Updated
The January 2016 visa bulletin
Every employment-based cutoff the State Department published for January 2016, on both charts, for the five countries the bulletin lists separately. Beside each cutoff is what it did since the December 2015 bulletin. The newest bulletin held here is November 2026.
What moved since December 2015
Every one of the 30 cells on each chart, by what it did.
Final action dates
Final action dates: 12 advanced, 18 unchanged.
Dates for filing
Dates for filing: 4 advanced, 26 unchanged.
Final action dates
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the December 2015 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Current current | Feb 1, 2012 unchanged | Feb 1, 2008 +245 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Oct 1, 2015 +30 days | Jul 1, 2012 +77 days | May 15, 2004 +23 days | Oct 1, 2015 +30 days | Nov 1, 2007 +92 days |
| EB-3 other workers | Oct 1, 2015 +30 days | Dec 1, 2006 +122 days | May 15, 2004 +23 days | Oct 1, 2015 +30 days | Nov 1, 2007 +92 days |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Jan 8, 2014 +24 days | Current current | Current current | Current current |
Dates for filing
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the December 2015 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Current current | Jan 1, 2013 unchanged | Jul 1, 2009 unchanged | Current current | Current current |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Jan 1, 2016 +122 days | Oct 1, 2013 unchanged | Jul 1, 2005 unchanged | Jan 1, 2016 +122 days | Jan 1, 2010 unchanged |
| EB-3 other workers | Jan 1, 2016 +122 days | Jan 1, 2007 unchanged | Jul 1, 2005 unchanged | Jan 1, 2016 +122 days | Jan 1, 2010 unchanged |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | May 1, 2015 unchanged | Current current | Current current | Current current |
A date means applications with a priority date earlier than it can act that month. Current means every priority date can. Unavailable means none can, usually because the fiscal year's numbers for that category and country are used up. The EB-5 set-aside rows didn't exist yet in this month's bulletin. They begin in May 2022.
Source: the State Department's bulletin page.
Visa bulletin through Nov 2026. How these figures are counted. Spotted an error? Tell us; every fix is dated in the corrections log.
The sources in full
Visa bulletin: travel.state.gov (the bulletin's tables, read in a browser; the site refuses automated clients) · data through Nov 2026 · monthly
What this data includes
Visa bulletin: Cutoff dates as the State Department published them each month. Nothing here is forecast.
Cite this page
The rules behind these numbers
Waiting on a PERM case?
- When it'll likely be decided
- An email when DOL moves it