All guides
Plain-English answers with links to the official sources. Not legal advice.
Visa Bulletin
- How do I read the Visa Bulletin chart?Find your category row and country column, compare the date to your priority date, and check which chart USCIS uses. C means current, U means unavailable.
- What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?Final Action Dates decide when a green card can be approved. Dates for Filing decide when you can submit your application. Here is how each one is used.
- Which Visa Bulletin chart does USCIS use this month?USCIS announces monthly whether I-485 filers use Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing. See this month's choice and how to check it yourself.
- Is there an RSS feed or email subscription for the Visa Bulletin?Is there an official RSS feed or email list for the Visa Bulletin? What the State Department offers, and how to get alerted when your category moves.
- How do I know if my priority date is current this month?Your priority date is current when it is earlier than the cutoff for your category and country in the chart that applies. Here is the 2-minute check.
- When will my priority date become current?Nobody can promise a date, but past Visa Bulletin movement gives a reasonable range. Here is the method, its limits, and where official projections appear.
- What does it mean when the Visa Bulletin retrogresses?Retrogression is when a cutoff date moves backward because demand exceeds the visas available. What happens to pending cases and what you can do.
- What is the chargeability country on the Visa Bulletin?Your chargeability country is normally your country of birth, not your citizenship. Exceptions, like using a spouse's country, and why it matters.
- F2A Mexico vs all other countries: what is the wait time?Why F2A Mexico can have a different cutoff than other countries, how the F2A per-country exemption works, and latest dates from the official bulletin.
- F4 Mexico Visa Bulletin: how long is the wait for siblings?F4 is for brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens. See the latest F4 Mexico cutoff from the official bulletin and how to read the wait.
- Is it true that F4 Philippines takes over 20 years?F4 Philippines has one of the oldest cutoffs in the Visa Bulletin. See the latest cutoff from the official bulletin and how far behind today it is.
- What are the Visa Bulletin predictions for EB-2 India?The latest EB-2 India cutoff from the official bulletin, how far it is behind, how to estimate your own wait, and what EB-2 to EB-3 porting means.
- EB-3 Philippines Visa Bulletin for nurses: where is the date this month?Foreign-educated nurses usually file EB-3 under Schedule A. The latest EB-3 Philippines cutoff, how NVC fits in, and how to get alerts.
- What happens to my priority date if I change jobs or get laid off after I-140 approval?An approved I-140 priority date is generally kept after a job change or layoff. The exceptions, the 180-day rules, and the H-1B 60-day grace period.
- Do immediate relatives have to wait for the Visa Bulletin?Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens are immediate relatives with no Visa Bulletin wait. Only processing time applies.
- How do I know if my DV lottery case number is current?DV selectees become current when their rank (case) number is below their region's cutoff in the Visa Bulletin. How to read it and check results.
Case status
- How often does USCIS update case status?USCIS has no fixed update schedule: case status changes only when an action happens on your case. What that means and how to stop refreshing.
- Should I log into my USCIS account through an app?USCIS's official case tools are websites: Case Status Online and the online account at my.uscis.gov. How to tell official from third-party apps.
- Does USCIS have an API for case status?Yes: USCIS offers a Case Status API on its Torch developer platform, with sandbox and production access steps. What it is and who can use it.
- How do I track my citizenship (N-400) application status online?Check N-400 status with your receipt number on Case Status Online or in your USCIS online account. What each step means, from biometrics to oath.
- How do I check my NVC case status online?Check National Visa Center and immigrant visa status on CEAC with your NVC case number. Status meanings and what documentarily qualified means.
- My CEAC status says administrative processing. What now?Administrative processing means the consulate needs more review or documents after the interview. What a 221(g) notice is and what you can do.
- What is the difference between an NVC case number and a USCIS receipt number?The USCIS receipt number tracks your petition at USCIS; the NVC case number tracks your immigrant visa at the State Department. Where to use each.
- What does a USCIS receipt number look like?A USCIS receipt number is 13 characters: 3 letters then 10 digits, like EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC, NBC, MSC or IOE. Where to find it and how to enter it.
- How do I keep track of an H-1B transfer (I-129) after a job change?An H-1B transfer is a new Form I-129 with its own receipt number. How to track it, what premium processing guarantees, and where to check times.
- Can I get email or text alerts when my USCIS case status changes?Form G-1145 texts or emails you when USCIS accepts your filing. For later changes, use your USCIS online account or an alert service. Options compared.
- Is it safe to give my USCIS receipt number to a third-party app?What a receipt number reveals, what case tracker apps can do with your data, and a five-point checklist before you hand one your case details.
- My USCIS case is outside normal processing time. What do I do?If your case is past the case inquiry date on USCIS processing times, submit an e-Request or call USCIS; then the CIS Ombudsman or Congress.
Processing times
- How do I track USCIS processing times for my form?Use the official USCIS processing times tool: pick form, category and office, read the time shown and the case inquiry date. Step by step.
- What is the I-129F processing time at the California Service Center?How to look up the current I-129F (K-1 fiancé petition) processing time at the California Service Center or any office, and the steps after approval.
- How long is the wait for an affirmative asylum interview?USCIS schedules affirmative asylum interviews on two tracks: newest filings first (LIFO) plus some of the oldest backlog cases. What that means for you.
- How long does DACA renewal take this year?USCIS says it decides most DACA renewals within 120 days and recommends filing 120 to 150 days before expiration. Current status of DACA processing.
- How long does premium processing take for I-129 and I-140?Premium processing guarantees USCIS acts within 15 business days for most I-129/I-140 cases and 45 for NIW and EB-1C. What 'action' means.
- How long does the N-400 take in my field office?N-400 citizenship processing times vary by USCIS field office. How to look up yours, compare offices, and what to do if your case is past the inquiry date.
- What is the I-765 (EAD) processing time right now?Check the current I-765 processing time for your category (c09, c08, c03 OPT and more) on the USCIS tool, and get alerted when your card is produced.
- How long does it take to get a green card for parents of a U.S. citizen?Parents of U.S. citizens 21+ are immediate relatives with no Visa Bulletin wait. The steps, where the time goes, and how to check current times.
For law firms
- Is there a tool for immigration firms to monitor the Visa Bulletin for client priority dates?How immigration law firms monitor the Visa Bulletin for every client priority date, alert clients when they become current, and stop doing it by hand.
- How do immigration lawyers keep track of hundreds of receipt numbers?Bulk USCIS case status tracking for law firms: upload receipt numbers, get scheduled checks and a daily list of what changed, not one-by-one checks.
- How can I automatically email clients when their USCIS case status changes?Cut 'any update?' calls: send clients a plain-English email when their USCIS case status changes or their priority date becomes current.
- How do HR teams track employee green card priority dates?Employers sponsoring green cards need to know when each employee's priority date becomes current. A simple system and what to track per employee.