Resources
The background you need before the headlines make sense.
Explainers on how the system works, a glossary of terms you'll see in our coverage, and answers to the questions we're asked most.
Glossary
Terms that come up often in our coverage.
Adjustment of status
The process of applying for a green card from within the United States, rather than through a consulate abroad. Filed on Form I-485.
Advance parole
Permission, issued by USCIS on Form I-131, that lets certain applicants with a pending case travel abroad and return without abandoning the application.
Affidavit of support
Form I-864, in which a sponsor promises to financially support an intending immigrant so that the immigrant is not likely to rely on public benefits.
Asylum
Protection granted to a person already in the United States or at a port of entry who meets the definition of a refugee and cannot safely return to their country.
Beneficiary
The person on whose behalf a petition is filed, such as the relative or worker who would receive the immigration benefit.
Biometrics
Fingerprints, a photograph and a signature collected at a USCIS Application Support Center for background checks.
Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
The administrative body within the Department of Justice that hears appeals from immigration judges and certain USCIS decisions.
Chargeability
The country an applicant's visa number is counted against for per-country limits, normally the country of birth rather than citizenship or residence.
Conditional permanent resident
A green card holder whose status is valid for two years, typically through a recent marriage or an EB-5 investment, and who must file to remove the conditions before it expires.
Consular processing
Applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, as an alternative to adjustment of status inside the United States.
Current
A Visa Bulletin listing, shown as C, meaning visa numbers are available for all qualified applicants in that category regardless of priority date.
Dates for Filing
The Visa Bulletin chart showing the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit documents, or in some months file for adjustment of status, ahead of a visa number being available.
Deferred action
A discretionary decision not to pursue removal of a person for a set period. It does not confer lawful status. DACA is one program built on it.
Derivative beneficiary
A spouse or unmarried child under 21 who can immigrate with, or follow to join, a principal applicant under the same petition.
Dual intent
The principle that some temporary visa holders, such as H-1B and L-1, may pursue permanent residence without jeopardising their nonimmigrant status.
EAD (Employment Authorization Document)
A card issued by USCIS on Form I-765 that allows certain noncitizens to work legally while another application is pending or a status permits it.
Employment-based preference categories (EB-1 to EB-5)
The five groups of employment immigrant visas: priority workers, advanced-degree professionals, skilled and other workers, special immigrants, and investors.
Family-sponsored preference categories (F1 to F4)
The four groups of numerically limited family immigrant visas for adult children and siblings of citizens, and spouses and children of permanent residents.
Federal Register
The daily journal of the U.S. government where proposed and final rules, notices and executive orders are published.
Final Action Dates
The Visa Bulletin chart showing the priority dates for which a visa number can actually be issued or a green card approved in that month.
Green card
The common name for the Permanent Resident Card, proof that a person has been granted lawful permanent residence.
I-130
Petition for Alien Relative, filed by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to establish a qualifying family relationship with an intending immigrant.
I-140
Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed by an employer (or in some categories the worker) to classify a person under an employment-based category.
I-485
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, the form used to apply for a green card from inside the United States.
Immediate relative
Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens. These categories are not subject to annual numerical limits.
Immigrant visa
A visa issued at a consulate to a person intending to live permanently in the United States. On admission the holder becomes a permanent resident.
Immigration judge
An attorney appointed by the Attorney General who presides over removal proceedings in immigration court, part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Labor certification (PERM)
The Department of Labor process in which an employer shows that no qualified U.S. worker is available for a position, required for most EB-2 and EB-3 petitions.
National Visa Center (NVC)
The State Department office that collects fees and documents from approved petitioners before a case is scheduled at a consulate.
Naturalization
The process by which a permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, generally after three or five years of residence, by filing Form N-400.
Nonimmigrant visa
A visa for a temporary stay for a specific purpose, such as study, tourism, or employment, for example F-1, B-2 or H-1B.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
A formal announcement of a rule an agency intends to adopt, usually open for public comment before it takes effect.
Notice to Appear (NTA)
The charging document that starts removal proceedings in immigration court.
Oversubscribed
A category or country for which demand exceeds the available visa numbers, so a cutoff date is listed in the Visa Bulletin.
Per-country limit
The cap, set at 7 percent of the combined family and employment totals, on how many preference visas may go to natives of any single country in a fiscal year.
Petitioner
The person or employer who files a petition on behalf of a beneficiary, such as a relative filing an I-130 or an employer filing an I-140.
Portability (AC21)
Rules allowing certain employment-based applicants whose I-485 has been pending 180 days or more to change employers without losing the petition.
Preliminary injunction
A temporary court order pausing enforcement of a rule or policy while a legal case is still being decided.
Priority date
The date a petition was filed, or a labor certification was submitted, used to determine an applicant's place in line for a visa category with limited annual numbers.
Public charge
A ground of inadmissibility applied to applicants judged likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.
Removal proceedings
The formal court process, formerly called deportation, in which the government seeks to remove a noncitizen from the United States.
Request for Evidence (RFE)
A USCIS notice asking for additional documents or information before a decision can be made on an application or petition.
Retrogression
When a Visa Bulletin cutoff date moves backward, usually because demand exceeded the numbers available for that category.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
A designation that lets nationals of certain countries facing conflict or disaster stay and work in the United States temporarily.
Unavailable
A Visa Bulletin listing, shown as U, meaning no visa numbers are authorized for issuance in that category for the month.
USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that adjudicates immigration benefits.
Visa Bulletin
A monthly State Department publication showing which family and employment visa categories currently have visas available.
Waiver
A request to excuse a ground of inadmissibility, such as unlawful presence, usually filed on Form I-601 or I-601A.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we hear most from readers.
Is TR Immigration a law firm?
No. TR Immigration is an independent information platform. We publish news and analysis about immigration policy; we do not represent clients, evaluate cases, or provide legal advice.
Can I ask about my specific case?
We're not able to advise on individual cases. Our content covers policy and process in general terms. For anything specific to your situation, a licensed immigration attorney is the right resource.
Where do your updates come from?
We work directly from primary sources, USCIS and State Department publications, the Federal Register, and federal court filings, rather than secondhand summaries.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
A monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that lists, for each preference category and country of chargeability, the priority dates that are currently being processed. Our Visa Bulletin section presents the same figures in a more readable form.
When is each Visa Bulletin released?
The State Department usually publishes the following month's bulletin in the middle of the current month, often between the 10th and the 20th. There is no fixed date and it is not announced in advance.
What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?
Final Action Dates show when a visa number can actually be issued or a green card approved. Dates for Filing show the earlier point at which applicants may submit documents to the National Visa Center. USCIS decides each month which chart adjustment of status applicants must use.
Which chart should I use?
USCIS announces this monthly on its Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page, separately for family-sponsored and employment-based cases. Our Visa Bulletin section notes the announcement when it is available, but always confirm with USCIS directly.
What does Current mean?
Shown as C in the official bulletin. Visa numbers are available to every qualified applicant in that category, regardless of priority date.
What does Unavailable mean?
Shown as U in the official bulletin. No visa numbers are authorized for that category in that month, usually because the annual or per-country limit has been reached.
What is a priority date and where do I find mine?
It is the date your petition was filed, or for most EB-2 and EB-3 cases the date the labor certification was submitted to the Department of Labor. It appears on the I-797 approval notice for the I-130 or I-140.
Why does my priority date have to be earlier than the cutoff date, not equal to it?
That is how the State Department defines the cutoff. Numbers are authorized only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the date listed. A priority date that matches the listed date is not yet reached.
What is retrogression?
A cutoff date moving backward from one month to the next. It happens when more applicants have been reported than there are numbers left in the fiscal year for that category and country.
Why do the dates jump forward and then stop?
The fiscal year runs from 1 October to 30 September. Early in the year dates often advance to generate demand; later in the year they slow or retrogress so that issuances stay within the annual limits.
What does chargeability mean, and can I change mine?
Chargeability is the country your visa number is counted against, normally your country of birth. In limited situations an applicant may be charged to a spouse's or parent's country of birth. Whether that applies to you is a question for an attorney.
Why are China, India, Mexico and the Philippines listed separately?
Demand from those countries exceeds the per-country limit, so the State Department publishes separate cutoff dates for them. All other countries share the All Other column.
Does the Priority Date Checker tell me whether I can file?
No. It only compares the date you enter with the published bulletin data for the category and country you select. Filing rules depend on the chart USCIS designates, your status, and other factors it cannot assess.
Do you predict future Visa Bulletin movement?
No. We publish the official figures and describe what changed. We do not forecast where dates will go.
What is the difference between adjustment of status and consular processing?
Adjustment of status is applying for a green card from inside the United States through USCIS. Consular processing is applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad through the State Department.
What is the difference between USCIS and the State Department?
USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, decides petitions and applications filed inside the United States. The State Department runs consulates abroad and publishes the Visa Bulletin.
How do proposed rules become law?
An agency publishes a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register, accepts public comment, then publishes a final rule with an effective date. Courts can pause or strike down a rule, which is why we cover both rulemaking and litigation.
What does a preliminary injunction against a policy mean for applicants?
It pauses enforcement of that policy while the case continues. The pause can be nationwide or limited to certain plaintiffs or states, and it can be lifted on appeal. Read our coverage of the specific case for the scope.
Where can I check official processing times?
USCIS publishes processing times by form and office on its website, and the State Department publishes visa wait times by consulate. Our coverage explains how to read those figures, but the official pages are the source.
How do I find a licensed immigration attorney?
The American Immigration Lawyers Association directory, state bar referral services, and the Department of Justice list of recognized organizations and accredited representatives are the standard starting points. We do not recommend individual practitioners.