Legal immigration deserves attention in the national immigration debate. The F4 family-sponsored visa category offers a way to examine progress for U.S. citizens seeking to reunite with their brothers and sisters.
Our comparison shows substantially greater F4 cutoff advancement during Trump’s first term for all other countries, the Philippines, mainland China, and India. A separate comparison of equal opening periods also shows greater advancement for these groups during Trump’s second term.
What is the F4 visa?
The F4 category allows a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old to sponsor a brother or sister for permanent residence. The sibling’s eligible spouse and unmarried children may also qualify to immigrate with them, subject to eligibility and child-age rules.
Because annual F4 visa numbers are limited, applications accumulate in a backlog. Families can wait well over a decade, and some wait considerably longer. These delays complicate decisions about education, careers, caregiving, and where family members build their lives. Children may reach adulthood while their families remain in the queue, potentially affecting their eligibility.
How does the visa queue work?
Each applicant has a priority date, generally the date USCIS receives the sponsoring petition. This establishes the applicant’s place in line.
The Department of State [i]publishes monthly Final Action Dates in its Visa Bulletin. An applicant’s priority date must generally be earlier than the listed cutoff for a visa number to be available.
When a cutoff moves forward, it reaches applicants with more recent priority dates. This can bring additional families closer to completing their immigration process.
Trump’s first four years compared with Biden’s four years
The comparison uses February 2017–January 2021 for Trump and February 2021–January 2025 for Biden. Each reporting period contains 48 monthly bulletins. The figures measure the net change between the first and last cutoff dates, expressed in approximate months.
| Country group | Trump’s first four-year period | Biden’s four-year period | Trump’s advancement relative to Biden |
| All other countries | 32.0 months | 9.5 months | 3.36 times as much |
| Philippines | 103.4 months | 26.9 months | 3.84 times as much |
| Mainland China | 32.5 months | 9.5 months | 3.41 times as much |
| India | 21.0 months | 12.8 months | 1.64 times as much |
| Mexico | 13.3 months | 31.8 months | Less advancement under Trump |
For all other countries, the F4 cutoff advanced approximately 32.0 months under Trump, compared with 9.5 months under Biden. Over equal reporting periods, the queue advanced about 3.36 times as far under Trump.
The Philippines recorded the largest advancement among these country groups: approximately 103.4 months under Trump, compared with 26.9 months under Biden—about 3.84 times as much.
For mainland China, advancement totaled 32.5 months under Trump, compared with 9.5 months under Biden, approximately 3.41 times as much.
For India, the cutoff advanced 21.0 months under Trump, compared with 12.8 months under Biden, approximately 1.64 times as much.
Mexico was the exception, recording greater advancement during Biden’s period.
Trump’s second term compared with the same opening period under Biden
This comparison uses February 2025–November 2026 for Trump’s second term and February 2021–November 2022 for Biden. Each period contains 22 monthly bulletins spanning 21 monthly intervals, allowing a comparison over equal lengths of time.
The November 2026 figures come from the U.S. Department of State’s [1]published Visa Bulletin for that month. As above, the calculation measures the net change between the first and last cutoff dates, expressed in approximate months. See the table below and chart.
| Country group | Trump: Feb. 2025–Nov. 2026 | Biden: Feb. 2021–Nov. 2022 | Trump’s advancement relative to Biden |
| All other countries | 62.7 months | 5.2 months | 12.08 times as much |
| Philippines | 48.5 months | 6.6 months | 7.30 times as much |
| Mainland China | 62.7 months | 5.2 months | 12.08 times as much |
| India | 8.2 months | 6.0 months | 1.36 times as much |
| Mexico | 1.7 months | 24.8 months | Less advancement under Trump |
For all other countries, the F4 cutoff advanced approximately 62.7 months under Trump, compared with 5.2 months under Biden. Over equal reporting periods, the queue advanced about 12.1 times as far under Trump.
For the Philippines, advancement totaled approximately 48.5 months under Trump, compared with 6.6 months under Biden—about 7.3 times as much.
For mainland China, the cutoff also advanced 62.7 months under Trump, compared with 5.2 months under Biden, approximately 12.1 times as much.
For India, advancement reached 8.2 months under Trump, compared with 6.0 months under Biden, approximately 1.4 times as much.
Mexico again recorded greater advancement during Biden’s comparison period.
What does faster cutoff advancement mean for families?
Greater advancement over equal reporting periods means the visa queue reached later priority dates more quickly. For families waiting in that newly eligible range, this can be an important step toward reunification through a lawful immigration pathway.
These figures measure visa-queue advancement, rather than individual case processing speed. They do not count completed cases or show the exact time saved by each family. Applicants may still need document review, an interview, and a final visa decision after their priority dates become current.
Legal family immigration progress deserves recognition
Sweeping claims that Trump opposes all immigration overlook the distinction between lawful immigration pathways and unauthorized immigration. These F4 comparisons document substantial progress in visa availability during his presidential periods for four of the five country groups examined.
For voters who support legal immigration and family reunification, these results deserve consideration. A productive immigration debate should recognize measurable progress and encourage elected leaders to help eligible families complete the lawful process.
Method: Ending cutoff date minus beginning cutoff date, divided by 30.44 to express approximate months. January 2017 is excluded. Both comparisons use the first and last bulletins within each stated period. Ratios use unrounded values.
Data source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Travel.State.Gov. All calculations in this article are derived from the current and archived monthly Visa Bulletins, specifically “A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES.” The analysis uses the F4 category and the published country-of-chargeability columns for all other countries, mainland China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.
Data usage: Archived and current Visa Bulletin from the site Travel.State.Gov
Calculation method: Net cutoff advancement equals the ending Final Action Date minus the beginning Final Action Date, measured in calendar days. Calendar days are divided by 30.44 to express approximate months. Comparative ratios are calculated from the unrounded differences. This endpoint method reflects net movement, including the effects of any intervening retrogression; it does not add together forward movements alone.
Interpretation: The reported months represent movement in visa priority-date cutoffs. They do not represent the number of applications processed, actual visa issuances, individual processing durations, or a guaranteed reduction in a family’s waiting time.
Current Visa Bulletin and archived monthly bulletins:
[i] https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html