A priority date places a person in the immigrant visa queue, and the Visa Bulletin publishes cut-off dates by category and country. When the priority date is earlier than the cut-off, a visa is available. This checker compares a priority date with a cut-off date the user types in from the chart and shows the gap. It does not predict when a date will become current. The rules come from the USCIS page on visa availability and priority dates.
Quick answer
| Chart entry | What it means (USCIS description) |
|---|---|
| A date | A priority date earlier than the cut-off is available; a later date waits |
| C | Current: available regardless of priority date |
| U | Unavailable |
| Final Action Dates | When a visa is available for final approval |
| Dates for Filing | When documents may begin and, if USCIS allows, Form I-485 may be filed |
How to use the checker
- Find the priority date for the petition or labor certification in the case records. For family cases it is the date Form I-130 was properly filed. For employment cases it is the date the Department of Labor accepted the labor certification, or the date USCIS accepted Form I-140 when no labor certification is needed.
- Open the current Visa Bulletin and find the row for the category and the column for the country of chargeability.
- Type the cut-off date from that chart as YYYY-MM-DD, or C or U. Choose which chart it came from.
- Read the comparison. Then check which chart USCIS accepts this month on its filing charts page.
Why the tool asks for the cut-off date
Cut-off dates change every month and differ by chart, category, and country. A fixed table of dates on this website would go out of date within weeks and could mislead. The checker therefore uses the date the user reads from the official bulletin and does the arithmetic only.
Which chart applies
The USCIS adjustment of status filing charts page explains that USCIS compares the visas available with the number of known applicants and then announces, roughly within a week of each bulletin, whether adjustment of status applicants use Dates for Filing or Final Action Dates. The announcement changes by month and by family or employment group, so the page itself must be read for the current month. This tool never assumes the answer.
How to read the result
- Earlier than the cut-off: the date is current on that chart by the gap shown.
- Later than the cut-off: the date is not current. The gap is the distance between the two dates, not a waiting time.
- Same as the cut-off: the rule says earlier than the cut-off, so the bulletin wording should be read.
Retrogression and why gaps are not forecasts
USCIS says cut-off dates can move backward, called retrogression, usually when the annual limit is nearly or fully used, and a new fiscal year on October 1 typically, but not always, restores dates. The gap between a priority date and a cut-off date therefore says nothing certain about the future. Read can Green Card dates be predicted for why.
What the checker does not do
- It does not estimate processing times at USCIS or the Department of State.
- It does not know the category or country of a person. The cut-off date must come from the correct cell.
- It does not confirm eligibility to file Form I-485. Other requirements apply.
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens do not wait in this queue, according to USCIS.
Frequently asked questions
What is a priority date?
The date that places a person in the immigrant visa queue. It is set by the filing or acceptance date of the petition or labor certification.
What does C mean on the chart?
Current: a visa is available regardless of the priority date.
Can the checker say when a date will become current?
No. Cut-off dates can advance, stand still, or retrogress.
Which chart should be entered?
The chart USCIS accepts for adjustment of status in the month of filing, announced on its filing charts page, or the chart the Department of State directs for consular processing.
Related reading
- How priority dates and the Visa Bulletin work
- Can Green Card dates be predicted?
- EB-2 and EB-3 for India and the 7 percent limit
- All Green Card calculators
About this guide
This website is for information only. It is not affiliated with the U.S. government, does not give legal advice or consultations, and does not offer application services. A personal case belongs with USCIS or a licensed immigration attorney, and the current official pages control.
Last verified: October 2026. Sources: USCIS page on visa availability and priority dates; USCIS adjustment of status filing charts page.