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Travel Warning

Employment Based Priority Dates: For January 2026

A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

Employment Based

All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA - mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

Ist

C

01 FEB 23

01 FEB 23

C

C

2nd

01 APR 24

01 SEP 21

15 JUL 13

01 APR 24

01 APR 24

3rd

22 APR 23

01 MAY 21

15 NOV 13

22 APR 23

22 APR 23

Other Workers

01 SEP 21

08 DEC 18

15 NOV 13

01 SEP 21

01 SEP 21

4th

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

Certain Religious Workers

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

01 JAN 21

5th

Unreserved

(including C5,

T5,15, R5)

C

15 AUG 16

01 MAY 22

C

C

5th set Aside:

Rural (20%)

C

C

C

C

C

5th Set Aside:

High Unemployment (10%)

C

C

C

C

C

5th Set Aside:

Infrastructure

(2%)

C

C

C

C

C

B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

Employment Based

All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA - mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

Ist

C

01 AUG 23

01 AUG 23

C

C

2nd

15 OCT 24

01 JAN 22

01 DEC 13

15 OCT 24

15 OCT 24

3rd

01 JUL 23

01 JAN 22

15 AUG 14

01 JUL 23

01 JUL 23

Other Workers

01 DEC 21

01 OCT 19

15 AUG 14

01 DEC 21

01 DEC 21

4th

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

Certain Religious Workers

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

15 MAR 21

5th

Unreserved

(including C5,

T5, 15, R5)

C

22 AUG 16

01 MAY 24

C

C

5th Set

Aside:

(Rural - 20%)

C

C

C

C

C

5th Set

Aside:

(Hish Unemployme

nt - 10%)

C

C

C

C

C

5th Set

Aside:

(lnfrastructur

e-2%)

C

C

C

C

C

Family Based Priority Dates: For January 2026

A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

Family Sponsored

All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA - mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

F1

08 NOV 16

08 NOV 16

08 NOV 16

01 SEP 06

01 MAR 13

F2A

01 FEB 24

01 FEB 24

01 FEB 24

01 FEB 23

01 FEB 24

F2B

01 DEC 16

01 DEC 16

01 DEC 16

15 NOV 08

22 DEC 12

F3

08 SEP 11

08 SEP 11

08 SEP 11

01 MAY 01

01 MAR 05

F4

08 JAN 08

08 JAN 08

01 NOV 06

08 APR 01

22 JUL 06

B. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

Employment Based

All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA - mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

F1

01 SEP 17

01 SEP 17

01 SEP 17

01 SEP 17

22 APR 15

F2A

22 DEC 25

22 DEC 25

22 DEC 25

22 DEC 25

22 DEC 25

F2B

15 MAR 17

15 MAR 17

15 MAR 17

15 NOV 09

01 OCT 13

F3

22 JUL 12

22 JUL 12

22 JUL 12

01 JUL 01

01 FEB 06

F4

01 MAR 09

01 MAR 09

15 DEC 06

30 APR 01

15 JAN 08

Diversity Visa Priority Dates: For January 2026

REGIONS

ALL DV CHARGEABILITY AREAS EXCEPT THOSE LISTED SEPARATELY


Africa

35,000

Except:

Algeria 20,000

Egypt 16,000

Asia

15,000

Except:

Nepal 6,000

Europe

8,500


North America (Bahamas)

20


Oceana

1,100


South America and the Caribbean

1,850

The Diversity (DV) Immigrant Category Rank Cut-Offs Which Will Apply in February

REGIONS

ALL DV CHARGEABILITY AREAS EXCEPT THOSE LISTED SEPARATELY


Africa

45,000


Except:

Algeria 37,000

Egypt 21,000

Asia

30,000

Except:

Nepal 6,500

Europe

11,000



North America (Bahamas)

25


Oceana


1,175


South America and the Caribbean

2,000


Processing Dates

The USCIS no longer issues a charts regarding processing times for different applications at its Service Centers. Please click on the link below and select the application and the USCIS office, upon which you will get an indication of the processing times. We do not guarantee on accuracy of the processing times put out by the USCIS.

Dana Davidson - Full Bio

Dana T. Davidson holds degrees from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and State University of New York at Stony Brook and has been practicing immigration law since 2003 in New York and nationwide. She represents corporations, individuals, and families in a broad range of immigration matters. Attorney Davidson has offices in New York City and Glen Cove.
 

Education

  • Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, New York, New York
  • Juris Doctor – 1988
  • Honors: Moot Court Board, Member, Judge
  • State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York
  • Bachelor of Arts – 1982
  • Major: Political Science
  • Concentration: Business


Pro-Bono Activities

  • Safe Passage Project, Volunteer Attorney, 2013-Present
  • Educating the Educators, Founder, 2012-Present
  • Momentum Project, Board Member, 1991-1994


Bar Admission

  • New York, Eastern District
  • New York, Southern District
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Connecticut

Speaking Engagements
 
  • AILA 13th Annual Asia Pacific Chapter Conference 2025, Seoul, Korea, Speaker: “The Art of H-1B Strategic Planning” panel
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Conference 2018, Berlin, Germany, Speaker on “Public Charge” panel
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Fall Conference 2018, Johannesburg, South Africa, Speaker: “Practice Management in the New Age” panel
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Conference 2018, Madrid, Spain, Speaker: “El Traje de Luces: Self-Sponsored Petitions – EB-1A and NIW”  
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Conference 2017, Brussels, Belgium, Speaker: “Continuing Blanket L Challenges”
  • Safe Passage Project, March 2017, Speaker: “Representing Unaccompanied Minors: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and the Effects of President Trump’s Executive Orders on Immigration”
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Fall Conference 2016, Speaker: “It’s Not About Money: I-864”
  • AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Conference 2016, Vienna, Austria, Speaker: “K-Visa: Differences Between K-1 and I-130 Processing”
  • New York Institute of Technology’s Center for Entrepreneurship, January 2016, Entrepreneur/Executive-in-Residence
  • AILA Fall Conference 2015, London, UK, Speaker: Impact of joint sponsors on family-based cases
  • Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Business Education Program, October 2014, “What is required to grow a business?”
  • Dowling College, May 2013, Keynote Speaker at the first annual Latino Summit at Dowling College
  • International Taxation Conference, 2010