Green card processing time is the time it takes from when your green card application is received until you receive your green card in the mail. Your priority date is your place in line for an immigrant visa so that you can use it to obtain a green card. Your priority date is established when you file an I-130 or an I-140. Your priority date is when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received your I-130/I-140 petition. You can find your priority date on the Notice of Action I-797 form mailed by USCIS once it receives your I-130/ I-140 petition.
Not every green card applicant will need to worry about his or her priority date. Your priority date is relevant based on your visa type and country of origin. You will need to monitor your priority date if you are in a green card category with an annual cap or limit.
Applicants will want to know which priority dates are currently being processed. You can check the Visa Bulletin that the U.S. State Department publishes monthly to determine which priority dates are becoming current. The Visa Bulletin lists the cut-off dates for your priority date and when a green card number will be available to you.
Depending on your country of birth, getting a green card can be as short as a couple of years to 10 years or even more, based on your priority date.
Dealing with the immigration system on your own is often a major challenge. An experienced PERM and employment-based immigration lawyer can be there for you every step of the way. To get started, call us today at 630-912-0322 for a consultation.
