Bulletin Archive

December 2016

Effective December 1, 2016 · Fiscal Year 2017
Source: archived HTML
Data verified August 6, 2026
This monthEB4 MX▼ RetrogressedEB4 Religious MX▼ RetrogressedEB2 IN▲ +3 moEB3 CN▲ +3 moEB2 CN▲ +2 moF4 CN▲ +2 mo
For issuance of Green Cards
CategoryAll AreasChina-mainland bornIndiaMexicoPhilippinesEl Salvador / Guat. / Hond.
EB1Priority WorkersCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
EB2Advanced Degree or Exceptional AbilityCurrentSep 22, 12+2 moFeb 1, 08+3 moCurrentCurrentCurrent
EB3Skilled Workers and ProfessionalsJul 1, 16Jul 1, 13+3 moMar 15, 05+7 dJul 1, 16Jun 1, 11+2 moJul 1, 16
EB3 — Other WorkersJul 1, 16Nov 1, 05+2 moMar 15, 05+7 dJul 1, 16Jun 1, 11+2 moJul 1, 16
EB4Certain Special ImmigrantsCurrentCurrentCurrentJul 15, 15RetrogressedCurrentJul 15, 15
EB4 — Religious WorkersCurrentCurrentCurrentJul 15, 15RetrogressedCurrentJul 15, 15
EB5Employment Creation (Unreserved)CurrentMar 22, 14+2 wkCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
EB5 — Regional CenterCurrentMar 22, 14+2 wkCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent

Understanding the Two Charts

Final Action Dates

For issuance of Green Cards. If your priority date is earlier than the date shown for your category and country, a visa number is available and your case can be approved. “Current” means all priority dates are being processed; “Unavailable” means no visa numbers are authorized this month.

Dates for Filing

For submitting I-485 applications. This chart shows the earliest priority date at which you may assemble and submit documents — ahead of final action — when USCIS designates this chart as usable for the month. It lets applicants get in line earlier while waiting for a visa number.

Data is scraped from the U.S. Department of State’s monthly Visa Bulletin within hours of publication, verified against an expectation model, and archived in raw form. Every figure links back to its official source. This site is an independent tracker and does not provide legal advice.