Frequently Asked Questions About The Visa Bulletin

Update regarding the November 2020 Visa Bulletin

With the recent November 2020 Visa Bulletin update, there has been no change in the Priority Dates that are Current. This means that individuals who were previously eligible to file for Adjustment of Status (AOS) are still eligible to file through the month of November. Please note that this update does not impact any filings that were sent during the month of October 2020. For more information about I-485 processing times with USCIS, please refer to the question below.

You are asking for documents or information that I don’t have. What should I do? 

When a new case is opened in the Envoy system, there is a questionnaire to be completed and a list of commonly required documents. When a case is opened, the platform will request a list of documents that are generally needed for that case type, if those documents apply to you. Leaving the requests blank will not prevent the case from moving forward. After the legal team completes their initial review, they will edit the list of document requests for you specifically, removing what they do not need, and adding anything else that they require. 

Do I have to provide my birth certificate? 

The applicant’s birth certificate must be included with all I-485 applications. If you do not have a copy of your birth certificate, please contact the local government authority in the place of your birth to obtain one.

We understand that some individuals born in India do not have a birth certificate; if this is true for you, then you should contact the government authority to request a certificate of non-availability. In this situation you may also need to provide sworn affidavits from parents or other relatives who have personal knowledge of the circumstances of your birth. Please know that any foreign language documents must be submitted with a certified English translation. 

For more information on translation services: https://www.envoyglobal.com/faq-employee-users/employee-faq-envoy-services/  

The I-944 is requesting details that I (or my dependents) don’t have. What should I do? 

We understand that the I-944 may request information that feels repetitive or does not feel applicable. Like any case questionnaire, please complete all details as thoroughly as you can to the best of your ability.  

After the legal team has reviewed the I-944 questionnaire in its entirety, they will let you know if they require additional details on any items. They will also ensure that only the details which are absolutely necessary will appear in the Forms for this case. For now, please complete the questionnaire and upload any documents to the best of your ability.   

Public Charge FAQs: https://www.envoyglobal.com/public-charge-faq-for-employees/ 

Do I have to provide a medical exam? 

It is the legal team’s recommendation that applicants should wait until USCIS requests the medical exam later due to the possibility of very long USCIS processing times for the cases submitted in October. While a medical exam, the form I-693, is required before USCIS can approve your I-485, it is not required to be included with the initial I-485 filing.  

Medical exams will expire if USCIS has not finished processing a case within two years from the time your exam is completed. Other benefits of waiting to complete the exam are that you will not have to pay for it to be done multiple times, and it will help speed up the preparation of cases since you will not have to worry about rushing to schedule the medical examination now. 

Do I have to provide photos? 

Yes—For each applicant submitting an I-485, please mail to our office six identical color passport-style photos. 

The photos should be taken in front of a white or off-white background and showing a full front profile of the face. Eyeglasses should not be worn, and the head should be bare unless a headpiece is worn daily for religious purposes. The photo should not be larger than 2 in. x 2 in., with the size of the face between 1 to 1.5 in. in height. Lightly print the person’s name and date of birth on the back of the photo with a pencil.  

Please mail your photos to our office and include your name and Envoy account number in the package. Our mailing address is: 

Global Immigration Associates, P.C.
Attn: (your name and Envoy account number)
230 W. Monroe St.
Suite 2800
Chicago, IL 60606 

After your photos have been delivered and our team has processed them, you will be notified that the request for photos has been marked as complete within the Supporting Documents. Due to Covid restrictions, we have limited staff able to work in the office, so it may take a couple of days after your photos are delivered before they are marked as complete. 

I submitted my questionnaire for attorney review. What should I expect next? 

Once the questionnaire is in review with the legal team, they will review all information in the questionnaire and the documents you have uploaded. During this review period, the legal team will also draft the case materials which will be available for you to review and approve. You will also be able to make edits if any information needs to be updated.  

After you receive the alert that the Case Materials are available for review, please complete your review as soon as possible and return the case for review so that the legal team can finalize the case. We ask that you refrain from sending messages in your Communication Center to ask for an update on the preparation of the cases to provide our team time to focus efficiently on case preparation. We can assure you that you will be alerted when there is any action needed from you. 

I realized that I made a mistake in my questionnaire, but I can no longer edit it. What should I do? 

After a questionnaire has been submitted to the legal team for review, we cannot send it back to you to make further edits. You may send a message in your Communication Center with the information that needs to be updated, and the information will be noted for the team working on the case.  

Please know that the questionnaire is used internally to gather information needed to draft the Forms for this case, and you will also have the opportunity to review the drafted case materials. This is one of the many layers of review which will take place to ensure that the information is accurate and complete, and you will be able to make any necessary edits at that time. 

Do I need to mail signed forms to your office? 

USCIS is currently allowing all forms to be submitted with scans of original signatures, so you do not need to mail signed forms to us. When the drafted forms for a case become available for your review, you will first need to review and make any necessary edits to the forms, and then provide the corresponding signed form per the instructions below. It is important that you first review the form prior to uploading the signature page.   

Please note that you must sign the forms by hand. Digital signatures or signatures drawn with a mouse or by other electronic means are not acceptable.  

  1. Download and print the required forms from the case  
  2. Sign in the appropriate field   
  3. Scan the signature page   
  4. Click the purple ‘Upload & Approve’ button and upload the signed form The legal team will be notified of any requested changes made to the form, and they will be sure to apply the changes appropriately to the finalized version.

The legal team will be notified of any requested changes made to the form, and they will be sure to apply the changes appropriately to the finalized version. 

I’m having trouble using the Envoy platform. Where can I get help? 

Please contact customerexperience@envoyglobal.com for any technical support. The Communication Center is for legal inquiries only, and we cannot answer questions about the use of the Envoy platform in the Communication Center. To connect with the Customer Experience team in real-time, please feel free to start a live chat in your account or call 1-833-582-0388.

How do I know if I’m eligible to file the I-485?

USCIS uses the visa bulletin to confirm when they will accept new I-485, Adjustment of Status, petitions based on an individual’s priority date. The legal team is closely monitoring the visa bulletin for updates to ensure that all individuals who become current are able to file for the green card as soon as possible. You will know if the legal team has initiated this process if an I-485 case is opened and in progress in your Envoy account.

What is a visa bulletin?

The amount of legal permanent resident cards (i.e. green cards) issued per fiscal year is limited to 140,000. Due to an overwhelming demand and a per country quota, some countries are backlogged on the availability of green cards being allotted to their nationals. As a result of this issue, the visa bulletin is a chart released each month to inform the public who is eligible to submit their application for a green card based on this backlog and quota.

Because the USCIS Fiscal Year begins October 1, the number of green cards available per green card category and applicant country effectively refreshes. This means that it’s very common for a very large number of individuals to become current. The legal team will ensure that cases for any individuals with a current priority date are filed on time.

You can view the bulletin here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.

I am reviewing the visa bulletin and I see EB categories. What is an EB category?

EB stands for ‘employment-based.’ When your company sponsors you for permanent residency, you will be placed into one of the 5 categories which was previously determined based on the job requirements of the sponsored position. Most employment sponsored green cards fall into EB-2 or EB-3.

It is important to keep in mind that the legal team and your employer have previously determined which EB category you have obtained. If you would like confirmation on which EB category you have, please post to the Communication Center and the legal team will provide their confirmation.

Can I change my EB category?

The Green Card is filed with a particular position in mind, therefore if you would like to change the green card category, a portion of the process would likely need to be restarted. If you have any questions on the EB category, please post to your Communication Center and the legal team can advise.

I am looking at the visa bulletin and I see a priority date. What is a priority date?

Priority dates determine if an individual is eligible to file for their Adjustment of Status for permanent residency, (i.e. form I-485).  For purposes of EB-2 and EB-3, this is the date when the ETA 9089 was submitted to and accepted by the Department of Labor for processing. For the EB-1 category, this is determined by the I-140 filing.

Please know that Envoy and the legal team actively track priority dates and receive notifications when an individual becomes ‘current’ to ensure that action is taken on the appropriate cases as soon as possible. If you have questions on your priority date, please post to the Communication Center so the legal team can advise.

Why are there two visa bulletins?

Historically speaking, there was always one visa bulletin named the Final Action Chart. However, a few years ago, the DOS started releasing a second visa bulletin called the Dates for Filing chart.  The Dates for Filing chart is stating that people may file their I-485 applications if current with that chart, but the I-485 case itself will not be adjudicated until the person is current with the Final Action Chart.

However, the USCIS is not obligated to use the Dates for Filing chart. The USCIS, who adjudicates I-485 cases, will release their own statement each month on whether they will use the Final Action chart or Dates for Filing chart. Therefore, people must pay attention to both what the DOS and USCIS say regarding the visa bulletin. In the month of October, the USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart.

What will the November visa bulletin look like? When does is it released?

The visa bulletin should be released in mid-October and the legal team will be monitoring any updates closely. Once these details are released, you will be notified that the I-485 case is enabled if the priority date becomes current.

What is an I-485 application?

An I-485, Adjustment of Status, application is the last step of the green card process. It is the foreign national’s application for their actual green card and largely contains biographical information along with questions to ensure the individual is not a security threat to the U.S.

If the legal team recently enabled the I-485 case in your Envoy account, we encourage all applicants to complete the questionnaire and upload any applicable documents as soon as possible. After the case questionnaire is 100% complete and submitted for review, the legal team can begin their case preparation.

If you are uncertain of any actions pending at this time, please reach out to Envoy’s Customer Experience team for guidance and they will be happy to help! The team is available in real time on weekdays from 8AM-7PM CST over a live chat from your account or by phone at 833-582-0388.

Is my dependent included in my I-485 filing?

Spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible to file for the green card alongside the sponsored employee. That said, each green card applicant requires their own case to be opened and filed for them. Dependent I-485 cases can be opened as separate cases in your Envoy account. Please reach out to Envoy Customer Experience If your dependent requires a new case to be opened.

When can the legal team file my I-485 application?

While the legal team does not provide an exact timeline as each case will vary, the legal team will file the cases under the most appropriate timeline.

Please know that the legal team will ensure that all cases are filed on time. USCIS will not give preference to cases based on when within the month a case is received so long as the case is filed on time.

After the I-485 has been sent, when can I expect to get a Receipt Notice?

Receipt Notices from USCIS are currently arriving in our office about 4-8 weeks from when they are issued; Receipt Notices are most often issued a few business days after a case arrives at the USCIS processing location. After GIA processes a mailed Receipt Notice in the office, they will apply it to the appropriate case in your Envoy account. When the Notice is applied, you will receive an email notification from noreply@envoyglobal.com confirming that the Receipt Number has been added to that case. This information will also be available in the Case Details section of the associated case.  

When can I expect the biometrics appointment?

Generally, USCIS will send a Biometrics appointment notice a few months after an I-485 has been processing; this is generally sent directly to the applicant. In keeping with normal case processing, if we receive a Biometrics Notice in our office, the legal team will post any details to your Communication Center. If you have not received notification of a Biometrics appointment, this is not a cause for concern; we ask that you refrain from inquiring about this as Biometrics appointments have become more inconsistent since March of 2020 due to the pandemic.  

When will the Work (I-765)/Travel (I-131) be processed?

Processing times for any filing with USCIS, including the I-765 and I-131, will vary based on the Service Center where the case is being processed and the current caseload of USCIS. On average, USCIS is currently reporting processing times of about 6-7 months for I-765 and I-131 filings based on a pending I-485. After we have the Receipt Number for the case, you will be able to confirm the USCIS Service Center to check the specific processing times for you (or your family members’) filings.  

For more information on checking USCIS processing times: https://www.envoyglobal.com/faq-employee-users/employee-faq-case-status/#uscisprocessingtimes   

 ***Important note on international travel while cases are processing if your case includes Travel: You should not plan to travel internationally while an I-131 for Travel Authorization is pending. If you do choose to travel, the I-131 request for travel authorization will likely be denied.  While the I-131 denial itself will not impact the processing of your I-485 application for the green card, you should be aware of this risk and we advise you post to your communication center if you do have travel planned that you cannot avoid.***

When can I expect the interview and I-485 to be processed?

USCIS generally conducts an interview with all green card applicants toward the end of I-485 processing. Currently, I-485 case processing varies greatly; most commonly, cases are processed in about 11-24 months. However, the USCIS will not do final adjudication on your case until you are current with the Final Action Chart on the visa bulletin.  Therefore, until you are current with the Final Action chart, you will not be called into USCIS for an interview. 

Similar to the Biometrics appointment notice, the Interview Notice should be sent directly to you, or GIA will post to your Communication Center with the details if we receive the Interview Notice.  

If you have any questions on what to expect next, we kindly request that you continue utilizing the resources we have provided, such as FAQs and the features of your account which highlight case status 

Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), one of the two U.S. Law Firms who provide services through the Envoy Platform.

Content in this publication is not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an attorney at one of the two U.S. Law Firms who provide services through the Envoy Platform or another qualified professional.