Green Card Backlog Tracker
Priority Dates for China
Updated for August 2026 · 14 categories tracked · history to October 2015
Every green card category has its own line, and applicants chargeable to China wait a different length in each one. The longest right now is F-4 at 16.1 years. This page shows where each line stands for August 2026, how long the wait currently is, and how fast it moved over the last year.
Employment-based categories
| Category | Cutoff now | Backlog | 12-month pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 Priority Workers | July 1, 2023 | 3.1 years | +20 days/mo |
| EB-2 Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability | September 1, 2021 | 4.9 years | +46 days/mo |
| EB-3 Skilled Workers & Professionals | January 1, 2022 | 4.6 years | +41 days/mo |
| EB-3 Other Workers Unskilled Labor | May 1, 2019 | 7.3 years | +71 days/mo |
| EB-4 Special Immigrants | October 15, 2022 | 3.8 years | +87 days/mo |
| EB-4 Religious Workers Certain Religious Workers | October 15, 2022 | 3.8 years | +125 days/mo |
| EB-5 Non-Regional Center Investor – Direct (legacy) | Current (no backlog) | — | +37 days/mo |
| EB-5 Regional Center Investor – Regional Center (legacy) | December 15, 2015 | 6.2 years | +18 days/mo |
| EB-5 Unreserved Investor – Unreserved | December 1, 2016 | 9.7 years | +29 days/mo |
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | Cutoff now | Backlog | 12-month pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 Unmarried Adult Children of US Citizens | June 15, 2019 | 7.1 years | +54 days/mo |
| F-2A Spouses & Minor Children of Green Card Holders | Current (no backlog) | — | +49 days/mo |
| F-2B Unmarried Adult Children of Green Card Holders | January 1, 2019 | 7.6 years | +61 days/mo |
| F-3 Married Children of US Citizens | March 1, 2013 | 13.4 years | +18 days/mo |
| F-4 Siblings of Adult US Citizens | June 22, 2010 | 16.1 years | +45 days/mo |
Why country of birth decides your wait
US law caps how many green cards can go to people born in any single country each year. When more people from one country apply than that cap allows, a queue forms — and it is keyed to country of birth, not citizenship and not where you live now.
That is why two people hired into the same role on the same day can be a decade apart in the same category. It is also why the numbers above look nothing like the worldwide line.
This page is information, not legal advice. It reports published government data. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney.
Sources
Compiled from USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts, which republish the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin. See How We Research.