The Priority Date

An important concept in permanent immigration is the "priority date." Legal immigration to the United States is limited. There are only a certain number of "green cards" available per country per year. The available green cards are divided among the various types of immigrant visa petitions and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. In some instances demand for a particular green card classification from a particular country may exceed the number of green cards available. A waiting list then develops. Your place in the "line" is determined by the date on which the green card process was initiated on your behalf either by the filing of an application for alien labor certification, the filing of an immigrant visa petition by an employer or the filing of a Petition for Alien Relative by a sponsoring family member. You cannot file your application for adjustment of status or schedule an immigrant visa interview until your prirotiy date is "current" and therby acceptable for processing for the green card classification you are seeking.

The State Department publishes a list of current priority dates in their Visa Bulletin which is updated once a month. If you are from a country that has a backlog in the employment classification you are seeking, you should check this list each month. It is important to know, however, that it is difficult to determine how quickly priority dates may move. Some will move slowly, some may not move at all from one month to another. In the past, some have been known to move backwards. In general, it is not advisable to obtain medical examinations or photographs until it is certain that the priority is current.