Employment-Based Visa Bulletin
Approval of an immigrant petition does not always mean a permanent resident visa is immediately available.
Congress limits the number of employment-based immigrant visas issued each fiscal year, and additional per-country limits can affect availability.
The Department of State publishes a new Visa Bulletin each month showing applicable cutoff dates.
Because those dates change, MarthaArias.com should link to current information rather than embedding permanent cutoff dates into individual visa pages.
What Is a Priority Date?
The priority date generally establishes a person’s place in the applicable immigrant-visa queue.
Exactly how it is established depends on the case.
Final Action Date vs. Date for Filing
These charts serve different functions.
For adjustment-of-status cases, USCIS determines which chart may be used for filing in a particular month.