If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines that there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will indicate at http://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo that applicants may use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” chart.
Otherwise, USCIS will use the “Application Final Action Date” chart to determine when applicants may file their adjustment of status applications with USCIS. The December “Application Final Action Date” chart is reproduced below and can also can be found at http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2016/visa-bulletin-for-december-2015.html
USCIS makes a determination each month regarding which chart (either the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” chart or the “Application Final Action Date” chart) it will use. USCIS posts the relevant chart to USCIS’ website at http://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo
For the month of December, USCIS has decided that the “Application Final Action Date” chart will govern whose adjustment of status applications may be filed. Again, this chart is reproduced below. Only persons whose “priority dates” are earlier than the dates that appear in the Family Sponsored and Employment-Based charts may file adjustment of status applications with USCIS during the month of December.
Visa Bulletin
Number 87 – Volume IX
Washington, D.C.
DECEMBER 2015
As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has indicated at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo, USCIS will use the chart below to control who may file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS during the month of December. Only applicants with Priority Dates earlier than the cut-off dates listed below may file their adjustment of status applications during December.
| Family-Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01APR08 | 01APR08 | 01APR08 | 08DEC94 | 01JAN03 |
| F2A | 15JUN14 | 15JUN14 | 15JUN14 | 08MAY14 | 15JUN14 |
| F2B | 01MAR09 | 01MAR09 | 01MAR09 | 08SEP95 | 01DEC04 |
| F3 | 01JUL04 | 01JUL04 | 01JUL04 | 08JUL94 | 22OCT93 |
| F4 | 22MAR03 | 22MAR03 | 22MAR03 | 01APR97 | 01JUL92 |
| Employment-Based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | C | C | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 01FEB12 | 01JUN07 | C | C |
| 3rd | 01SEP15 | 15APR12 | 22APR04 | 01SEP15 | 01AUG07 |
| Other Workers | 01SEP15 | 01AUG06 | 22APR04 | 01SEP15 | 01AUG07 |
| 4th | C | C | C | C | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th / Targeted
Employment Areas/
Regional Centers and Pilot Programs | C | 15DEC13 | C | C | C |
| | | | | | |
“C” = Current. No queue or backlog in this visa category at this time.
“U” = Unavailable. No visas available in this category at this time.
Excerpted from http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/law-and-policy/bulletin/2016/visa-bulletin-for-november-2015.html