How do I check if my priority date is current?

Find your priority date on your I-797 receipt (it is the date USCIS received your I-130 or I-140). Then look up your preference category and country of birth in the Department of State Visa Bulletin. If your priority date is earlier than the cutoff date listed — or the cutoff shows "C" for current — a visa number is available. The Visacub Priority Date Checker does this comparison for you against the July 2026 bulletin.

What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?

The Dates for Filing chart tells you when you can SUBMIT your application (file the I-485, or send documents to the National Visa Center). The Final Action Dates chart tells you when your case can actually be APPROVED and a green card issued. Dates for Filing are usually a few months to a few years ahead of Final Action Dates. Each month USCIS announces which of the two charts applicants may use to file for adjustment of status.

Can I file Form I-485 before my priority date is current?

Only if the month's Dates for Filing chart shows your priority date is eligible AND USCIS has announced that adjustment-of-status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart that month. If USCIS designates the Final Action Dates chart, your priority date must be current on that chart instead. You cannot file simply because you expect your date to become current soon. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are exempt — a visa is always available to them.

My priority date is current — now what?

If you are inside the U.S. and eligible, you can file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status), often concurrently with the underlying petition if a visa number is available. If you are abroad, the National Visa Center will process your immigrant visa through consular processing. Gather your supporting forms (I-864 affidavit of support, I-693 medical exam) and file promptly — priority dates can retrogress (move backward) in a later month.

What does it mean when my category is 'U' (unavailable)?

'U' means no immigrant visa numbers are available in that category for that country this month, usually because the annual or per-country limit has been used up for the fiscal year. No case in that category and country can be approved until numbers become available again, regardless of how early your priority date is. The category typically reopens at the start of a new fiscal year (October).

Why did my priority date move backwards (retrogression)?

Retrogression happens when demand in a category exceeds the visas available, so the State Department moves the cutoff date backward to stay within annual limits. It is common late in the fiscal year (summer) for heavily oversubscribed categories like EB-2/EB-3 India and China. A retrogressed date can become current again in a future bulletin; file as soon as you are eligible to lock in your place.

Do I use the Dates for Filing or Final Action Dates chart to file?

Whichever one USCIS designates for your category group that month — and it can change month to month. USCIS publishes a "When to File" page each month stating, separately for family-sponsored and employment-based cases, which chart adjustment-of-status applicants must use. Being eligible under the Dates for Filing chart does not let you file if USCIS has designated Final Action Dates for that month. Always check the current month's USCIS designation before filing.

Can I get a work permit and travel document while waiting for my priority date?

Often yes — if you can file Form I-485 now. When your priority date lets you file (under whichever chart USCIS designates that month), filing the I-485 also lets you apply for an EAD (employment authorization / work permit) and Advance Parole (travel document), usually at no extra fee when filed together. That means you can work and travel while you wait, even though the green card itself cannot be approved until the Final Action date reaches your priority date. This is one of the biggest benefits self-filers overlook.

What is cross-chargeability and can it speed up my priority date?

Cross-chargeability lets you be "charged" to a country other than your own country of birth in limited situations — most commonly using your spouse's country of birth when it has a more favorable (less backlogged) priority date. It can cut years off the wait for applicants born in heavily backlogged countries like India or China. It is not automatic: you generally must claim it explicitly in your application with documentation establishing the family relationship and birth countries.

Can my child age out while we wait for a visa number? (CSPA)

Possibly. A derivative child who turns 21 can "age out" and lose eligibility, but the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) can freeze their immigration age in some cases. As of an August 2025 USCIS policy change, CSPA age is calculated using the Final Action Dates chart (not Dates for Filing), which tightened protection for many applicants. If you have children on your case, the timing of when your priority date becomes current directly affects whether they remain eligible — it is worth checking early.

My priority date is current — how long until I actually get the green card?

"Current" means a visa number is available, not that the green card is issued. After you file (or after your already-filed case becomes current), USCIS adjudication typically takes another 6 to 24 months depending on the field office and case type. Because dates can retrogress, the safe move is to file as soon as you are current and avoid irreversible decisions — quitting a job, selling a home, or booking one-way travel — until you have the actual approval notice in hand.

Herramienta del Boletín de Visas

Verificador de Fecha de Prioridad — ¿Tu fecha está vigente?

Ingresa tu fecha de prioridad, categoría y país de nacimiento para ver si puedes presentar el Formulario I-485 (o solicitar en el consulado) este mes según el Boletín de Visas de July 2026.

Categoría de preferenciaPaís de nacimientoTu fecha de prioridad (de tu recibo I-797)

Este mes (July 2026): USCIS exige que los solicitantes de ajuste familiares presenten usando la tabla de Fechas de Presentación. USCIS lo confirma cada mes — puede cambiar el próximo mes.

Elige una categoría e ingresa tu fecha de prioridad para ver el resultado.

Nota: Los familiares inmediatos de ciudadanos de EE. UU. (cónyuge, padre/madre o hijo/a soltero/a menor de 21) NO están en una categoría de preferencia y tienen visa disponible cada mes.

Fuente: Boletín de Visas del Departamento de Estado de EE. UU., July 2026 · Emitido 2 jun 2026

Tablas completas del Boletín de Visas de July 2026

En Fechas de Acción Final, ▲/▼ indica cómo se movió cada corte respecto al boletín del mes pasado.

Familiar — Fechas de Acción Final

Categoría	Todos los demás países	China (continental)	India	México	Filipinas
F1	▲1 feb 2018	▲1 feb 2018	▲1 feb 2018	8 nov 2007	1 may 2013
F2A	1 ene 2025	1 ene 2025	1 ene 2025	1 ene 2024	1 ene 2025
F2B	▲22 nov 2017	▲22 nov 2017	▲22 nov 2017	15 feb 2009	▲15 may 2013
F3	▲15 abr 2012	▲15 abr 2012	▲15 abr 2012	▲1 jun 2001	▲22 feb 2006
F4	▲1 ene 2009	▲1 ene 2009	1 nov 2006	8 abr 2001	▲1 ago 2007

Familiar — Fechas de Presentación

Categoría	Todos los demás países	China (continental)	India	México	Filipinas
F1	1 ene 2019	1 ene 2019	1 ene 2019	1 oct 2008	22 abr 2015
F2A	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente
F2B	8 jun 2018	8 jun 2018	8 jun 2018	15 may 2010	1 oct 2013
F3	8 dic 2012	8 dic 2012	8 dic 2012	15 jul 2001	8 ago 2006
F4	1 mar 2010	1 mar 2010	15 dic 2006	30 abr 2001	22 mar 2008

Empleo — Fechas de Acción Final

Categoría	Todos los demás países	China (continental)	India	México	Filipinas
EB-1	Vigente	▲1 jun 2023	▼15 oct 2022	Vigente	Vigente
EB-2	Vigente	1 sept 2021	▼No disponible	Vigente	Vigente
EB-3	▲1 ago 2024	▲22 dic 2021	▲1 ene 2014	▲1 ago 2024	1 ago 2023
EB-3-OW	▲1 mar 2022	1 abr 2019	▲1 ene 2014	▲1 mar 2022	▲1 dic 2021
EB-4	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022
EB-4-RW	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022	▲15 sept 2022
EB-5	Vigente	▲1 dic 2016	▼No disponible	Vigente	Vigente
EB-5-SA	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente

Empleo — Fechas de Presentación

Categoría	Todos los demás países	China (continental)	India	México	Filipinas
EB-1	Vigente	1 dic 2023	1 dic 2023	Vigente	Vigente
EB-2	Vigente	1 ene 2022	15 ene 2015	Vigente	Vigente
EB-3	Vigente	1 ene 2022	15 ene 2015	Vigente	1 ene 2024
EB-3-OW	1 ago 2022	1 oct 2019	15 ene 2015	1 ago 2022	1 ago 2022
EB-4	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023
EB-4-RW	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023	1 ene 2023
EB-5	Vigente	1 mar 2017	1 may 2024	Vigente	Vigente
EB-5-SA	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente	Vigente

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