Key Takeaways
- Your priority date is your place in line for an employment-based Green Card. For PERM-based cases, it’s set by the date your employer filed the labor certification with the Department of Labor. For EB-1 and EB-2 NIW cases, it’s the date USCIS received your I-140 petition.
- Your priority date is current when it falls before the cutoff date listed on the Department of State’s monthly Visa Bulletin for your preference category and country of chargeability.
- Manifest’s free priority date checker lets you instantly confirm whether your date is current. No account or personal information needed.
- Once your priority date is current, you can file Form I-485 for an adjustment of status (if you’re in the U.S.) or move forward with consular processing (if you’re abroad).
Your priority date is, essentially, your place in line for a Green Card.
For employment-based categories that require a labor certification (most EB-2 and EB-3 cases), the priority date is set by the date your employer filed the PERM application with the Department of Labor. For categories that don’t require labor certification, like EB-1 or EB-2 National Interest Waiver, the priority date is when USCIS received your I-140 petition. Either way, you can find your priority date on the Form I-797 receipt notice (Form I-797C) you received from USCIS when your I-140 was filed.
Your priority date is current when it’s earlier than the date listed in the current month’s Visa Bulletin for your Green Card category. If there’s a visa available to you, you can take the next step toward permanent residency, either by filing an adjustment of status application or by completing consular processing at a U.S. embassy abroad.
It’s OK if that sounds a bit confusing. Reading the Visa Bulletin and determining whether your priority date is current is a skill every immigrant pursuing a Green Card has to learn. But our simple online priority date calculator can make it easy to see where you stand in your wait for an immigrant visa to become available.
Is your priority date current?
Check if your employment-based priority date is current using the June 2026 Visa Bulletin data.
| Category | All | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Apr 1, 2023 | Dec 15, 2022 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Current | Sep 1, 2021 | Sep 1, 2013 | Current | Current |
| EB-3 | Jun 1, 2024 | Aug 1, 2021 | Dec 15, 2013 | Jun 1, 2024 | Aug 1, 2023 |
| EB-3 Other | Feb 1, 2022 | Apr 1, 2019 | Dec 15, 2013 | Feb 1, 2022 | Nov 1, 2021 |
| EB-4 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | Sep 22, 2016 | May 1, 2022 | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Rural | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 High Unemployment | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Infrastructure | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
Priority date trends
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About the Author
Staff Writer
Amanda Sabetai is a staff writer for Manifest Law. She writes clear, well-researched content that helps readers understand the U.S. immigration process and navigate their immigration journey with confidence.
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Immigration Lawyer to Manifest Law
Ana Gabriela Urizar is an award-winning immigration attorney licensed in Arizona and New York. With nearly a decade of experience, she advises global corporations on complex U.S. immigration matters. Originally from Guatemala, Ana Gabriela previously spent close to ten years at the world’s largest immigration firm, managing business immigration matters for leading technology, science, and financial companies. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and Negocios Now’s Tri-State 40 Under 40.
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