


Immigrant visas or green cards may be issued in family-sponsored, preference categories only when the priority date is current.Ī priority date is current if the I-130 petition was filed before the cut-off date listed in the U.S.
#GREEN CARD PRIORITY DATE CALCULATOR PLUS#
Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences. Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.įourth: ( F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Third: ( F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. ( F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation. ( F2A) Spouses and Unmarried Children, under age 21, of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit ī. Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:Ī. Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference. Congress allocates visas to each preference category as follows:įirst: ( F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters, age 21 or older, of U.S. citizen (age 21 or older).įamily-sponsored, preference categories, however, have a maximum number of visas available each fiscal year. citizen, as well as the parent of an adult U.S. An immediate relative is the spouse or unmarried, minor child (under age 21) of a U.S. There is no limit on the number of immigrant visas/green cards available to immediate relatives. Others require the filing of a new, I-130 immigrant petition, which might not allow priority date recapture and retention. Some situations involve automatic conversion from one preference category to another, where the old priority date is kept. citizen petitioner marries or when a minor child beneficiary turns age 21 before he immigrates. An example is when an unmarried son of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident petitioner on behalf of the beneficiary.ĭuring the process, certain changes in family circumstances may lead to complications, delays, and even termination of the case. The priority date is when USCIS received the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, from the U.S. Being able to recapture and retain an old priority date from a previously filed petition in a new petition makes a big difference. The priority date marks the immigrant visa/green card applicant’s place in the visa queue. Family-based immigration can take many years to complete due to slow processing times, huge backlogs, and the limited number of visas available in the family-sponsored, preference categories.
