USCIS September 2018 Visa Bulletin Update

Last Updated on March 2, 2023

 

The September 2018 Visa Bulletin has been released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For more details:

Dates for Filing Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Application

Dates for filing family-sponsored adjustment of status application

Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications

USCIS Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications

USCIS September 2018 Visa Bulletin Overview

The wait times for family-sponsored green card applications mostly did not adjust between the August and September bulletins except for the F-2B visa. Families from China and India saw a decrease in wait times for F-2B visas.  

Wait times for the F2A immigrant visa remain the shortest, whereas wait times for F3 and F4 family-sponsored green cards are the longest. Foreign nationals from the Philippines and Mexico remain the longest.  

Additionally, immigrant workers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in line for second or third presence saw an increase in wait times. But those in line for first preference saw a slight decrease. 

Chinese foreign nationals in line for second and third preference visas saw a slight decrease in wait times. Similarly, Indian foreign nationals in line for third preference also saw a slight reduction in wait times.

Learn more about visa wait times, including who’s waiting and for how long, in our recent blog post.

What do the letters mean in the Visa Bulletin?

A “C” indicates that a category is current, meaning that applicants can file their paperwork regardless of any priority date listed. Current status is subject to change, however, and any changes are reflected on a month-to-month basis with each Visa Bulletin update. 

New Visa Bulletin charts 

The Visa Bulletin will now have two different charts because of the revised procedures. DOS will post two charts per visa preference category in the DOS Visa Bulletin. The charts are:

  • Application Final Action Dates (dates when visas may finally be issued); and 
  • Dates for Filing Applications (earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply)

When USCIS determines there are immigrant visas available for the filing of additional adjustment of status applications, the Dates for Filing Applications chart may be used to determine when to file an adjustment of status application with USCIS. Otherwise, the Application Final Action Dates chart must be used to determine when to file an adjustment of status application with USCIS. 

In coordination with the DOS, USCIS will monitor visa numbers each month and post the relevant chart on this page under When to File. 

For the official September 2018 Visa Bulletin from USCIS, please navigate to uscis.gov.

Questions about filing green card applications? Read our guide, Introduction to Employment-Based Green Cards, to learn more.