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NVC backlog: how many people are waiting for a U.S. visa interview?
Every number the National Visa Center has published about its backlog: how many applicants were ready for an interview each month, how many got one, and how many people wait in each category — including EB-3 Other Workers from Bangladesh.
At a glance
In the latest monthly report (September 2024), 431,110 applicants were documentarily complete and ready for an interview. 45,310 of them got an interview that month; 385,800 were still waiting.
The waiting number was highest in July 2021 (531,976). Compared with that, it was 146,176 lower in September 2024.
On 1 November 2023 the NVC waiting list had 44,470 people in EB-3 Other Workers (workers plus their families). Bangladesh had 3,064 — number 5th among all countries.
The State Department has not published newer reports that we can find: the last monthly backlog report is September 2024, the last annual waiting list is November 2023. We add new ones automatically.
Interview backlog, month by month
All immigrant visa categories worldwide (family and employment). Gold: interviews scheduled that month. Navy: documentarily complete applicants still waiting for an interview date.
- Scheduled that month
- Still waiting
| Report | Ready for interview | Scheduled | Still waiting | Share scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | 431,110 | 45,310 | 385,800 | 10.5% |
| August 2024 | 464,766 | 55,829 | 408,937 | 12.0% |
| July 2024 * | 488,285 | 53,450 | 394,835 | 10.9% |
| June 2024 | 438,443 | 43,607 | 394,836 | 9.9% |
| May 2024 | 387,068 | 49,761 | 337,307 | 12.9% |
| April 2024 | 404,459 | 52,835 | 351,624 | 13.1% |
| March 2024 | 374,532 | 48,117 | 326,415 | 12.8% |
| February 2024 | 380,407 | 42,151 | 338,256 | 11.1% |
| January 2024 | 337,870 | 45,765 | 292,105 | 13.5% |
| December 2023 | 341,392 | 36,619 | 304,773 | 10.7% |
| November 2023 | 353,362 | 41,812 | 311,550 | 11.8% |
| October 2023 | 312,018 | 38,755 | 273,263 | 12.4% |
| August 2023 | 378,475 | 39,394 | 339,081 | 10.4% |
| July 2023 | 388,397 | 36,576 | 351,821 | 9.4% |
| June 2023 | 389,242 | 37,905 | 351,337 | 9.7% |
| May 2023 | 396,877 | 41,904 | 354,973 | 10.6% |
| April 2023 | 409,021 | 38,896 | 370,125 | 9.5% |
| March 2023 | 409,021 | 38,896 | 370,125 | 9.5% |
| February 2023 | 444,828 | 36,372 | 408,456 | 8.2% |
| January 2023 | 422,954 | 36,167 | 386,787 | 8.6% |
| December 2022 | 411,359 | 33,406 | 377,953 | 8.1% |
| November 2022 | 423,367 | 38,607 | 384,760 | 9.1% |
| October 2022 | 435,063 | 35,777 | 399,286 | 8.2% |
| September 2022 | 416,856 | 32,175 | 384,681 | 7.7% |
| August 2022 | 421,668 | 32,888 | 388,780 | 7.8% |
| July 2022 | 433,819 | 24,174 | 409,645 | 5.6% |
| June 2022 | 455,031 | 28,545 | 426,486 | 6.3% |
| May 2022 | 449,583 | 28,447 | 421,136 | 6.3% |
| April 2022 | 453,797 | 32,439 | 421,358 | 7.1% |
| March 2022 | 469,017 | 32,317 | 436,700 | 6.9% |
| February 2022 | 464,120 | 27,454 | 436,666 | 5.9% |
| January 2022 | 465,978 | 26,605 | 439,373 | 5.7% |
| November 2021 OCR | 490,089 | 28,964 | 461,125 | 5.9% |
| October 2021 OCR | 494,566 | 25,675 | 468,891 | 5.2% |
| August 2021 OCR | 547,193 | 33,306 | 513,887 | 6.1% |
| July 2021 | 566,384 | 34,408 | 531,976 | 6.1% |
| June 2021 OCR | 536,541 | 30,320 | 506,221 | 5.7% |
| May 2021 OCR | 504,541 | 22,576 | 481,965 | 4.5% |
| April 2021 | 494,289 | 18,979 | 475,310 | 3.8% |
* As published: in this report the three numbers do not add up (ready − scheduled ≠ waiting). We show them unchanged; open the official file to check.
OCR: the official file is a scanned image; the numbers were read by text recognition and checked against each other.
Who is on the NVC waiting list? (1 Nov 2023)
Employment-based applicants registered at NVC on 1 November each year, by category. Includes spouses and children. People adjusting status inside the U.S. (at USCIS) are not counted.
| 1 Nov | EB-1 | EB-2 | EB-3 Skilled / Professionals | EB-3 Other Workers | EB-4 | EB-5 | All employment | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20,582 | 75,567 | 78,207 | 44,470 | 1,951 | 39,883 | 260,660 | 3,773,401 |
| 2022 | 8,818 | 43,962 | 41,838 | 26,729 | 1,303 | 45,498 | 168,148 | 3,915,501 |
| 2021 | 13,202 | 38,458 | 48,482 | 18,094 | 1,045 | 52,336 | 171,617 | 3,969,573 |
| 2020 | 16,045 | 30,571 | 103,552 | 13,203 | 1,289 | 50,936 | 215,596 | 3,762,891 |
| 2019 | 13,065 | 23,410 | 43,725 | 7,643 | 1,055 | 37,090 | 125,988 | 3,494,252 |
| 2018 | 9,266 | 20,501 | 43,385 | 7,581 | 797 | 39,001 | 120,531 | 3,671,442 |
| 2017 | 5,527 | 16,725 | 53,194 | 5,893 | 591 | 30,259 | 112,189 | 3,947,857 |
| 2016 | 3,801 | 14,370 | 55,521 | 8,804 | 354 | 24,629 | 107,479 | 4,259,573 |
EB-3 Other Workers: which countries wait the most? (1 Nov 2023)
Countries the State Department lists for EB-3 Other Workers on its NVC waiting list. Bangladesh is highlighted.
All other countries: 17,963 · EB-3 Other Workers 44,470
Bangladesh in EB-3 Other Workers, by year
| 1 Nov | EB-3 Other Workers | Bangladesh | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 44,470 | 3,064 | 6.9% |
| 2022 | 26,729 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2021 | 18,094 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2020 | 13,203 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2019 | 7,643 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2018 | 7,581 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2017 | 5,893 | not in the published top list | – |
| 2016 | 8,804 | not in the published top list | – |
NVC processing times now
Published weekly by NVC. These dates show which cases NVC is working on today. As of November 2, 2026
- Case creation: petitions received from USCIS onOctober 20, 2026about 2 weeks behind
- Document review: documents submitted onAugust 24, 2026about 10 weeks behind
- Public Inquiry Form answers: questions sent onOctober 26, 2026about 1 weeks behind
How to read these numbers
- “Documentarily complete” means NVC has your fees, DS-260 and documents and the case is ready to be sent to the embassy. The monthly report counts only these cases, in all categories and countries together.
- For a numbered category such as EB-3, your priority date must also be current in the Visa Bulletin before NVC can schedule the interview.
- The annual waiting list counts everyone NVC holds with an approved petition, at any stage — also people whose date is not current yet. It counts family members too, so one worker with a spouse and two children counts as four.
- Most employment cases (about 85 %) are processed inside the U.S. by USCIS and are not in these lists, so real demand is higher than the list shows.
- A backlog at NVC is not a backlog at the embassy: Dhaka schedules interviews on its own capacity. See the Dhaka interview guide for local steps.
Questions people ask
What is the NVC backlog?
In the latest monthly report (September 2024), 431,110 applicants were documentarily complete and ready for an interview. 45,310 of them got an interview that month; 385,800 were still waiting.
How many Bangladeshis wait in EB-3 Other Workers?
On 1 November 2023 the NVC waiting list had 44,470 people in EB-3 Other Workers (workers plus their families). Bangladesh had 3,064 — number 5th among all countries.
Why is my case documentarily qualified but no interview yet?
Two reasons: in EB-3 your priority date must be current in the Visa Bulletin first; and even when it is current, the embassy schedules interviews by its own capacity, oldest cases first. Check your date on the Visa Bulletin prediction page.
When will my date be current? →Dhaka interview guide →Visa Bulletin email alerts →
Want an EB-3 job with a real U.S. employer?
GVS guides workers in Korea and Bangladesh through PERM, I-140 and the visa interview. Free seminar every Sunday in Seoul.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — “Immigrant Visa Backlog Report” (monthly, April 2021 – September 2024) and “Annual Report of Immigrant Visa Applicants … Registered at the National Visa Center as of November 1” (2016 – 2023); NVC timeframes (November 2, 2026). travel.state.gov now blocks automated downloads, so the official files are read from their Internet Archive copies; each table links the official file. Updated 2026-11-06.