On September 15, 2023, the Department of State released the October 2023 Visa Bulletin, indicating which green card applications are eligible to move forward based on their initial filing date. For employment-based filings, USCIS has directed the public to use "Chart B," the Dates for Filing chart in the October Visa Bulletin.
The Visa Bulletin affects those born in countries where there are more green card applications filed than green cards available for the fiscal year. Those born in India and China are subject to backlogs and have to wait for their priority date to become current so that they may file an Adjustment of Status, the final stage in the green card application.
The EB-1 category is "current" for all countries except for India and China. Indian nationals with priority dates of July 1, 2019, and earlier are eligible to move forward. Chinese nationals with priority dates of August 1, 2022, can move forward with their applications.
EB-2 Indian nationals with priority dates of May 15, 2012, and EB-2 Chinese nationals with priority dates of January 1, 2020, can move forward.
In the EB-3 category, Indian nationals with priority dates of August 1, 2012, and Chinese nationals with priority dates of September 1, 2020, are eligible to file their Adjustment of Status applications for their green cards.
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