Last Updated on February 23, 2023
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released its Feb. 2019 Visa Bulletin. Read below for more details.
Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications
Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications
USCIS Feb. 2019 Visa Bulletin Overview
Most of the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications slightly moved forward for all family-sponsored categories. The only exception is the F2A, where dates did not move at all.
USCIS discontinued use of the Dates for Filing for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications for February 2019, only allowing use of the Final Action Dates chart for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications. There is still a backlog in the 1st Employment-Based Preference Category for individuals from all Chargeability Areas Some categories saw their filing dates pushed back.
Please view the above chart to see how else dates changed from last month's Visa Bulletin to February.
What do the Letters Mean in the Visa Bulletin?
A “C” indicates that a category is current, meaning that applicants with any priority date can apply for adjustment of status. Current status is subject to change, however, and any changes are reflected on a month-to-month basis with each Visa Bulletin update.
Visa Bulletin Charts
The Visa Bulletin has two different charts that can determine when someone can file an I-485 adjustment of status application to receive their green card. DOS will post two charts per visa preference category in the DOS Visa Bulletin. The charts are:
Application Final Action Dates (dates for when green cards/immigrant visas may be issued); and
Dates for Filing Applications (earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply for green cards/immigrant visas)
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 has generally been mandated as the chart by which foreign nationals can determine when to file an adjustment of status application with USCIS.
While USCIS allowed use of the Dates for Filing Applicants chart each month from October 2018 through January, it is going back to the use of the Final Action Dates chart for February 2019. We expect this will be the trend through at least September 2019 during the peak season for immigration filings.
For the official February 2019 Visa Bulletin from USCIS, please navigate to uscis.gov.
Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with attorney Jaclyn Pettit at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy’s affiliated law firm.
