The latest green card waiting lists as of December 2023
The U.S. Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for December 2023. That’s a big deal if you’re waiting for your priority date to be current so that your green card application can move forward.
If you don’t know what a “visa bulletin” or a “priority date” is, we’ve got you covered. Start by checking out the Boundless guide on How to Read the Visa Bulletin.
If you’re already familiar with those terms, scroll down to our summary of key developments or to the filing category that’s most relevant to you:
Family-based categories
F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. Citizens
F-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders
F-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card Holders
F-3: Married Children of U.S. Citizens
F-4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens
Employment-based categories
EB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and Multinational Executives and Managers
EB-2: Exceptional People and Advanced Degree Holders
EB-3: Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, and Unskilled Workers
EB-4: Special Immigrants
EB-5: Investors
Every month the Department of State calculates the current backlog for various categories and uses this data to create a projected date. Those immigrants who have a priority date on or before that date can begin the next step in their process, by either filing for adjustment of statues or filing at a consulate abroad for an immigrant visa.
The dates below are the "dates of filing" which tell you when you can begin the next step. The visa bulletin also posts "final action dates" which determine when the application can actually be adjudicated. The difference between these two dates is usually roughly the time that USCIS expects to take to process the applications.
Family-Based Green Card Backlogs
F-1: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 AND OLDER) OF U.S. CITIZENS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Sept-17
1-Sept-17
No Change
China
1-Sept-17
1-Sept-17
No Change
India
1-Sept-17
1-Sept-17
No Change
Mexico
1-Apr-05
1-Apr-05
No Change
Philippines
22-Apr-15
22-Apr-15
No Change
F-2A: SPOUSES AND UNMARRIED CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 21) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Sept-23
1-Sept-23
No Change
China
1-Sept-23
1-Sept-23
No Change
India
1-Sept-23
1-Sept-23
No Change
Mexico
1-Sept-23
1-Sept-23
No Change
Philippines
1-Sept-23
1-Sept-23
No Change
F-2B: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 OR OLDER) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Jan-17
1-Jan-17
No Change
China
1-Jan-17
1-Jan-17
No Change
India
1-Jan-17
1-Jan-17
No Change
Mexico
1-Aug-04
1-Aug-04
No Change
Philippines
1-Oct-13
1-Oct-13
No Change
F-3: MARRIED CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Mar-10
1-Mar-10
No Change
China
1-Mar-10
1-Mar-10
No Change
India
1-Mar-10
1-Mar-10
No Change
Mexico
15-June-01
15-June-01
No Change
Philippines
8-Nov-03
8-Nov-03
No Change
F-4: SIBLINGS OF U.S. CITIZENS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Mar-08
1-Mar-08
No Change
China
1-Mar-08
1-Mar-08
No Change
India
22-Feb-06
22-Feb-06
No Change
Mexico
15-April-01
15-April-01
No Change
Philippines
22-Apr-04
22-Apr-04
No Change
EB-1: EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSORS, AND MULTINATIONAL EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
Current
Current
No Change
China
1-Aug-22
1-Aug-22
No Change
India
1-July-19
1-July-19
No Change
Mexico
Current
Current
No Change
Philippines
Current
Current
No Change
EB-2: EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE AND ADVANCED DEGREE HOLDERS
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Jan-23
1-Jan-23
No Change
China
1-Jan-20
1-Jan-20
No Change
India
15-May-12
15-May-12
No Change
Mexico
1-Jan-23
1-Jan-23
No Change
Philippines
1-Jan-23
1-Jan-23
No Change
EB-4: "SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS" CATEGORY
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
1-Mar-19
1-Mar-19
No Change
China
1-Mar-19
1-Mar-19
No Change
India
1-Mar-19
1-Mar-19
No Change
Mexico
1-Mar-19
1-Mar-19
No Change
Philippines
1-Mar-19
1-Mar-19
No Change
EB-5: "INVESTORS" CATEGORY
Country
New Cut-Off Date
Old Cut-Off Date
Movement
All Other Areas
No wait
No wait
No Change
China
1-Jan-17
1-Jan-17
No Change
India
1-April-22
1-April-22
No Change
Mexico
No wait
No wait
No Change
Philippines
No wait
No wait
No Change
Disclaimer: The contents of this post were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing. Immigration is constantly changing, and old information often becomes outdated, including procedures, timelines, prices, and more. Take note of the publish date. For archival purposes, these posts will remain published, even if new information renders them obsolete. Do not make important life decisions based on this content. No part of this post should be considered legal advice, as RapidVisa is not a law firm. This content is provided free of charge for informational purposes only. If anything herein conflicts with an official government website, the official government website shall prevail.