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April 2023 Visa Bulletin

ImmigrationHelp News Team

Updated : 03/23/2023

In the Nutshell

There were quite a few changes in wait times for employment-based green cards in the April 2023 Visa Bulletin released by the U.S. State Department this week. To address increasing demand for EB-2 green cards and keep the number of visas issued within 2023 guidelines, the State Department used final action dates for employment-based green cards in April. This led to increased wait times in almost every EB visa category. Indian nationals hoping to get a employment green card are disproportionately negatively affected by this change, with wait times increasing by up to 10 years in some categories. There were no changes in wait times in any preference category for family-based green card applicants.

How To Read the April 2023 Visa Bulletin

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

The USCIS backlog for family-based green cards didn’t change from March 2023 to April 2023 in any preference category.

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

Backlog for F2A (second preference) Green Cards: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents

Backlog for F2B (second preference) Green Cards: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents

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

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

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

The USCIS backlog for Employment-Based (EB) Green Cards changed a lot from March 2023 to April 2023. This is due to the State Department using the Final Action Dates instead of the Dates for Filing to determine wait times. In many categories, this increases the wait time for employment greens, which allows the State Department to stay on target with the number of visa they can issue in 2023.

Backlog for EB-1 Green Cards for Priority Workers 

Wait times for EB-1 green cards increased for both China (mainland born) and India. Chinese nationals saw a 4 month increase in EB-1 wait times, while India saw a 1 year and 8 day increase.

The backlog for EB-1 green cards decreased for Mexico by 9 months and 21 days. This basically cleared the queue for Mexico EB-1 green cards, and the priority date is now current again.

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

India saw the biggest wait time increases for EB-2 green cards — a whopping 11 year and 11 month increase. The backlog for EB-2 green cards also increased for China (mainland born), the Philippines, and all other countries:

  • China- mainland born increased by 1 month

  • The Philippines increased 5 months

  • All Other Countries increased by 5 months

The backlog for EB-2 green cards decreased for Mexico by 10 years and 2 months, bringing the total estimated wait time down to about 7 months.

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

The wait times for EB-3 green cards for Skilled and Professional Workers increased for India by 10 years, 7 months and 25 days.

The backlog for EB-3 green cards for Skilled and Professional Workers decreased for both China (mainland born) and Mexico. Wait times for Chinese nationals seeking EB-3 green cards decreased by 2 months. Wait times for Mexican national seeking EB-3 green cards decreased by 10 years, 7 months and 21 days.

Backlog for EB-3 Green Cards for Other Workers

The wait times for EB-3 green cards for Other Workers increased for China (mainland born), India, the Philippines, and all other countries. India saw the most significant increases with wait time increasing by over 7.5 years.

  • China (mainland born) wait times for EB-3 green cards increased by 1 year and 1 month

  • India wait times for EB-3 green cards increased by 7 years, 7 months and 17 days

  • The Philippines wait times for EB-3 green cards increased by 1 month

  • All other countries wait times for EB-3 green cards increased by 1 month

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Certain Special Immigrants

The backlog for EB-4 green cards for Special Immigrants increased for China (mainland born), Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries:

  • China- mainland born increased by 3 years and 6 months

  • Mexico increased by 2 years and 7 months

  • The Philippines increased by 2 years

  • All Other Countries increased by 3 years and 6 months

Backlog for EB-4 Green Cards for Special Immigrants decreased for India by 4 months and 17 days.

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

The backlog for EB-5 green cards (Unreserved) increased for China (mainland born) by 5 months and 25 days and India by 4 years, 4 months, and 8 days.

Wait times for Mexican nationals seeking EB-5 green cards (Unreserved) decreased by 3 years, 3 months, and 14 days.

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.