Green Card Priority Date Calculator
Your green card priority date marks your place in line for an immigrant visa. Each month the State Department Visa Bulletin publishes a cut-off date for every preference category and country; when that cut-off reaches your priority date, your date is current and a visa number is available. This calculator compares your priority date with the current cut-off date you enter, tells you whether you are current, and shows the gap in days, months, and years. Because the bulletin changes monthly and can move backward, enter the latest cut-off for your category from the official source.
Priority date comparison
Gap days = cut-off date - priority date (in days)
If gap days >= 0: status = current
If gap days < 0: status = waiting
Gap months = gap days / 30.4375
Gap years = gap days / 365.25
A positive gap means the cut-off date has passed your priority date and a visa number is available. A negative gap is the approximate distance the line still must advance to reach you.
US Visa Bulletin context
- Priority dates are assigned by petition filing date and order applicants within each category and country.
- Cut-off dates are published monthly in the Department of State Visa Bulletin.
- USCIS separately announces whether to use the Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing chart for adjustment of status.
- Cut-off dates can retrogress, moving earlier when demand exceeds available visa numbers.
- Per-country limits mean applicants from high-demand countries often wait longer than the worldwide date.
Priority date: frequently asked questions
What is a green card priority date?
Your priority date is the date your immigrant petition was properly filed (or your labor certification was filed for employment cases). It holds your place in line. Your date becomes current when the State Department Visa Bulletin cut-off date for your category and country passes your priority date.
How do I know if my date is current?
Compare your priority date to the cut-off date listed in the monthly Visa Bulletin for your preference category and country of chargeability. If the cut-off date is on or after your priority date, your date is current and a visa number is available.
Where do I find the cut-off date?
Cut-off dates are published each month by the U.S. Department of State in the Visa Bulletin and by USCIS for adjustment of status. Enter the current cut-off date for your category as a user-editable input; this tool does not fetch live bulletin data.
What does the gap in days mean?
The gap is the difference between your priority date and the current cut-off date. A positive gap (cut-off after your date) means you are current. A negative gap means the line has not yet reached you and you are still waiting.
Can the cut-off date move backward?
Yes. Cut-off dates can retrogress, meaning they move to an earlier date, if demand exceeds available visa numbers. A date that was current can become non-current again. Always check the latest Visa Bulletin.
Official sources
- U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: USCIS home (visa availability).
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.