Priority Dates & Visa Bulletin
What are Priority Dates?
Your priority date is when your immigration petition was filed with USCIS. It determines your place in line for a green card in preference categories with annual limits.
Found on: I-797 receipt notice from USCIS
Purpose: Determines when you can apply for green card
Key rule: First come, first served within each category
Monthly Visa Bulletin
Published monthly by the State Department around the 15th of each month. Shows current priority date cutoffs for each immigration category and country.
Two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing
Updates: Monthly around mid-month
Critical: Must monitor monthly for your category
Understanding the Two Bulletin Charts
Final Action Dates
Purpose:
Determines when you can actually receive your green card
When Used:
Used for consular processing and most adjustment cases
Importance:
Primary chart for final visa issuance
Dates for Filing
Purpose:
Determines when you can file I-485 adjustment application
When Used:
Only when USCIS announces acceptance (not always available)
Importance:
Allows early filing but not final approval
Immigration Categories & Current Wait Times
Family-Based Categories
F1
Unmarried adult children (21+) of U.S. citizens
F2A
Spouses and unmarried children (under 21) of permanent residents
F2B
Unmarried adult children (21+) of permanent residents
F3
Married children of U.S. citizens
F4
Siblings of adult U.S. citizens
Employment-Based Categories
EB-1
Priority workers (extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, multinational executives)
EB-2
Advanced degree professionals and exceptional ability
EB-3
Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers
EB-4
Special immigrants (religious workers, military)
EB-5
Investors
How to Use the Visa Bulletin
Monthly Priority Date Monitoring Process
Monthly Bulletin Publication
State Department publishes Visa Bulletin around 15th of each month
Required Documents:
- •Review current month's bulletin
- •Check your category and country
- •Note both 'Final Action' and 'Dates for Filing' charts
- •Compare with your priority date
Priority Date Comparison
Compare your priority date to the published cutoff dates
Required Documents:
- •Your I-797 receipt with priority date
- •Current Visa Bulletin cutoff date
- •Determine if your date is current
- •Check both charts if applying in U.S.
Take Action When Current
File adjustment of status or complete consular processing when current
Required Documents:
- •File I-485 if in U.S. and eligible
- •Or complete NVC processing if abroad
- •Gather all required supporting documents
- •Meet all deadlines promptly
Visa Bulletin Movement Scenarios
Forward Movement
Priority dates advance, allowing more people to apply
Retrogression
Priority dates move backward due to high demand
Unavailable/U
No visas available for the category
Current/C
All priority dates in category are current
Per-Country Limitations
China and India
Limitation:
Per-country limits cause severe backlogs in EB-2 and EB-3 categories
Impact:
10-20+ year waits while other countries remain current
Potential Solutions:
Some relief through unused visa numbers, but structural issue remains
Philippines
Limitation:
High demand in family-based categories, especially F4 (siblings)
Impact:
20+ year waits for F4 category
Potential Solutions:
Consider other family immigration pathways if available
Mexico
Limitation:
High volume in family preference categories
Impact:
Longer waits than world-wide dates in most family categories
Potential Solutions:
Monitor bulletin monthly for movement
All Other Countries
Limitation:
Generally follow worldwide cutoff dates
Impact:
Better processing times than oversubscribed countries
Potential Solutions:
Standard processing applies
Strategic Planning Tips
Best Practices for Priority Date Management
- Monitor visa bulletin monthly - set calendar reminders
- Prepare all documents in advance when date is approaching
- Consider premium processing for employment petitions when available
- Maintain valid status if in U.S. while waiting
- Keep address updated with USCIS and NVC
- Consult attorney if priority date becomes current
- Don't wait - act immediately when date becomes current
Critical Priority Date Facts
Important Rules
- • No skipping: Cannot bypass your turn in line
- • Children aging out: Unmarried children may lose eligibility at 21
- • Derivative beneficiaries: Family members share same priority date
- • Category changes: Marriage or other changes may affect category
- • Retrogression risk: Dates can move backward
Common Mistakes
- • Not monitoring monthly: Missing when date becomes current
- • Unprepared documents: Scrambling when date is current
- • Wrong chart: Using filing dates when final action required
- • Status issues: Falling out of status while waiting
- • Missed deadlines: Not responding quickly when current