All immigrants on the path to obtaining a green card must pay close attention to the priority dates. These dates help decide your place in the line for green card processing and may seriously impact the amount of time it takes. If you apply through family, employment, or another method, this guide gives you an overview of priority dates and explains how to view them.
What is a Priority Date?
A priority date is the day that the immigrant visa petition was submitted to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). Basically, the date is what places an applicant in line for a visa if more people are applying for that type of visa. Labor certification cases should use the date their application was accepted by the Department of Labor as the priority date.
Why You Should Pay Attention to Priority Dates
Green cards are issued in the U.S. with limits set for every country and category every year. Since there is steady demand, a few product lines and various nations are facing delays. After knowing your priority date, you can adjust your application steps based on what country you come from and what part of the process you are in.
How to Find Your Priority Date
You can discover your priority date at the following links:
Form I-797 (Notice of Action): Once your petition is with USCIS, you’ll be sent a Form I-797 notice confirming receipt. You will usually find your priority date listed here.
Approved Petition Notices (Form I-130 or I-140): With I-130 and I-140 petitions, if your petition is approved, the notice is likely to give your priority date.
When things aren’t clear, try these options:
Go to the USCIS website, provide your login details, and sign in.
To reach the USCIS Contact Center, call this number: 1-800-375-5283.
How to Check If Your Priority Date Is Current
The Visa Bulletin, published monthly by the U.S. Department of State, will help you identify if your priority date is up to date. Here’s how:
Step 1: Go to the Visa Bulletin
Visit the U.S. Department of State’s official Visa Bulletin page:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
Step 2: Determine Your Category
Determine which particular green card type includes you.
F1, F2A, F3, and F4 are all examples in the family-sponsored category.
Employment-based options (e.g., EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3)
Step 3: Identify Your Chargeability Area
It’s usually the country where you were born, rather than the country where you currently live.
Step 5: Look at the Calendars
Make sure your priority date is the same as the one in your category and country. If you file your priority date before the date shown, you should continue to the next step.
Example
As an example, for EB-3 categories using the India quota, we’ll say that your petition on March 1, 2015, is the reference date. Your case is current if the cutoff date on the Visa Bulletin for April 1 is your date. After the cutoff date, you may start applying for Adjustment of Status or consular processing.
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