August 2023 Visa Bulletin
Data verified October 22, 2026
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F2A approval date for most countries moves back 2 years 11 months.
One-page glance, for sharing or printing →C = Current. U = Unavailable.
C = Current. U = Unavailable.
C = Current. U = Unavailable.
C = Current. U = Unavailable.
What changed in the August 2023 bulletin
- F2A Most countries · China · India · the Philippines The same move for most countries, China, India, and the Philippines.
- F2A Mexico Cutoff now September 1, 2016.
- F1 Most countries · China · India The same move for most countries, China, and India.
- F3 Most countries · China · India The same move for most countries, China, and India.
- EB-1 Most countries · Mexico · the Philippines A cutoff date returns.
- EB-1 India Cutoff now January 1, 2012.
- EB-3 Most countries · Mexico · the Philippines The same move for most countries, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- EB-3 Other Workers Most countries · Mexico · the Philippines The same move for most countries, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- EB-3 China Cutoff now June 1, 2019.
- EB-2 Most countries · Mexico · the Philippines The same move for most countries, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- EB-2 China Cutoff now July 8, 2019.
In brief
- 33 of 150 cutoff entries moved; 9 moved back.
- Largest move: EB-1 for 3 countries, no longer open to everyone.
- Approval dates (from the official Final Action Dates chart) moved in 3 family-sponsored categories and 4 employment-based categories.
EB-1 approval date for most countries is no longer open to everyone.
From the Department’s notes for August 2023
6 sections, reproduced verbatim from the U.S. Department of State’s August 2023 Visa Bulletin. The Department’s words, not ours.
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during August for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for…
From the bulletin:
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 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 7th. 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 in 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, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.
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.
In plain words: “Unavailable” (“U”) means paused; “retrogress” means move back; “chargeability area” means country of birth; “final action date” means approval date; “date for filing” means filing date.
C. THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN SEPTEMBER
From the bulletin:
For September , immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2023 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
Except: Algeria 45,000
Egypt 43,200
Morocco 63,400
ASIA
21,000
Except: Iran 16,000
Nepal 21,000
EUROPE
32,000
Except: Russia 32,000
Uzbekistan 17,000
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)
Current
OCEANIA
2,500
SOUTH AMERICA,
and the CARIBBEAN
3,150
In plain words: “Current” (“C”) means open to everyone; “chargeability area” means country of birth.
D. FAMILY-SPONSORED SECOND PREFERENCE AVAILABILITY
In the April 2023 Visa Bulletin , it was necessary to establish a final action date in the F2A category and Item D of…
From the bulletin:
In the April 2023 Visa Bulletin , it was necessary to establish a final action date in the F2A category and Item D of the July 2023 Visa Bulletin warned of the strong possibility of retrogression as early as August. Number use has remained steady, and it has become necessary to retrogress the final action date to keep number use within the FY-2023 annual limit. F2A numbers exempt from per-country limits are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01SEP16. F2A numbers subject to per-country limits are available to applicants chargeable to all countries except Mexico, with priority dates beginning 01SEP16 and earlier than 08OCT17. All F2A numbers provided for Mexico are exempt from the per-country limit.
Additionally, number use in the F2B category has been steady throughout the fiscal year, and it may become necessary to retrogress the final action dates for Rest of World countries, India, and China in September to keep number use within the FY-2023 annual limit.
These situations will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.
In plain words: “retrogress” means move back; “final action date” means approval date.
E. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORLDWIDE EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIRST PREFERENCE (EB-1) FINAL ACTION DATE
From the bulletin:
Due to steady number use and high demand, it has become necessary to establish an EB-1 final action date for Rest of World countries, Mexico, and Philippines effective in August to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY-2023 annual limit. Rest of World countries, Mexico, and Philippines are subject to a final action date of 01AUG23. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly. It is likely that in October the category will return to “Current” for these countries.
In plain words: “Current” (“C”) means open to everyone; “final action date” means approval date.
F. RETROGRESSION IN THE EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIRST PREFERENCE (EB-1) FOR INDIA
As readers were informed was possible in the May 2023 Visa Bulletin , it has become necessary to retrogress the EB-1…
From the bulletin:
As readers were informed was possible in the May 2023 Visa Bulletin , it has become necessary to retrogress the EB-1 final action date for India, effective in August. India is oversubscribed, and therefore subject to prorating under INA 202(e). Until now, applicants chargeable to India had been able to receive prior unused numbers within EB-1 under INA 202(a)(5). With a worldwide final action date being set for EB-1 because the demand is greater than the number of visas remaining, the Department can no longer issue EB-1 visas without regard to the per-country numerical limitations and so applicants from India are no longer able to receive EB-1 numbers under INA 202(a)(5). Having reached their limit for FY-2023 within EB-1, India will be subject to an EB-1 final action date of 01JAN12, the oldest priority date of an EB-1 applicant (many Indian EB-1 applicants have priority dates from 2012-2015 because of priority date retention based on previously-approved petitions in the EB-2 or EB-3 categories). It is likely that in October the final action date will advance to at least the final action date announced in the July Visa Bulletin; however, the date is dependent on the demand for EB-1 visas by Indian applicants and the FY-2024 annual limit on employment-based preference visas.
In plain words: “retrogress” means move back; “final action date” means approval date.
G. RETROGRESSION IN THE EMPLOYMENT-BASED THIRD PREFERENCE (EB-3) FOR REST OF WORLD COUNTRIES, MEXICO, AND PHILIPPINES
From the bulletin:
In the May 2023 Visa Bulletin , the EB-3 final action dates for Rest of World, Mexico, and the Philippines were established to keep number use within the FY 2023 annual limit. This was in part due to higher than expected demand from applicants with priority dates earlier than the established final action dates. The Department and USCIS continue to see increased demand from these applicants, necessitating retrogression. As a result, the Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines EB-3 final action dates have retrogressed to 01MAY20. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.
In plain words: “retrogress” means move back; “final action date” means approval date.
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Understanding the two charts
Approval dates
For issuing green cards: the approval date (from the official Final Action Dates chart). 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. “Open to everyone” means every priority date can move forward this month; “Paused” means no visa numbers are available this month.
Filing dates
For submitting I-485 applications: the filing date (from the official Dates for Filing chart). It is the earliest priority date at which you may assemble and submit documents, ahead of approval, when USCIS says to use this chart for the month. It lets applicants get in line earlier while waiting for a visa number.