Earlier Processing
The chart permits the government to begin processing cases before a visa number is necessarily available for final approval.
Visa Availability • Visa Bulletin
Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing
The Department of State Visa Bulletin contains two different sets of cutoff dates for most family- and employment-based preference categories: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.
The two charts serve different purposes. A Dates for Filing chart may permit an adjustment applicant to submit Form I-485 earlier, but the Final Action Dates chart determines when an immigrant visa number is available for final action on a numerically limited case.
Being eligible to file Form I-485 is not necessarily the same as being eligible to receive final adjustment approval.
Dates for FilingPotential filing eligibility
Final Action DatesFinal visa availability
USCIS roleSelects filing chart
Legal reviewAugust 30, 2026
Direct Answer
What Is the Difference?
Dates for Filing generally identify priority dates that may permit applicants to begin the immigrant visa or adjustment filing process when USCIS authorizes use of that chart. Final Action Dates identify when visa numbers are available for final action on qualifying cases.
For an adjustment applicant, it is therefore possible to file Form I-485 under a Dates for Filing chart and then wait months or years before the priority date becomes current under the Final Action Dates chart.
The applicant must always check the Visa Bulletin for the relevant month and, for adjustment filings with USCIS, also check which chart USCIS has designated for use.
Side-by-Side
Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates Serve Different Purposes
| Issue | Dates for Filing | Final Action Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Identifies when applicants may be permitted to begin filing or document submission. | Identifies when a visa number is available for final action. |
| Form I-485 filing | May control if USCIS affirmatively allows adjustment applicants to use this chart for the month. | Controls filing when USCIS does not authorize use of Dates for Filing. |
| Final I-485 approval | Does not by itself establish final visa availability. | Generally must be current before USCIS can finally approve a numerically limited adjustment case. |
| Usually farther ahead? | Often, because it is designed to permit earlier processing activity. | Usually more restrictive because it reflects final visa-number availability. |
| Changes monthly? | Yes. | Yes. |
Dates for Filing
What Does the Dates for Filing Chart Mean?
USCIS Permission Required
Adjustment applicants cannot simply choose the more favorable Dates for Filing chart. USCIS determines whether that chart may be used for a particular month.
Priority Date Still Matters
The applicant's priority date generally must be earlier than the applicable Dates for Filing cutoff unless the category is listed as current.
Final Action Dates
What Does the Final Action Dates Chart Mean?
Visa Number Availability
The Final Action Dates chart reflects the priority-date cutoff for final issuance or allocation of immigrant visa numbers in oversubscribed categories.
Approval Requirement
A numerically limited adjustment case generally cannot be finally approved unless the priority date is current for final action.
Can Move Forward or Backward
Final Action Dates may advance, remain unchanged, or retrogress as the government manages annual visa-number limits and demand.
The Central Rule
Filing Eligibility and Approval Eligibility Can Occur at Different Times
Dates for Filing → File the I-485
Final Action Date → Final Approval
Final Action Date → Final Approval
When USCIS authorizes the Dates for Filing chart, the two milestones can be separated by a substantial period.
An applicant who files Form I-485 under an authorized Dates for Filing chart may obtain many of the procedural benefits associated with a pending adjustment case even though the immigrant visa category is not yet current for final action.
The application can remain pending until the Final Action Date reaches the applicant's priority date and all other adjustment requirements are satisfied.
Example
How the Two Charts Can Produce Different Results
| Item | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant's priority date | January 15, 2023 | This is the applicant's place in the visa queue. |
| Dates for Filing cutoff | March 1, 2023 | The applicant's January 15 date is earlier. |
| Final Action cutoff | October 1, 2022 | The applicant's priority date is not yet current for final action. |
| If USCIS authorizes Dates for Filing | Form I-485 may potentially be filed. | The case can begin adjustment processing. |
| Can USCIS approve immediately? | No, assuming the category remains subject to the October 1, 2022 Final Action cutoff. | The case waits for final visa availability. |
Example dates are hypothetical. Visa Bulletin dates and USCIS chart selections change monthly.
Current and Unavailable
What Do “C” and “U” Mean?
Current
A category marked “C” is current for the relevant chart. There is no priority-date cutoff restricting qualifying applicants in that category during that month.
Unavailable
A category marked “U” is unavailable for the relevant chart. Visa numbers are not authorized for the category during that period.
Cutoff-Date Comparison
The Priority Date Usually Must Be Earlier Than the Listed Date
Earlier Priority Date
If the chart lists March 1, 2024 and the applicant's priority date is February 15, 2024, the applicant is within the cutoff for that chart.
Same Priority Date
If both dates are March 1, 2024, the priority date generally is not yet within the cutoff because it must be earlier than the listed date.
Later Priority Date
If the applicant's priority date is April 1, 2024, the applicant is not within a March 1, 2024 cutoff.
Why USCIS Uses Two Charts
Visa Demand Must Be Managed Before the Fiscal Year Ends
Annual Numerical Limits
Many family and employment preference classifications are subject to annual numerical limits established by the INA.
Demand Is Not Static
Visa demand changes as petitions are approved, applicants file cases, cases are completed, and unused numbers become available.
Earlier Filing Can Help Forecast Demand
Allowing applicants to file before final availability can give USCIS a larger inventory of cases ready for adjudication if visa numbers become available.
Pending I-485
What Happens After Filing Under Dates for Filing?
USCIS Accepts the I-485
If properly filed under the chart USCIS authorized for that month, the adjustment application can remain pending even if final visa availability is not yet reached.
USCIS Can Process the Case
Biometrics, security checks, evidence requests, medical issues, interviews, and other adjudicative steps may occur while the case awaits a visa number.
Final Approval Waits
If the priority date is not current under Final Action Dates, final approval generally must wait until a visa number becomes available.
Retrogression
A Priority Date Can Stop Being Current After Filing
Proper Filing Remains Important
If Form I-485 was properly filed while the applicable filing chart permitted it, later retrogression generally does not mean the application must be refiled.
Approval Can Be Delayed
USCIS generally cannot finally approve the case while the priority date is no longer current for final action.
Retrogression is one reason an applicant may have a pending adjustment application for a significant period even after USCIS has completed much of the substantive adjudication.
Family and Employment Cases
The Same Two-Chart Concept Applies Across Preference Categories
Family-Sponsored Preferences
The Visa Bulletin publishes Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for family-preference categories such as F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4.
Employment-Based Preferences
The Visa Bulletin separately publishes the two charts for employment categories including EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, certain EB-4 categories, and EB-5 classifications.
USCIS may make different monthly chart selections for family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment applicants. Always check the applicable group separately.
Common Mistakes
Visa Bulletin Chart Errors
Choosing the More Favorable Chart
Adjustment applicants cannot independently select Dates for Filing simply because it is farther ahead.
Assuming Filing Means Approval
A properly filed I-485 may remain pending until the Final Action Date becomes current.
Checking Only the Visa Bulletin
For adjustment filings, the applicant must also determine which chart USCIS has designated for the month.
Using the Wrong Country Column
The correct preference category must be matched with the proper chargeability column.
Using the Bulletin From the Wrong Month
Filing eligibility is determined under the rules applicable when the adjustment application is filed.
Ignoring Retrogression
A case that was current when filed may later become unavailable for final approval.
Primary Sources
Visa Bulletin Authorities
Related INA245 Guides
Continue the Visa-Availability Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing FAQs
What is the Dates for Filing chart?
It is a Visa Bulletin chart that identifies priority-date cutoffs for beginning the filing or document-submission process. Adjustment applicants may use it only when USCIS authorizes its use for the relevant month.
What is the Final Action Dates chart?
It identifies the priority-date cutoffs for final visa-number availability in numerically limited immigrant categories.
Can I choose whichever chart is better for me?
No. For adjustment of status, USCIS determines which Visa Bulletin chart may be used to file Form I-485 during a particular month.
If Dates for Filing is current, can USCIS approve my green card?
Not necessarily. Final approval generally requires visa availability under the Final Action Dates chart.
What does “C” mean in the Visa Bulletin?
“C” means current. There is no priority-date cutoff for qualifying applicants in that category and chart during the relevant month.
Can my priority date retrogress after I file Form I-485?
Yes. A cutoff date may move backward after filing. The properly filed I-485 generally remains pending, but final approval can be delayed until visa availability returns.
Visa Bulletin Analysis
Schedule a ConsultationCan You File—or Can USCIS Actually Approve?
The Messersmith Law Firm, P.A. reviews priority dates, chargeability, Dates for Filing, Final Action Dates, USCIS monthly chart selection, and visa availability for Form I-485.
Legal content reviewed August 30, 2026. Visa Bulletin cutoff dates and USCIS chart selections change monthly and should always be verified for the applicable filing or adjudication month.