Green Card Interviews to be Scheduled in Country of Residence

The U.S. Department of State has announced that, effective November 1, 2025, the National Visa Center (NVC) will only schedule immigrant visa (Green Card) interviews in an applicant’s country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality.

Existing immigrant visa appointments scheduled through the NVC will generally remain in place and will not be automatically canceled or rescheduled based on this new policy.

If you have questions about your Green Card interview location, contact your MU legal team for assistance.

Department of State Launches IV Scheduling Status Tool

On April 29, 2025, the Department of State launched the Immigrant Visa (IV) Scheduling Status Tool, which will provide greater transparency for Green Card applicants who are currently delayed from entering the US while awaiting their Green Card interview abroad.

Updated monthly, the IV Scheduling Status Tool provides information by post and visa category indicating the month and year in which recently scheduled cases became documentarily complete.

The date a case becomes “documentarily complete” is date that NVC determines an applicant has paid the necessary fees and submitted all required documents.

The IV Tool is available for applicants in all employment-based Green Card categories, including Registered Nurses and other healthcare workers.

CEAC MALFUNCTIONS CAUSE DELAYS TO CONSULAR CASES

The Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) is the online platform where one submits fees, forms, and documents to the National Visa Center (NVC). In the last two months, MU has observed two primary malfunctions on CEAC. Please note, these malfunctions are seemingly random and do not affect every case.

The most prominent malfunction prevents the payment of IV fee bills, causing delays for many cases. This malfunction causes CEAC to reject fee bill payments or causes payments to be “in process” for long periods of time.

MU has submitted inquiries to the NVC about the payment malfunction, requesting a solution. In reply, the NVC stated it is working to correct the malfunction. The NVC provided no estimate for when it would fix this malfunction.

The second malfunction mislabels dependents as Follow-to-Join instead of Accompanying, and vice versa. This prevents the completion of case, even if fee bills have already been paid.

MU has submitted inquiries to the NVC about these and other malfunctions but has yet to receive a response. MU is working to resolve these issues through other contacts and hopes the NVC will act soon to move the cases forward.  If you have questions about your specific case, please contact your MU attorney. 

NVC SUSPENDS ITS TELEPHONE INQUIRY LINE

The National Visa Center (NVC) has announced that it is suspending its telephone inquiry line effective May 23, 2022. The move comes as an attempt to address a backlog of inquiry requests at the NVC.

The NVC is facing “critical backlogs” of inquiry requests, and current response times to inquiries are approximately 2 months. The NVC will still accept inquiry requests for immigrant cases using its online form, but asks that follow-up inquiries not be made while the first inquiry is still within the NVC’s reported response timeframe.

The NVC has not yet announced when it expects to resume accepting inquiry requests via telephone.

UPDATED EXPEDITED IV CRITERIA FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

The Department has just updated their guidance on emergency IV appointments for healthcare workers.  U.S. embassies and consulates now may prioritize as emergencies immigrant visa cases of healthcare professionals who will work at a facility engaged in pandemic response.  Healthcare professionals should review the website of the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate for procedures to request an emergency visa appointment.

If the case is being processed at the National Visa Center (NVC), the applicant may request expedited processing by emailing NVCExpedite@state.gov, including the case or receipt number on the subject line, along with at least one of the following: (1) petitioner’s name and date of birth, (2) beneficiary’s name and date of birth, and/or (3) invoice ID number.

MARCH 2020 VISA BULLETIN: RETROGRESSION FOR EB3

The Department of State has just issued the March 2020 Visa Bulletin. This is the sixth Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2020. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

March 2020 Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	01MAR19	01JUN17	01MAR15	01MAR19
2nd	C	15AUG15	22MAY09	C
3rd	01JAN17	22MAR16	15JAN09	01JAN17

MU Law Analysis

All Other: The All Other EB-1 had a four-month progression and the EB-2 category remained current.  Both should stay in their current ranges for the foreseeable future.  The EB-3 is retrogressed back to Jan 2017.  This retrogression occurred in all categories, except for China and India, where the retrogression is worse.  No forward movement is expected in EB3 for the rest of the fiscal year.  Demand in All Other EB-3 Adjustment of Status cases is responsible for the retrogression.

China: All Chinese EBs improved slightly.  Chinese EB-3 will not progress beyond the January 2017 retrogression date in all other EB-3 categories.

India:  There was virtually no progress for India.  We continue to expect very little progress in either category in future months.

Philippines:  The Philippine EB-3 number continues to confound.   We were encouraged by the three-month progression in EB-3 in February, only to be surprised by the retrogression back to January 2017.  Adding to the complexity is that virtually no Philippine EB-3s have been issued at Manila since the beginning of the year

FEBRUARY 2020 VISA BULLETIN: ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS

The Department of State has just issued the February 2020 Visa Bulletin. This is the fifth Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2020. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

February 2020 Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	15DEC18	22MAY17	01JAN15	01DEC18
2nd	C	01JUL15	19MAY09	C
3rd	C	01JAN16	08JAN09	01JUN18

MU Law Analysis

All Other: Although All Other EB-1 has a slight retrogression, the EB-2 category remained current and is expected to remain current for the foreseeable future.  The EB-3 is current, but the DOS expects to implement a retrogression in March.

China: EB-2 did not move, although EB-3 progressed by a month.  The EB-2 and EB-3 each progressed about one month.  Over the course of FY2020 we expect EB-2 and EB-3 to remain within a few months of each other.

India:  There was virtually no progress for India.  We continue to expect very little progress in either category in future months.

Philippines:  We were encouraged by the three-month progression in EB-3.  We remain surprised by the slow progress of EB-3, although we were encouraged by this month’s progression.  We think that there is a chance of continued progression in the next few months, although the enactment of All Other EB-3 retrogression may mean that fewer visas are available for the Philippines.

SEPTEMBER 2019 VISA BULLETIN: ANALYSIS

The Department of State has just issued the September 2019 Visa Bulletin. This is the final Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2019. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. 

September 2019 Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	01OCT17	01JAN14	U	01OCT17
2nd	01JAN18	01JAN17	08MAY09	01JAN18
3rd	01JUL16	01JAN14	01JUL05	01JUL16

Table B: Dates for Filing -- The DOS may work on applications with these dates. But the Visa cannot be approved until the date is current per Table A.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	01SEP18	01OCT17	01OCT17	01SEP18
2nd	C	01JUN17	01JUN09	C
3rd	C	01JUN16	01APR10	C

MU Law Analysis (all references are to Table A unless noted)

As always happens in August and September, the dates have retrogressed, often making the numbers effectively unavailable.  This is common.  The USCIS and DOS are making sure to use all available visa numbers, without exceeding the legal quotas.

Numbers will once again be available for applicants beginning October 1, 2019 under the FY-2020 annual numerical limitations.  For October, the first month of fiscal year 2020, the DOS expects to return to return the final action dates to those which applied for July.  Click this link to see the July dates.

AUGUST 2019 VISA BULLETIN: ANALYSIS AND FAQ

The Department of State has just issued the August 2019 Visa Bulletin. This is the eleventh Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2019. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. 

August 2019 Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	01JUL16	01JUL16	01JAN15	01JUL16
2nd	01JAN17	01JAN17	02MAY09	01JAN17
3rd	01JUL16	01JAN16	01JAN06	01JUL16

Table B: Dates for Filing -- The DOS may work on applications with these dates. But the Visa cannot be approved until the date is current per Table A.

Employment- based	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
1st	01SEP18	01OCT17	01OCT17	01SEP18
2nd	C	01FEB17	01JUN09	C
3rd	C	01JUN16	01APR10	C

MU Law Analysis (all references are to Table A unless noted)

The DOS has retrogressed nearly all categories in August.  This happens almost every year.  It is nothing to be concerned about.  The DOS noted that:

The implementation of the above mentioned dates is expected to be only a temporary issue.  For October, the first month of fiscal year 2020, every effort will be made to return these final action dates to those which applied for July.

FAQ

Musillo Unkenholt has received many emails and phone calls from people who have questions about this Visa Bulletin.  We have put together this FAQ for all readers of the MU Law Blog.

Q.  Why do the August and September Visa Bulletins always have unusual progressions and retrogressions?

A. These two Visa Bulletins are the final two Visa Bulletins of the US Fiscal Year, which runs from October 1 – September 30.  The DOS must make sure that it uses all 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas.  If it does not use all 140,000 immigrant visas, then the visas do not roll over into the next fiscal year.  On the other hand, the DOS cannot use more than 140,000 immigrant visas or else they violate federal law.  

Q. The Philippine and All Other EB2 retrogressed for the first time in many years.  Does this mean that the Philippine EB2 and All Other dates will permanently be retrogressed?

A.  No.  This is a temporary retrogression that will only last until October 1, 2019.  The DOS expects that the October Visa Bulletin will be Current for both Philippines and All Other EB-2.

Q.  If I have an interview will I still be able to get my green card?

A.  If you have an interview before July 31, you will be able to get your green card.  However if you do not have an interview until August or September, the interview may be postponed until October.

Q. At what rate will the Philippine EB-3 and All Other EB-3 move in 2019 and 202?

A.  The DOS indicated that the Philippine EB-3 and All Other EB-3 should remain Current or almost Current after October 1.  After October, we expect continued favorable Visa Bulletins for these categories.

Please post any other questions to the blog or Facebook and we will try to timely answer.

VISA BULLETIN PREDICTIONS: PHILS EB-3 TO BE CURRENT

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin guru, Charlie Oppenheim, hosts regular meetings with the American Immigration Lawyers Association.  Mr. Oppenheim is the Department of State’s Chief of the Control and Reporting Division. He is the officer who is responsible for producing the Visa Bulletin each month.

In May he presented at the Federal Bar Association – Immigration Law where he outlined his expectations for future Visa Bulletins.

Here are some of his expectations:

Philippines

Philippines EB-3 will become current with the publication of the July Visa Bulletin.  It is expected to remain current well into the next fiscal year.  Philippines EB1 and EB-2 will also remain current.

India

Both EB-2 and EB-3 categories will only have slow progressions for the foreseeable future.  While lower Worldwide EB-2 demand may allow some advancement, it does not appear that this will be the case or EB-3.  EB-1 will also not advance, although EB-1 should return to Feb 2017 with the start of the next fiscal year.

China

China EB-3 should advance into 2016 with the next Visa Bulletin.  China EB-2 will move into late 2016.  The inversion of these dates is no longer likely. 

Worldwide

EB-3 will remain current for the foreseeable future.  EB-2 may have a slight retrogression later in the summer.  The EB-1 date will remain unmoved.

JUNE VISA BULLETIN: ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS

The Department of State has just issued the June 2019 Visa Bulletin. This is the ninth Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year 2019. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. 

June 2019 Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

  

EB  Class	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
EB-1	22APR18	22FEB17	01JAN15	22APR18
EB-2	C	01AUG16	19APR09	C
EB-3	C	15SEP15	01JUL09	01NOV18

Table B: Dates for Filing -- The DOS may work on applications with these dates. But the Visa cannot be approved until the date is current per Table A.

EB  Class	All Other	CHINA	INDIA	PHILIPPINES
EB-1	01SEP18	01OCT17	01OCT17	01SEP18
EB-2	C	01NOV16	01JUN09	C
EB-3	C	01JAN16	01APR10	01JAN19

  

MU Law Analysis (all references are to Table A unless noted)

All Other: The EB-1 category moved about 7 weeks.  We expect continued steady movement in this category for All Other.  We do not see any retrogression in the future for EB2 or EB3, other than the usual retrogression at the end of the Fiscal Year.

China: China EB-2 moved 2+ months, moving more than one year so far in 2019’s calendar months.  EB-3 moved ahead half as fast – about three weeks -- which reflects continued demand in EB-3, likely related to the many EB-3 “downgrades”.  EB-2 remains superior to EB-3.

India: There was very little movement in any of the Indian categories.  EB-1 will almost surely not move in FY 2019.  We do not expect any significant Indian movement this fiscal year.  Longer term, we are slightly more optimistic about India EB-3, which should progress faster than EB-2.

Philippines: The EB-3 date leaped again.  It should be into 2019 shortly, and we do not expect any retrogression in the near future. 

DOS: “CONTINUED AGGRESSIVE ADVANCEMENT” IN PHILIPPINE EB-3

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin guru, Charlie Oppenheim, hosts monthly meetings with the American Immigration Lawyers Association.  Charlie Oppenheim is the Department of State’s Chief of the Control and Reporting Division. He is the officer who is responsible for producing the Visa Bulletin each month.

In this month’s “Check In With Charlie,” Mr. Oppenheim discussed Philippine EB-3, saying that Beneficiaries “should expect continued aggressive advancement in this category for the foreseeable future.”  He noted that there has not been an increase in demand for these visas.  Because of this lack of demand, “retrogression is unlikely to happen this FY since there are numerous visa numbers available in this category and it is already the third quarter of the federal FY.”

Other notes of interest:

EB-1: there should be little or no movement in any EB-1 category.

EB-2 Worldwide: will continue to be Current for the foreseeable future.

EB-2 and EB-3 India: slow or little progressions of one week or less, although EB-3 could move a little faster.  There has not yet been a surge of EB-2s “downgrading” to EB-3.

EB-2 and EB-3 China:  EB-2 could advance several months at a time, while EB-3 will advance a few weeks at a time.