Visa Bulletin

Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing

Final Action Dates:

If your priority date is earlier than this date, your green card can be approved. This is the date that decides when the green card is actually issued.

Dates for Filing:

If your priority date is earlier than this date, you can file your green card application (I-485) early. Filing comes first; approval still waits for the Final Action Date. For filing inside the U.S., USCIS announces each month whether this chart may be used.

Priority date: usually the day your employer filed the PERM labor certification or I-140, or, for family cases, the day the I-130 was filed.