September 2021 Visa Bulletin Released

The Department of State (DOS) has issued its September 2021 Visa Bulletin.  Priority dates for both employment-based and family-based petitions are detailed below.  

As part of a greater public outreach effort, DOS will continue hosting discussions about the Visa Bulletin with the Chief of the Visa Control section, Charlie Oppenheim, on their YouTube Channel. The next Chats with Charlie is on August 19 at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST to discuss the September Visa Bulletin. 

Employment-based Movement

The EB-1 category remains open (“current” or “C” in DOS talk) worldwide, including for Indian and Chinese nationals.  The EB-2 and EB-3 categories also remain open for most nationals except for nationals of China and India.  EB-2 and EB-3 for Indian and Chinese nationals will have modest forward movement, with EB-3 having significant forward movement for Indian nationals.

The priority date for EB-2 advances by three months for both Chinese and Indian nationals.

The priority date for EB-3 remains the same for Chinese nationals and advances by six months for Indian nationals. 

Here’s a chart for ease of reference:

Screen Shot 2021-08-16 at 5.08.22 PM.png

Family-based Movement

Overall, most family-based categories will have slight forward movement.

For the F-1 category, the priority date moves forward by nine days for most nationals.  The priority date for Mexican nationals advances by fourteen days and the priority date for nationals of the Philippines remains the same as the previous month.

For the F2-A category, immigrant visas continue to be available for all nationals.

For the F2-B category, the priority date remains the same for most nationals.  The priority date for Mexican nationals advances by fourteen days, and for nationals of the Philippines the priority date also remains the same.   

For the F-3 category, there will be a fourteen-day advancement for most nationals.  The priority date for Mexican nationals advances by twenty-three days, and for nationals of the Philippines the priority date remains the same as the previous month.

Finally, for the F-4 category, there will be a twenty-one day advancement for most nationals.  The priority date moves forward by fourteen days for nationals of India and seventeen days for nationals of Mexico.  There is a fourteen-day advancement for nationals of the Philippines.  

Screen Shot 2021-08-16 at 5.11.25 PM.png

By way of reminder, the categories are:

  • F-1 category:  unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens

  • F2-A category: spouses and children under 21 of lawful permanent residents

  • F2-B category: unmarried adult children (over 21) of lawful permanent residents

  • F-3 category:  married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens

  • F-4 category:  siblings of U.S. citizens

WHAT DATES IN THE VISA BULLETIN SHOULD YOU USE FOR FILING YOUR ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS APPLICATION WITH USCIS?

If USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, then USCIS will state here that you may use the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin, which usually has dates earlier than the Final Action Dates noted above. Otherwise, USCIS will indicate on its website that you must use the Application Final Action Dates chart (above) to determine when you may file your adjustment of status application in the United States.

For September 2021, USCIS has confirmed the Final Action dates (above) chart should be used for all employment-based categories.

For family-based categories, USCIS has announced that F2A applicants may file using the Final Action Dates chart (above). Applicants in all other family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart provided below. 

Screen Shot 2021-08-16 at 5.13.01 PM.png

If the priority date for your employment or family-based category is before the date listed above and you are in the United States, you may file your application to adjust status along with the applications for employment authorization and travel permission (assuming you have no bars to admissibility) with USCIS in September. 

The entire visa bulletin is available on the State Department’s website, which includes the diversity visa lottery. 

If you would like more information on how to understand the monthly visa bulletin, please check out our blog post on this topic.


This alert is for informational purposes only.  Please contact us if you would like to discuss these developments further. 

Nadia Yakoob