Priority Date Information

Last Updated on 06/18/2010

There are numerical limitations for certain immigrant visa categories, as well as limits on the number of immigrant visas per year, which can be issued to natives of any single country.

Whenever there are more qualified applicants for a category than there are available numbers, the category will be considered oversubscribed, and immigrant visas will be issued in the chronological order in which the petitions were filed. The filing date of a petition becomes the applicant's priority date. Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain heavily oversubscribed categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached.

To obtain updated information on immigrant visa cut-off dates, the State Department provides a recorded message with visa cut-off dates: (1-202) 663-1541. The recording is normally updated by the middle of each month with information on cut-off dates for the following month. The same information is available in the Visa Bulletin of the State Department.

Since no advance assurances can be given that a visa will be issued, applicants are advised not to make any final travel arrangements, not to dispose of their property, and not to give up their jobs until visas have been issued to them. An immigrant visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issuance.