EB-2 Priority Date Calculator
Determine if your Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) priority date is current and estimate your position in the Green Card queue.
This is the date your PERM was filed or, if exempt, when your I-140 was filed. You can find this on your I-797 approval notice.
This is typically your country of birth.
What is an EB-2 Priority Date Calculator?
An EB-2 Priority Date Calculator is a specialized tool designed for U.S. immigration applicants in the Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB-2) category. Its purpose is to determine if an applicant’s “place in line” for a Green Card is current. A priority date is the date the U.S. government receives an initial petition on behalf of a permanent residency applicant. For most EB-2 cases, this is the date the PERM Labor Certification is filed with the Department of Labor.
This calculator simplifies the process of checking your status. Due to annual quotas and per-country limits, applicants from countries with high demand, like India and China, face significant backlogs. The calculator compares your personal priority date against the “Final Action Date” published monthly in the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin. If your date is earlier than the Final Action Date, you are considered “current” and can proceed with the final stage of your Green Card application. Our eb2 priority date calculator makes this check simple and clear.
EB-2 Priority Date Formula and Explanation
The calculation is not a mathematical formula but a direct date comparison. The logic is simple:
Status = (Your Priority Date) < (Visa Bulletin Final Action Date)
If the statement is true, your date is “Current.” If it is false, it is “Not Current,” and you must continue waiting.
| Variable | Meaning | Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Date (PD) | The date your petition was filed, marking your place in the queue. You can find this on Form I-797. | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | 2010 – Present |
| Country of Chargeability | Usually your country of birth, which determines which queue you are in. | Country | Worldwide |
| Final Action Date (FAD) | The cutoff date published in the Visa Bulletin. Petitions with PDs before this date are being processed. | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | Varies monthly by country |
Practical Examples
Example 1: Applicant from India
An applicant from India has a priority date of May 15, 2014. They check the February 2026 Visa Bulletin, which shows a Final Action Date for EB-2 India of December 1, 2013.
- Inputs: Priority Date = 2014-05-15, Country = India, Final Action Date = 2013-12-01
- Result: Not Current
- Explanation: The applicant’s priority date (May 2014) is after the cutoff date (December 2013). They must wait for the Final Action Date to advance past their priority date. The backlog for EB-2 India can be over a decade.
Example 2: Applicant from Germany (Rest of World)
An applicant from Germany has a priority date of March 1, 2025. They check the February 2026 Visa Bulletin, which shows a Final Action Date for EB-2 Rest of World (ROW) of October 15, 2024.
- Inputs: Priority Date = 2025-03-01, Country = ROW, Final Action Date = 2024-10-15
- Result: Not Current
- Explanation: Even for ROW, backlogs can exist. The applicant’s date (March 2025) is after the cutoff (October 2024), so they are not yet current. They need to wait for the date to advance. For more on green card wait times, you can explore this Green Card Wait Time Estimator.
How to Use This EB-2 Priority Date Calculator
- Find Your Priority Date: Locate this date on your I-797 Notice of Action for your I-140 petition. Enter it into the “Your Priority Date” field.
- Select Your Country: Choose your country of birth (chargeability) from the dropdown list. If it’s not listed, select “All Chargeability Areas.”
- Get the Final Action Date: Open the latest official Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State. Find the “Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases” chart and locate the date for the “2nd” preference category that matches your country. Enter this into the calculator.
- Check Your Status: Click the “Check Status” button. The calculator will instantly tell you if you are “Current” or “Not Current” and show you the time difference between the dates. To understand USCIS procedures better, see their page on Visa Availability and Priority Dates.
Key Factors That Affect EB-2 Priority Dates
- Per-Country Limits: U.S. law limits any single country to 7% of the total available employment-based visas annually. This is the primary reason for massive backlogs for countries like India and China.
- Visa Demand: The number of qualified applicants from a country directly impacts the wait time. High demand with a fixed supply of visas causes the queue to lengthen.
- Visa Bulletin Movement: The Department of State advances the Final Action Dates based on visa availability. This movement can be slow, nonexistent, or even move backward (retrogression) in times of high demand.
- Leftover Visas: Unused visas from family-based categories can sometimes spill over to employment-based categories, which can help advance the dates.
- Economic Conditions: Global and U.S. economic conditions can affect the number of companies sponsoring foreign workers, thus influencing application volumes.
- Legislative Changes: Any changes to U.S. immigration law by Congress can significantly alter visa numbers, per-country caps, or processing, directly impacting the eb2 priority date calculator results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What does it mean if my priority date is “Current”?
It means an immigrant visa is available for you, and you can take the final step: either file Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status (if in the U.S.), or proceed with consular processing (if abroad).
2. What is retrogression?
Retrogression is when the Final Action Date in the Visa Bulletin moves backward to an earlier date. This happens when the demand for visas exceeds the available supply for the year.
3. Where do I find my priority date?
Your priority date is printed on the Form I-797, Notice of Action, that you received from USCIS when your employer’s I-140 petition was approved.
4. Can I keep my priority date if I change jobs?
Yes, in most cases. If you have an approved I-140, you can generally retain your priority date and use it for a new employer’s subsequent EB-2 petition.
5. What’s the difference between “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing”?
The “Final Action Dates” chart tells you when a visa can be issued. The “Dates for Filing” chart tells you when you can submit your application paperwork. USCIS specifies which chart to use each month.
6. Who qualifies for an EB-2 visa?
The EB-2 category is for professionals holding an advanced degree (Master’s or higher) or a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive work experience, or individuals with exceptional ability in their field.
7. Why is the EB-2 India backlog so long?
The backlog is due to the immense number of skilled applicants from India combined with the 7% per-country annual visa cap imposed by U.S. law.
8. Can using an eb2 priority date calculator speed up my application?
No, a calculator is an informational tool only. It helps you track your place in line but cannot influence the speed of visa processing. For predictions, tools like this priority date estimator can offer insights based on historical data.