Visa Bulletin For August 2021

Number 56
Volume X
Washington, D.C

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A. STATUTORY NUMBERS

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during August for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo, individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security must use the “Final Action Dates” charts below for determining when they can file such applications. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” charts in this Bulletin. 

1.  Procedures for determining dates. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; USCIS reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by July 8th. If not all demand could be satisfied, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The final action date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. If it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a final action date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new final action date announced in this bulletin. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category “unavailable”, and no further requests for numbers would be honored.

2.  Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000.  The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.  Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620.  The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.

3.  INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition on behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas:  CHINA-mainland born, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, MEXICO, PHILIPPINES, and VIETNAM.

4.  Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows: 

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents:  114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:  77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents:  23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens:  65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

A.  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 earlier than the final action date listed below.)

Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland 
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 22NOV14
22NOV14 22NOV14 01JAN99 01MAR12
F2A C C C C C
F2B 22SEP15 22SEP15 22SEP15 01MAR00 22OCT11
F3 08NOV08 08NOV08 08NOV08 22APR97 08JUN02
F4 01MAR07 01MAR07 01SEP05 22JAN99 08AUG02

22MAR05
22MAR05
22DEC10
01FEB16
01FEB16

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 State’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 “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date.

The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’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 15MAY16 15MAY16 15MAY16 01AUG00 22APR15
F2A 01JUN21 01JUN21 01JUN21 01JUN21 01JUN21
F2B 22SEP16 22SEP16 22SEP16 08AUG00 01OCT13
F3 22AUG09 22AUG09 22AUG09 08SEP00 01OCT03
F4 01OCT07 01OCT07 01DEC05 08MAY99 01FEB04

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, of which not more than 10,000 may be provided 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 are reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 are set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of Pub. L. 102-395.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED 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 earlier than the final action date listed below.)

Employment-
based
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES VIETNAM
1st C C C C C C C
2nd C 01APR18 C 01JUN11 C C C
3rd C 08JAN19 C 01JUL13 C C C
Other Workers C 01JAN10 C 01JUL13 C C C
4th C C 01JAN19 C 01FEB20 C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 01JAN19 C 01FEB20 C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 15NOV15 C C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
U U U U U U U

*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 final action date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002. For Fiscal Year 2021 this reduction will be limited to approximately 150.

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 State’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 “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date.

The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’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 5.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. 

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO  PHILIPPINES 
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 01JUL18 C 01DEC11  C C
3rd C 01JUL19 C 01FEB14 C C
Other Workers C 01MAY10 C 01FEB14 C C
4th C C 01MAR19 C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 01MAR19 C C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 15DEC15 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 15DEC15 C C C C

6.  The Department of State has a recorded message with the Final Action date information which can be heard at:  (202) 485-7699.  This recording is updated on or about the seventeenth of each month with information on final action dates for the following month.

B.  DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program.  This will result in reduction of the DV-2021 annual limit to approximately 54,850. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.

For August, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2021 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:

Region All DV Chargeability Areas Except
Those Listed Separately
 
AFRICA CURRENT  
ASIA CURRENT

 

EUROPE CURRENT  
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)  CURRENT  
OCEANIA CURRENT  
SOUTH AMERICA,
and the CARIBBEAN
CURRENT  

Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2021 program ends as of September 30, 2021. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2021 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2021 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2021. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2021 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.

C.  THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN SEPTEMBER

For September, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2021 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:

Region All DV Chargeability Areas Except
Those Listed Separately
 
AFRICA CURRENT  
ASIA CURRENT  
EUROPE CURRENT  
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)  CURRENT  
OCEANIA CURRENT  
SOUTH AMERICA,
and the CARIBBEAN
CURRENT  

D.  EXPIRATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIFTH PREFERENCE I5 and R5 REGIONAL CENTER VISA CATEGORIES

Division O, Title 1, Section 104 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extended the immigrant investor pilot program until June 30, 2021.  No I5 or R5 visas may be issued overseas or final action taken on adjustment of status cases after June 30, 2021.

The final action dates for the I5 and R5 categories have been listed as “Unavailable” for August.

If there is legislative action extending this category for August, the final action dates would immediately become “Current” for August for all countries except China-mainland born I5 and R5, which would be subject to a November 15, 2015 final action date.

E.  FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON VISA PROCESSING AT U.S. EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PLEASE VISIT THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS WEBSITE AT TRAVEL.STATE.GOV

F.  @TRAVELGOV BEGINS HOSTING MONTHLY YOUTUBE LIVE “CHATS WITH CHARLIE”  

@TravelGov will be hosting "Chats with Charlie" on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TravelGov) to discuss information provided in the monthly Visa Bulletin.  This month's chat is scheduled to take place on July 19, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. EST to discuss the August Visa Bulletin.  Questions can be emailed to VisaBulletin@state.gov ahead of the event with "Chat with Charlie Question" in the subject line.  Questions will also be taken via the YouTube Live Chat and will be answered in real-time.  The event is intended to address issues of general interest related to the content of the Visa Bulletin, and no policy, case, or post specific questions will be accepted.

G.  DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY 2022 (DV-2022) RESULTS

The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2021 diversity lottery.  The diversity lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes available *55,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.  Approximately 119,021 applicants have been registered and notified and may now make an application for an immigrant visa. Since it is likely that some of the first *55,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger figure should ensure that all DV-2022 numbers will be used during fiscal year 2022 (October 1, 2021 until September 30, 2022).

Applicants registered for the DV-2022 program were selected at random from 7,336,302 qualified entries (13,191,296 with derivatives) received during the 35-day application period that ran from noon, Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, until noon, Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.  The visas have been apportioned among six geographic regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country.  During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience within the past five years.  Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly.  Applicants should follow the instructions in their notification letter and must fully complete the information requested.

Registrants living legally in the United States who wish to apply for adjustment of their status must contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for information on the requirements and procedures.  Once the total *55,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2022 will end.  Selected applicants who do not receive visas by September 30, 2022 will derive no further benefit from their DV-2022 registration.  Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2022 principal applicants are only entitled to derivative diversity visa status until September 30, 2022.

Dates for the DV-2023 program registration period will be widely publicized in the coming months.  Those interested in entering the DV-2023 program should check the Department of State’s Visa web page in the coming months.

*The Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997 stipulated that up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas be made available for use under the NACARA program.  This will result in reduction of the DV-2022 annual limit to approximately 54,850.  

The following is the statistical breakdown by foreign state of chargeability of those registered for the DV-2022 program: 

AFRICA

ALGERIA  6,001

ESWATINI  1

MOZAMBIQUE  2

ANGOLA  855

ETHIOPIA  2,988

NAMIBIA  9

BENIN  735

GABON  66

NIGER  49

BOTSWANA  4

GAMBIA, THE  77

RWANDA  983

BURKINA FASO  72

GHANA  3,145

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE  4

BURUNDI  390

GUINEA  672

SENEGAL  277

CABO VERDE  12

GUINEA-BISSAU  15

SEYCHELLES  7

CAMEROON  2,656

KENYA  2,882

SIERRA LEONE  271

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC  21

LESOTHO  8

SOMALIA  435

CHAD  231

LIBERIA  1,417

SOUTH AFRICA  497

COMOROS  10

LIBYA  311

SOUTH SUDAN  75

CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE  3,347 

MADAGASCAR  19

SUDAN  6,001

CONGO, REPUBLIC OF THE  574

MALAWI  22

TANZANIA  103

COTE D’IVOIRE  597

MALI  74

TOGO  1,119

DJIBOUTI  187

MAURITANIA  158

TUNISIA  203

EGYPT  6,005

MAURITIUS  12

UGANDA  722

EQUATORIAL GUINEA  3

MOROCCO  4,138

ZAMBIA  56

ERITREA  261

  Western Sahara  2

ZIMBABWE  222

 

 

 

ASIA

 

 

AFGHANISTAN  3,410

JORDAN  917

SAUDI ARABIA  944

BAHRAIN  15

KOREA, NORTH  0

SINGAPORE  19

BHUTAN  114

KUWAIT  222

SRI LANKA  838

BRUNEI  2

LAOS  22

SYRIA  483

BURMA  561

LEBANON  320

TAIWAN  574

CAMBODIA  1,094

MALAYSIA  44

THAILAND  186

INDONESIA  218

MALDIVES  2

TIMOR-LESTE  0

IRAN  5,739

MONGOLIA  293

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  275

IRAQ  1,512

NEPAL  3,802

YEMEN  1,561

ISRAEL  207

OMAN  27

 

JAPAN  510

QATAR  90

 

 

 

 

EUROPE

 

 

ALBANIA  2,756

GREECE  42

NORTHERN IRELAND  3

ANDORRA  0

HUNGARY  100

NORWAY  10

ARMENIA  2,066

ICELAND  8

POLAND  355

AUSTRIA  36

IRELAND  24

PORTUGAL  20

AZERBAIJAN  919

ITALY  324

  Macau  2

BELARUS  1,808

KAZAKHSTAN  1,978

ROMANIA  264

BELGIUM  35

KOSOVO  334

RUSSIA  6,001

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA  67

KYRGYZSTAN  1,993

SERBIA  214

BULGARIA  220

LATVIA  43

SLOVAKIA  24

CROATIA  21

LIECHTENSTEIN  0

SLOVENIA  10

CYPRUS  10

LITHUANIA  110

SPAIN  184

CZECH REPUBLIC  27

LUXEMBOURG  3

SWEDEN  32

DENMARK  15

MALTA  0

SWITZERLAND  31

ESTONIA  24

MOLDOOVA  798

TAJIKISTAN  2,122

FINLAND  28

MONACO  0

TURKEY  2,526

FRANCE  205

MONTENEGRO  48

TURKMENISTAN  745

  Saint Martin  5

NETHERLANDS  34

UKRAINE  4,949

GEORGIA  1,604

  Sint Maarten  2

UZBEKISTAN  6,001

GERMANY  526 NORTH MACEDONIA  293 VATICAN CITY  0

 

 

 

NORTH AMERICA

 

 

BAHAMAS, THE  16

 

 

 

 

 

OCEANIA

 

 

AUSTRALIA  1,031

MARSHALL ISLANDS  2

PALAU  30

  Christmas Island  6

MICRONESIA, FEDERATED
STATES OF  4

SAMOA  5

  Cocos Keeling Islands  2

NAURU  9

SOLOMON ISLANDS  11

  Norfolk Island  6 NEW ZEALAND  248 TONGA  133

FIJI  950

  Cook Islands  19

TUVALU  4

KIRIBATI  11

PAPUA NEW GUINEA  26

VANUATU  4

 

 

 

SOUTH AMERICA

 

 

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA  0

DOMINICA  3

SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS  0

ARGENTINA  146

ECUADOR  249

SAINT LUCIA  3

BARBADOS  0

GRENADA  0

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES  0

BELIZE  0

GUYANA  5

SURINAME  4

BOLIVIA  38

NICARAGUA  18

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO  26

CHILE  24

PANAMA  4

URUGUAY  0

COSTA RICA  8

PARAGUAY  0 VENEZUELA  1,800

CUBA  975

PERU  198

 
     

Natives of the following countries were not eligible to participate in DV-2022: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

H.  OBTAINING THE MONTHLY VISA BULLETIN

To be placed on the Department of State’s E-mail subscription list for the “Visa Bulletin”, please send an E-mail to the following E-mail address:

listserv@calist.state.gov

and in the message body type:
Subscribe Visa-Bulletin 
(example: Subscribe Visa-Bulletin)

To be removed from the Department of State’s E-mail subscription list for the “Visa Bulletin”, send an e-mail message to the following E-mail address:

listserv@calist.state.gov

and in the message body type: Signoff Visa-Bulletin

The Department of State also has available a recorded message with visa final action dates which can be heard at: (202) 485-7699. The recording is normally updated on/about the 17th of each month with information on final action dates for the following month.

Readers may submit questions regarding Visa Bulletin related items by E-mail at the following address:

VISABULLETIN@STATE.GOV

(This address cannot be used to subscribe to the Visa Bulletin.)

Department of State Publication 9514
CA/VO:   July 8, 2021