One chart says when a case can be approved, the other when it can be filed. Using the wrong one produces a premature filing or a missed month.
Reviewed by Ekaterina Fitenko, Esq. — Florida Bar #1064536. With 20+ years of experience in the legal field, she advises Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking clients on immigration filings and case strategy, in English and Russian.
The bulletin publishes two sets of dates each month. Final Action Dates govern when a case can actually be approved and a visa issued. Dates for Filing govern when an application may be submitted, which is generally earlier.
They answer different questions, and reading the wrong one causes two opposite errors: filing before you are permitted to, or waiting months after you could have filed.
For adjustment of status filings inside the United States, USCIS states each month which chart may be used. That statement can change from month to month, so it is checked at the time of filing rather than assumed from last month.
For consular cases the scheduling follows the Final Action Dates, with the post acting as numbers become available.
Your priority date is your place in the queue. In family cases it is generally the date the petition was properly filed; in employment cases with a labour certification it is generally the date that certification was filed. Everything else in the bulletin is read against that single number.
Per-country limits mean a category can show different dates for different countries of chargeability, with heavily subscribed countries listed separately. The column that applies to you follows your chargeability, not your residence or citizenship.
Dates can move backwards when demand exceeds the supply projected. For a case already filed this does not undo the filing, but approval waits until the date is current again. Planning that assumes only forward movement is planning on one direction of a two-directional number.
Final Action Dates govern when a case can be approved and a visa issued; Dates for Filing govern when an application may be submitted, and are generally earlier.
The one USCIS designates for that month. The designation can change monthly, so it is checked at the time of filing rather than carried over.
Your place in the queue — generally the date the family petition was properly filed, or the date the labour certification was filed in employment cases requiring one.
Per-country limits produce separate columns for heavily subscribed countries. The column that applies follows your country of chargeability, not where you live.
A filing already made is not undone, but approval waits until your date is current again. Retrogression is a normal feature of the system rather than an error.
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This article is informational only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and processing times change; confirm current requirements with the agency or with counsel before relying on anything here.
Fitenko Law PLLC, 11555 Heron Bay Blvd, Suite 277, Coral Springs, FL 33076 (main office); 600 Three Islands Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 (by appointment only). Phone: (305) 315-3425. Email: fitenkolaw@gmail.com