How Priority Dates and the Visa Bulletin Work
Learn what a priority date is, how Visa Bulletin cut-off dates work, and how Final Action and Dates for Filing charts differ, with an example.
Green Card Tools
Guides that explain the rules behind the Green Card calculators: priority dates, CSPA, filing windows, and citizenship timing, based on USCIS sources.
When to File Form I-751 or Form I-829
Conditional residents file I-751 or I-829 in a 90-day window before the card expires. See early filing, waiver timing, late filing, and an example.
From Green Card to Citizenship: Timing Rules
Permanent residents usually wait five years, or three if married to a citizen. See residence and absence rules, 913 days, and early filing.
How Long Does a Green Card Take? What Is Known
A green card wait has separate stages. See which parts have official tools, which do not, and why one estimate for the whole process is unreliable.
Green Card Points Calculators and the Points Myth
Online points calculators for a U.S. Green Card are common, but the USCIS eligibility categories page lists no points-based category. See what decides.
Family Preference Categories Explained
Spouses, children under 21, and parents of citizens need no visa queue. Other relatives fall in F1, F2A, F2B, F3, or F4 and wait by priority date.
EB-2 and EB-3 for India and the 7 Percent Limit
Federal law caps visas for natives of any one country at 7 percent of the total, with an exception for unused employment visas. Here is how to read it.
EB-2 Eligibility Checklist From USCIS
USCIS describes two EB-2 routes: an advanced degree, or exceptional ability shown by at least three of six criteria. Read the checklist and the exceptions.
Can Green Card Dates Be Predicted?
Why no tool can predict Visa Bulletin cut-off dates, what the sources say about limits and retrogression, and what to check instead.
Child Status Protection Act Age Explained
The Child Status Protection Act can keep a child under 21 for green card purposes. See the age formula, pending time, and two worked examples.