US September Visa Bulletin: Big Relief for Indian Family-Based Green Card Applicants

The latest US visa bulletin for September brings significant relief for Indian nationals seeking permanent residency through family-sponsored categories, with several cut-off dates moving forward by months or even years. However, the employment-based EB-1 category, popular among professionals, saw minimal change.

For the F-1 category, which covers unmarried adult sons and daughters of US citizens, the final action date for India and China advanced from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020. This marks a substantial shift of over a year.

The F-2B category, for unmarried adult sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents, saw the most dramatic movement. For most countries, including India and China, the date jumped from January 1, 2018, to August 22, 2019—a forward movement of nearly 20 months in a single bulletin.

Similarly, the F-3 category, covering married sons and daughters of US citizens, advanced from May 15, 2012, to October 22, 2014, a move of roughly 29 months. The F-2A category, for spouses and minor children of permanent residents, also moved forward by one month to August 22, 2026, for most countries.

September's bulletin is the final one for the current US fiscal year, which ends on September 30. New annual visa numbers will become available from October 1.

In the employment-based sphere, the EB-1 final action date for India remains at October 15, 2022. The bulletin warns that high demand in this category could lead to its unavailability in the coming weeks if India's pro-rated limit is reached before the fiscal year ends.

The EB-1 category covers priority workers, including individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives. An applicant's priority date must be earlier than the listed cut-off for a visa number to be available.