Updated
The December 2016 visa bulletin
Every employment-based cutoff the State Department published for December 2016, on both charts, for the five countries the bulletin lists separately. Beside each cutoff is what it did since the November 2016 bulletin. The newest bulletin held here is November 2026.
What moved since November 2016
Every one of the 30 cells on each chart, by what it did.
Final action dates
Final action dates: 9 advanced, 20 unchanged, 1 went backwards.
Dates for filing
Dates for filing: 0 advanced, 30 unchanged.
Final action dates
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the November 2016 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 | Sep 22, 2012 +69 days | Feb 1, 2008 +92 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Jul 1, 2016 unchanged | Jul 1, 2013 +77 days | Mar 15, 2005 +7 days | Jul 1, 2016 unchanged | Jun 1, 2011 +61 days |
| EB-3 other workers | Jul 1, 2016 unchanged | Nov 1, 2005 +61 days | Mar 15, 2005 +7 days | Jul 1, 2016 unchanged | Jun 1, 2011 +61 days |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Current current | Current current | Current current | Jul 15, 2015 a cutoff returned | Current current |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Mar 22, 2014 +14 days | Current current | Current current | Current current |
Dates for filing
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the November 2016 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 | Mar 1, 2013 unchanged | Apr 22, 2009 unchanged | Current current | Current current |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Current current | May 1, 2014 unchanged | Jul 1, 2005 unchanged | Current current | Sep 1, 2013 unchanged |
| EB-3 other workers | Current current | Aug 1, 2009 unchanged | Jul 1, 2005 unchanged | Current current | Sep 1, 2013 unchanged |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Jun 15, 2014 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