One of the lows or uncertainties that comes with applying for a green card is waiting for your green card current priority date. After investing time and money to file your petition, you have to wait for a certain period of time to know when you can move on with your immigration process. After your petition for the green card is approved, you have to wait under certain categories for a period of time for your priority date to become current because you can’t continue with your green card application until your priority date becomes current.
Basically, your green card current priority date is the date that your number comes up on the waiting list to continue with your green card application. This is usually because there are several other immigrants before you, it’s more like you are queuing for your turn to come up on the waiting list. The priority date is only applicable when you are applying for a green card under a category that has to go with annual limits. So, if you are applying for a green card under a green card category like employment-based or family-based preference categories that require you being issued a priority date, you will have to wait till your date becomes current.
When Do You Get A Priority Date?
You get a green card priority date when the USCIS received your Visa petition, Form I-130. If your green card Visa petition is approved, the USCIS will send you a response officially called Notice of Action, Form I-797 which will contain your priority date along with other information. If your Visa petition is incomplete, you will be required to make necessary adjustments, and this, of course, delays your green card current priority date. This is why we usually advise individuals looking to apply for the green card to ensure that they seek professional assistance so that there won’t be any delay in their priority date.
When Does Your Priority Date Become Current?
A current priority date means your wait is over and you are now in line to get a green card. Some of the important factors that affect priority date are your preference category and your country of birth. The Department of state uses priority dates as a waiting list for green card applications when the number of qualified applicants has been exceeded.
When applying under a category where you don’t have to wait or when the number of qualified applicants for permanent residency hasn’t been exceeded, it means you won’t have to wait because your immigrant Visa number is available.
How To Monitor Your Priority Date
You need to continually check to ensure that you know when your priority date becomes current. You can monitor this by constantly checking the Visa Bulletin released by the Department of State every month. The bulletin shows the Visa cutoff date in every category, so you can compare the priority date in your Form I-797 with what the US state department releases every month. The dates are sometimes broken down into countries.
With every process pertaining to your green card current priority date and application, you need accurate information and proper guidance. Trust our company to keep you informed and provide you with the proper assistance that you need.
