Green Card Priority Date Estimator
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What Is a Priority Date?
Your priority date is the date your immigrant petition was formally received by USCIS or the Department of Labor. For employment-based green cards, it is typically the date USCIS received your I-140 petition — or, if PERM labor certification was required, the date the Department of Labor received the ETA-9089. For family-based green cards, it is the date USCIS received your I-130 petition.
The priority date acts as your "place in line." The earlier your priority date, the sooner you can proceed to the final step of the green card process. Read our full guide to understanding priority dates for a deeper explanation of how they work and what to do while you wait.
How the Visa Bulletin Works
Congress sets annual limits on how many green cards can be issued in each category, and no single country can receive more than 7% of the total. When demand exceeds supply, a backlog forms. The USCIS Visa Bulletin, published monthly by the US Department of State, tracks where each category and country combination currently stands.
The Visa Bulletin shows a cutoff date for each category and country. If your priority date is earlier than (or equal to) the cutoff, your date is considered "current" and you can proceed to file for a green card. If your priority date is after the cutoff, you must wait. The cutoff advances — or sometimes retrogresses — each month as visa numbers become available.
Applicants born in India and China face the most severe backlogs in employment-based categories. Because of per-country caps and high demand, EB-2 and EB-3 applicants from India currently face estimated waits measured in decades. Applicants from most other countries find their category is already current. See our green card wait times guide for a full breakdown by category and country.
Who Needs This Tool
This tool is useful for anyone with an approved or pending immigrant petition who wants to understand when they may be able to file for adjustment of status (Form I-485) or apply for an immigrant visa at a US consulate. It is especially relevant for:
- H-1B or L-1 holders with pending I-140 petitions waiting for their EB-2 or EB-3 priority date to become current
- Family members of US citizens or lawful permanent residents waiting on F-1, F-2A, F-2B, F-3, or F-4 preference categories
- Anyone planning their immigration timeline who wants to understand how long they may need to maintain valid nonimmigrant status
If your category shows as "Current" (C) in the Visa Bulletin, you do not need to wait — you can file for a green card immediately once your petition is approved. Check your USCIS case status to see where your petition stands.
Priority Date Estimator Tool
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use this priority date calculator?
Select your visa category (such as EB-2 or F-2A), choose your country of birth, enter your priority date (the date your I-140 or I-130 petition was filed), and click Estimate Wait Time. The tool compares your date against the current Visa Bulletin cutoff for your category and country to produce an estimate.
What is my priority date?
Your priority date is the date USCIS received your immigrant petition — typically an I-140 for employment-based categories or an I-130 for family-based categories. It is printed on your I-797 approval or receipt notice. For employment-based cases with PERM labor certification, it may be the date the Department of Labor received your ETA-9089 application.
How accurate is the green card wait time estimate?
The estimate is based on current Visa Bulletin cutoff dates and historical average movement rates. Because the Visa Bulletin moves unpredictably — sometimes advancing several months, sometimes retrogressing — actual wait times can differ significantly from any estimate. Use this tool for planning purposes only and always verify against the official monthly Visa Bulletin before taking any action.
What does "Current" mean on the Visa Bulletin?
"Current" (shown as C in the Visa Bulletin) means there is no backlog for that category and country combination. Anyone with an approved petition in that category can proceed to file for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa immediately without waiting for a cutoff date to advance.
Why do India and China have such long green card backlogs?
US immigration law imposes per-country annual limits: no single country can receive more than 7% of the total employment-based or family-based visas issued each year. Because India and China have far more applicants than their per-country share allows, massive backlogs have built up — particularly in EB-2 and EB-3 categories, where Indian nationals may face waits of 70 or more years under current conditions. See our green card wait times guide for more detail.