October 2016 Visa Bulletin: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing
Imported bulletin shown: October 2016. Source publication and import dates are listed separately. The bulletin sets cutoff dates for visa numbers. It is not a processing time, an interview date or a forecast of any case outcome.
How we estimate
We display imported Department of State tables with source provenance and parser QA. Movement compares the immediately preceding calendar month for the same chart, category and chargeability area; gaps are never filled. C and U remain states. Bulletin lag counts completed months between a dated cutoff and the first day of the bulletin month, not months a person has waited.
Official sources and import provenance
Department of State: official Visa Bulletin · USCIS: monthly adjustment-of-status chart choice
Supporting source / archive capture
Read the original bulletin for all source notes and announcements. This tool displays normalized tables, not legal instructions.
- Source publication date
- 2016-09-08
- Imported / observed
- 2026-10-05T20:14:12+00:00
- Archive capture timestamp
- 20171203212205
Dates use YYYY-MM-DD. C and U are states, never dates. Missing cells remain gaps. Consult the source bulletin for footnotes, exceptions and revisions.
October 2016 · Employment-based preferences · Final Action Dates
| Category | All areas except those listed | China (mainland-born) | El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 — First employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-2 — Second employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2012-02-15 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2007-01-15 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-3 — Third employment preference | 2016-06-01 | 2013-01-22 | 2016-06-01 | 2005-03-01 | 2016-06-01 | 2010-12-01 |
| EB-3-other-workers — Other workers | 2016-06-01 | 2005-01-01 | 2016-06-01 | 2005-03-01 | 2016-06-01 | 2010-12-01 |
| EB-4 — Fourth employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2015-06-15 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-4-religious-workers — Certain religious workers | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable |
| EB-5-non-regional-center — Non-regional center | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2014-02-22 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-5-regional-center — Regional center | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable | U — Unavailable |
October 2016 · Family-sponsored preferences · Final Action Dates
| Category | All areas except those listed | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 — Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens | 2009-09-22 | 2009-09-22 | 2009-09-22 | 1995-04-01 | 2005-08-01 |
| F2A — Spouses and children of permanent residents | 2014-12-22 | 2014-12-22 | 2014-12-22 | 2014-12-01 | 2014-12-22 |
| F2B — Unmarried adult children of permanent residents | 2010-03-15 | 2010-03-15 | 2010-03-15 | 1995-10-01 | 2006-01-01 |
| F3 — Married children of U.S. citizens | 2004-12-22 | 2004-12-22 | 2004-12-22 | 1994-11-22 | 1994-07-08 |
| F4 — Siblings of adult U.S. citizens | 2003-11-01 | 2003-05-01 | 2002-12-01 | 1997-05-01 | 1993-04-15 |
October 2016 · Employment-based preferences · Dates for Filing
| Category | All areas except those listed | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 — First employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-2 — Second employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2013-03-01 | 2009-04-22 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-3 — Third employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2014-05-01 | 2005-07-01 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2013-09-01 |
| EB-3-other-workers — Other workers | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2009-08-01 | 2005-07-01 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2013-09-01 |
| EB-4 — Fourth employment preference | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-4-religious-workers — Certain religious workers | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-5-non-regional-center — Non-regional center | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2014-06-15 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
| EB-5-regional-center — Regional center | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | 2014-06-15 | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) | C — Current (no dated cutoff) |
October 2016 · Family-sponsored preferences · Dates for Filing
| Category | All areas except those listed | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 — Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens | 2011-01-01 | 2011-01-01 | 2011-01-01 | 1995-06-01 | 2006-05-01 |
| F2A — Spouses and children of permanent residents | 2015-11-22 | 2015-11-22 | 2015-11-22 | 2015-11-22 | 2015-11-22 |
| F2B — Unmarried adult children of permanent residents | 2011-02-08 | 2011-02-08 | 2011-02-08 | 1996-06-01 | 2007-02-01 |
| F3 — Married children of U.S. citizens | 2005-08-22 | 2005-08-22 | 2005-08-22 | 1995-05-01 | 1995-01-01 |
| F4 — Siblings of adult U.S. citizens | 2004-07-01 | 2004-07-01 | 2004-05-01 | 1997-12-01 | 1994-04-01 |
Observed retrogressions · October 2016
| Category | Chargeability area | Chart | Published cutoff / state | Change from adjacent month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 | China (mainland-born) | Dates for Filing | 2013-03-01 | Retrogressing (-92 days) |
| EB-2 | India | Dates for Filing | 2009-04-22 | Retrogressing (-70 days) |
| EB-3 | China (mainland-born) | Dates for Filing | 2014-05-01 | Retrogressing (-365 days) |
| EB-5-non-regional-center | China (mainland-born) | Dates for Filing | 2014-06-15 | Retrogressing (-320 days) |
| EB-5-regional-center | China (mainland-born) | Dates for Filing | 2014-06-15 | Retrogressing (-320 days) |
| F3 | Philippines | Dates for Filing | 1995-01-01 | Retrogressing (-212 days) |
| F4 | Mexico | Dates for Filing | 1997-12-01 | Retrogressing (-182 days) |
Published Diversity Visa rank tables (ranks, not dates)
| Program year | Applies to month | Region / exception | Rank cutoff / state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Africa / All DV areas except those listed separately | 8000 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Africa / Egypt | 6000 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Africa / Ethiopia | 6000 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Asia / All DV areas except those listed separately | 2100 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Asia / Nepal | 1900 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Europe / All DV areas except those listed separately | 8500 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | North America (Bahamas) / All DV areas except those listed separately | 2 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | Oceania / All DV areas except those listed separately | 300 |
| 2017 | 2016-10 | South America and the Caribbean / All DV areas except those listed separately | 400 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Africa / All DV areas except those listed separately | 13500 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Africa / Egypt | 7500 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Africa / Ethiopia | 7500 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Asia / All DV areas except those listed separately | 3000 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Asia / Nepal | 2000 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Europe / All DV areas except those listed separately | 13000 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | North America (Bahamas) / All DV areas except those listed separately | 3 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | Oceania / All DV areas except those listed separately | 475 |
| 2017 | 2016-11 | South America and the Caribbean / All DV areas except those listed separately | 575 |
Explore published history
Choose a chart to explore its published data. USCIS determines which chart may be used for adjustment of status; this tool does not choose it. The comparison window is at most 60 months.
Bulletin lag measures the distance from a published cutoff to the bulletin month. It does not measure a backlog count or a person’s remaining wait. C, U and missing observations have no numerical lag.
This date is not saved or sent to the server. The comparison describes only the selected published line and does not determine eligibility.
Categories and selected countries
Key facts
Imported bulletin shown: October 2016. Source publication and import dates are listed separately.
The bulletin sets cutoff dates for visa numbers. It is not a processing time, an interview date or a forecast of any case outcome.
Asylum itself has no Visa Bulletin category. Family and employment preferences are separate from asylum processing.
- Bulletin month
- October 2016
- Import revision / parser
- 1 / vb-1.0.0
- Verification / gap
- Verified import
Guides
Frequently asked questions
How do Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing differ?
Final Action Dates concern immigrant visa-number availability. Dates for Filing concern the earlier document-submission stage. USCIS separately states which chart adjustment-of-status applicants may use each month. This tool displays both published charts without selecting one for an application.
What do C, U and missing observations mean?
C means current, without a dated cutoff. U means visa numbers are unavailable for that line. A missing month, chart or cell means the imported source has no observation; it is not U or a zero date.
Does a priority date equal to the cutoff count as earlier?
No. The bulletin’s dated comparison is strictly earlier than the cutoff. Comparing dates alone does not establish eligibility, authorize filing or predict approval.
Is bulletin lag a processing time or a wait estimate?
No. Bulletin lag is the completed-month distance between a dated cutoff and the first day of the bulletin month. It does not measure elapsed case processing or predict remaining wait.
Is chargeability the same as citizenship or residence?
Chargeability generally follows country of birth, with exceptions. These columns preserve the bulletin’s areas, including mainland-born China. This tool does not determine a person’s chargeability.
Does asylum have a Visa Bulletin category?
Asylum itself has no Visa Bulletin category. These family and employment preference tables are not an asylum processing calendar.