Employment-based priority date cutoffs for EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing, with active retrogression alerts.
A quick reference for the employment-based preference categories in the tables below.
Extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives or managers. Generally the fastest-moving category.
Includes standard advanced degree petitions and National Interest Waiver self-petitions. India and China face the longest waits here.
Requires a bachelor's degree or at least two years of training or experience. Other Workers is a smaller sub-quota within EB-3 for unskilled labor.
Covers religious workers, certain broadcasters, and other special immigrant categories defined by statute.
Requires a qualifying investment in a U.S. commercial enterprise. Split into unreserved and set-aside rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure categories.
Final Action Date is when USCIS can approve your case. Dates for Filing is when you can submit it. USCIS announces monthly which chart applies for I-485 filing.
DOS warns high demand from India in EB-1 may exhaust the pro-rated per-country limit before September 30, 2026. If exhausted, India EB-1 becomes Unavailable until FY2027.
DOS flags that sufficient demand may require retrogression of Final Action Dates before September 30. ROW EB-2 is currently Current, watch closely.
Similar demand pressure. China EB-5 unreserved cut off at December 2016. India EB-5 unreserved is Unavailable.
Final Action is when USCIS can approve your I-485. Dates for Filing is when you can submit it, confirm each month at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo.
Current for most nationalities. China EB-1 cut off July 2023, India EB-1 cut off October 2022. Watch for a possible India EB-1 unavailability notice before fiscal year end.
Final Action is Unavailable this month. Filing Date is January 2015. This is a structural backlog, not a temporary retrogression.
Currently Current, meaning approved I-140 holders can file and get approved now. DOS has warned retrogression is possible before September 30.
Cut off at January 2014, over a decade of backlog. India-born applicants should evaluate EB-1A qualification as an alternative path.
Understanding annual limits explains why dates retrogress.