08JUN93

*NOTE: For January, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 08MAR15. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 08MAR15 and earlier than 22MAR15. All F2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the 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 application 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 application 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 is earlier 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	01JAN11	01JAN11	01JAN11	01JUN95	01MAY06
F2A	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV15
F2B	08FEB11	08FEB11	08FEB11	01JUN96	01FEB07
F3	22AUG05	22AUG05	22AUG05	01MAY95	01JAN95
F4	01JUL04	01JUL04	01MAY04	01DEC97	01APR94

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. 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	15OCT12	C	15APR08	C	C
3rd	01AUG16	08SEP13	01AUG16	15MAR05	01AUG16	22JUL11
Other Workers	01AUG16	01DEC05	01AUG16	15MAR05	01AUG16	22JUL11
4th	C	C	15JUL15	C	15JUL15	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	15JUL15	C	15JUL15	C
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	08APR14	C	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	C	08APR14	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 application 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 application 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	01MAR13	22APR09	C	C
3rd	C	01MAY14	01JUL05	C	01SEP13
Other Workers	C	01AUG09	01JUL05	C	01SEP13
4th	C	C	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	C	C	C
5th Non-Regional Center (C5 and T5)	C	15JUN14	C	C	C
5th Regional Center (I5 and R5)	C	15JUN14	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 final action dates for the following month.

SPECIAL IMMIGRANT (SI) TRANSLATOR CATEGORY VISA
AVAILABILITY

The Department expects to reach the FY-2017 annual limit of 50 Special Immigrant Visas in the SI category by the end of December 2016. As a result, the final action date for the SI category has become â€œUnavailableâ€ effective January 2017. Further issuances in the SI category will not be possible until October 2017, under the FY-2018 annual limit. The SQ Special Immigrant Visa category for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan is not affected and remains current.

E. EMPLOYMENT-BASED FOURTH (E4) AND CERTAIN RELIGIOUS
WORKERS (SR) PREFERENCE CATEGORY VISA AVAILABILITY

There continues to be high demand in the E4 and SR categories, primarily for Juvenile Court Dependent cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for adjustment of status. Therefore, it may be necessary to retrogress the E4 and SR Final Action Dates for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico at some point in an effort to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2017 annual limits.

F.  ANNUAL REPORT OF IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS IN THE
  FAMILY-SPONSORED AND EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
  REGISTERED AT THE NATIONAL VISA CENTER AS OF
  NOVEMBER 1, 2016

The National Visa Center has provided the totals of applicants who are registered in the various numerically-limited immigrant categories for processing at overseas posts. This information is available on the Consular Affairs www.travel.state.gov website. The direct link to the item is:

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Immigrant-Statistics/WaitingListItem.pdf

Visa bulletin-January 2017