May 2023 Visa Bulletin (Archive)

How To Read the May 2023 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published its May 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

Green card seekers in the first and third preference categories from all countries except Mexico and the Philippines got good news this month: Wait times are down slightly from last month.

The backlog for F1 green cards decreased by almost five months, but the total wait time still remains at over six years for the fastest applicants. The wait time for F3 green cards decreased by three months, but overall wait time remain high at over 13 years for the fastest applicants in this category.

Finally, the backlog for F4 green cards for siblings of adult U.S. citizens decreased by 1 month and 17 days for China and all other countries. The wait times for India, Mexico, and the Philippines did not change from last month. The total wait time for F4 visas ranges from 15 to almost 22 years, depending on the beneficiary's country.

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

Wait times for F1 green card applicants decreased by 4 months and 24 days for beneficiaries in all countries except Mexico and the Philippines.

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.

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.

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

All countries except Mexico and the Philippines saw a decrease in wait times for an F3 green card. Wait times decreased by 3 months.

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

All countries except India, Mexico, and the Philippines saw a decrease in wait times for F4 green cards. The wait time decreased by 1 months and 17 days.

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

Backlog for EB-1 Green Cards for Priority Workers 

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the EB-1 category.

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

EB-2 wait times increased for all countries except China and India as follows:

• Mexico: Increased by 4 months and 16 days

• Philippines: increased by 4 months and 16 days

• All other countries: Increased by 4 months and 16 days

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

EB-3 green card applicants in China saw a decrease in wait times of five months. However, applicants for EB-3 green cards from Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries (except India) saw wait times increase by 9 months and 21 days.

Backlog for EB-3 Green Cards for Other Workers

There were no changes in wait times for EB-3 green card applicants for any country except China. Applicants from Mainland China saw a decrease in wait time for other workers of 6.5 months.

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Certain Special Immigrants

There were no changes in the green card backlog in the EB-4 category.

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

The only change in wait times for EB-5 green card for immigrant investors was for applicants from Mainland China. Wait times decreased by 2 months.

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.