The August 2015 Visa Bulletin is now live. For updated family- and employment-based green card processing times, view the charts below.

Since the U.S. Department of State (DOS) receives thousands of green card applications every year and there are limits on the number of petitions filed annually, per country, there's a multi-year backlog for certain categories. As a result, the DOS publishes the monthly Visa Bulletin, allowing applicants to learn when their petition will be processed. Each date indicates how long the current backlog is, as well as the expected processing time. For example: If your priority date is June 1, 2014 and your EB-3 green card petition from the Philippines has a date of June 1, 2004, your green card may take 10 years to process unless there is a drastic reduction in the backlog.

August 2015 Visa Bulletin: Family-Based Green Cards

Month-to-Month Changes
The majority of the family-based green card categories progressed a couple of weeks to a month. However, Mexico's F-1 classification remained stagnant at November 15, 1994.

Family-based green card categories:

• F1: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• F2A: Spouses and children of legal permanent residents (LPRs)
• F2B: Unmarried adult children of LPRs
• F3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• F4: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens

August 2015 Visa Bulletin: Employment-Based Green Cards

Month-to-Month Changes

• Largest change: China's EB-3 category regressed seven years, while the same country's EB-3 other workers' classification moved back two years.
• Unavailable categories: Last month, data for the Philippines' EB-3 and other workers' green cards was unavailable. However, August reveals a one-year retrogression for both green card classifications.
• Slight movement: Mexico's EB-3 and other workers' green card advanced two months and is nearly current.

Employment-based green card categories:

• EB-1: Priority workers with extraordinary abilities, outstanding professors or researchers, and executives or managers who’ve transferred to the U.S.
• EB-2: Individuals with advanced degrees, exceptional abilities, or those holding national interest waivers
• EB-3: Skilled workers, professionals, and others who don’t qualify for EB-1 or EB-2
• EB-4: Religious workers, broadcasters, Iraq/Afghan translators, Iraqis who have assisted the U.S., physicians, Armed Forces members, Panama Canal Zone employees, Retired NATO-6 employees, spouses and children of deceased NATO-6 employees
• EB-5: Investors who are investing in a new commercial enterprise

Subscribe to our Immigration Blog for an update on next month’s Visa Bulletin. If you need assistance filing a family- or employment-based green card, contact VISANOW.