What is the priority date on a visa?
In fact, it is the priority date that specifies your specific place in line. You have reached the front of the line when your priority date becomes "current." The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly visa bulletin that lists the priority dates which have become current.
What does “U” Mean on the Visa Bulletin?
If the Visa Bulletin shows “U” in a category, this means that immigrant visas are temporarily unavailable to all applicants in that particular preference category and/or country of chargeability. Sometimes, a priority date that is current one month will not be current the next month, or the cut-off date will move backward to an earlier date.
How do I Find my priority date for immigration?
If you are a prospective immigrant, you can find your priority date on Form I-797, Notice of Action, for the petition filed on your behalf. The waiting time before receiving an immigrant visa or adjusting status depends on the : Demand for and supply of immigrant visas. Number of visas allocated for your preference category.
What happens if my priority date is earlier than expected?
If your priority date is earlier than the listed priority date on the visa bulletin, there is a visa available for your situation. In certain circumstances, priority dates may shift backwards if the case load was larger than expected but in most times, priority dates move forward.
What does a visa priority date mean?
Priority date is the date on which an application was filed with the immigration authorities. It is used by the Department of State (DOS) to determine an individual's place in line in the visa queue where there are a limited number of immigrant visas available in a given year.
What does current visa bulletin mean?
Current: In the context of the visa bulletin, “current” means no backlog and no wait time for a green card. A particular priority date becomes “current” once it reaches the front of the line and a green card is available.
Is priority date same as final action date?
You can think these dates as if your position in queue has reached the end and you are ready to get the green card. The priority dates that were used before introduction of two separate dates are nothing but the “final action dates”.
Is priority date same as filing date?
These two terms are often used interchangeably. This can be misleading because they do not always refer to the same date. A filing date is the date you file your application (for trade marks, patents or designs). The priority date is the date your legal right over such trade mark, patent or design commences.
How do I know if my visa is approved?
Check the Status of a Visa Application For nonimmigrant visas, call 1-603-334-0888. Or use the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
How long does it take for NVC to schedule interview 2022?
How long does it take to get an appointment? Although NVC strives to schedule appointments within three months of NVC's acceptance of all requested documentation, this timeframe is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.
What is the next step after priority date is current?
Only when your priority date becomes "current" can you take the next step: either apply for adjustment of status if you are already in the United States in legal status or otherwise eligible to use the adjustment of status procedure, or apply for an immigrant visa at an U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
What do I do if my priority date is passed?
In general, when the priority date has already passed, it means that your case is under review by the immigration authorities. So, an immigrant visa number may already be available to continue your process.
How much time it takes to get green card after priority date becomes current?
Form I-485 Processing Time Summary HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A GREEN CARD? After filing Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, and related forms, your I-485 processing time can take anywhere from 8 to 14 months.
Will USCIS speed up 2022?
USCIS Extends Premium-Processing to Certain Pending Immigrant Petitions. On May 24, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an expansion of premium processing service to two additional categories of Form I-140 immigrant petitions.
How do I know if USCIS approved my case?
With your receipt number, you can check the status of your case on www. uscis.gov and also register on our Web site for automatic case status updates while we process your case.
Does priority date expire?
A priority date never expires - as long as - if applicable - the I-140 petition was received by USCIS within the 6 months of the PERM approval...
What does no wait in Visa Bulletin mean?
The Visa Bulletin uses “Current (C)” to indicate that there's no backlog/no wait time for a green card. A priority date becomes current when it reaches the front of the line which indicates a green card is available. An entire preference category can also be current – if that category has no backlog/wait time.
What is a current priority date with NVC?
The date your petition was filed is called your priority date.
How long to get green card after priority date is current?
around six monthsAfter your priority date is current, you can submit your I-485, which will take around six months to process.
Why did Visa Bulletin go back?
Visa retrogression is usually caused because the “annual limit for a category or country has been used up or is expected to be used up soon.” Usually, things return to normal (the cut-off dates shift back to where they were before the retrogression) when the new fiscal year begins on October 1.
What is a priority date?
A priority date will determine an applicant’s “place in line” before they are able to receive their green card or immigrant visa. Movement in the visa bulletin is not always forward. It can slow down, stop, or retrogress. Retrogression occurs when the priority date on the visa bulletin moves backwards due to increase in demand.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
Put simply, the Visa Bulletin lets a green card application estimate how long it will take before they are able to file an adjustment or apply for their immigrant visa, and ultimately obtain their green card based on how quickly the “line” is moving.
How does the Visa Bulletin work?
The visa bulletin contains charts for each visa category with different dates. This is where an applicant’s priority date is important, the dates listed will determine how long of a wait time the applicant must wait for their place in line to be current.
What is a Priority Date?
A priority date is a green card applicant’s place in line while their case is being processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. If you recently applied for a green card or adjustment of status, you can find your priority date on Form I-797, Notice of Action.
What does it mean when your priority date arrives?
When your priority date arrives, it’s known as being current; that means the people with that date are now eligible for visas or green cards. You can check the Visa Bulletin that the U.S. State Department publishes monthly to find out which priority dates are becoming current.
What is it called when a visa is retrograded?
When this happens, it’s called visa retrogression ; it happens when more people apply for a visa in that category than there are visas available for that month.
How to check progress of priority date?
It is possible to check the progress of your priority date. Use the Visa Bulletin to watch for your date to approach. If the Visa Bulletin shows the letter C or the word current under your application category and your country of citizenship (if applicable), it means there are visas available under that category. You should expect to receive correspondence from the National Visa Center soon – or if you’re adjusting your status, you should prepare and submit your green card application.
What does the letter C mean on a visa?
The Visa Bulletin chart indicates a letter C or the word current rather than a specific cutoff date, which means that your preference category and country of chargeability (usually your birth country, but not always) is current. That means you can file Form I-485 regardless of the priority date.
Why are visa cutoff dates broken down?
Some categories are also broken down by country – that’s because there are per-country limits on some visas, and the demand from those countries may be especially high.
How long does it take to get a green card?
If your application falls into a family-sponsored category, the wait to apply for a green card can range from a few years to over twenty years. Family-sponsored immigrant visas have a quota that ranges between 226,000 and 480,000, depending on calculations based on the prior year’s family-based immigration statistics.
What is a priority date?
A priority date is the date at which a petitioner or potential immigrant to the United States has indicated their interest in obtaining a visa to the USCIS. The date is assigned once the USCIS approves of the immigration petition. Priority dates act as a queuing system for applicants due to the sheer amount the U.S. receives each year.
What is the purpose of the visa bulletin?
The State Department and USCIS have worked together to create a system in which applicants awaiting further notice of their visa status can adjust their expectations for when they will be getting their visas. Every month, a Visa Bulletin is released indicating what priority dates are eligible to receive visas. In order to understand the bulletin, here are some guides:
Do priority dates move forward?
In certain circumstances, priority dates may shift backwards if the case load was larger than expected but in most times, priority dates move forward.
What is the visa bulletin?
The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly visa bulletin. The visa bulletin lets you know when it’s time to claim your green card.
Where is the priority date on an I-130?
The priority date is in the top section of the document . In the example below, a red circle identifies the priority date.
How to know if your visa is current?
Once you know your priority date and your preference category, proceed to the U.S. State Department's monthly visa bulletin. Select the "Current Visa Bulletin." Forward to "Family-Sponsored Preferences" to see a table similar to the sample below. Find your family preference category and compare your priority date to the date listed. If your priority date comes before the date listed, your immigrant visa is current.
When do visas go backwards?
Generally, the cut-off dates on the visa bulletin move forward in time. But sometimes they go backwards. Visa retrogression occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category or country than there are visas available for that month. Retrogression typically occurs toward the end of the fiscal year as visa issuance approaches the annual category, or per-country limitations. Sometimes a priority date that meets the cut-off date one month will not meet the cut-off date the next month. When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, a new supply of visas is made available and usually, but not always, returns the dates to where they were before retrogression.
What is the first chart for visa numbers?
The first chart is for “final action dates.” A visa number is actually available if a priority date comes before the date listed in this example chart.
What does an approved I-130 mean?
The approved I-130 petition means that you’ve established your place in line for a visa, but it is not yet available. In fact, it is the priority date that specifies your specific place in line. You have reached the front of the line when your priority date becomes "current.".
Can I get an I-130 visa for my family?
If you have a family member that has filed an I-130 immigrant petition on your behalf, you may need to learn how to read the visa bulletin. Immediate relatives (spouses, parents and unmarried children under age 21 of U.S. citizens) have an unlimited number of visas available. But just about everybody else has to wait.
