Some hoped-for change is finally here.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) have coordinated a system to allow “early” filing of the final step in the green card process for certain people currently residing in the U.S., and who are eligible to “adjust status” but whose priority date is not yet “current.”

The system does not change the dates upon which immigrant visas (or “green cards”) may be issued, but it does allow USCIS to accept “adjustment of status” for later priority dates.  The purpose of the system is to streamline the visa issuance process and make sure that all immigrant visas are used in a fiscal year.

DOS will now provide two Visa Bulletin charts:

• Application Final Action Dates:  This is the date that immigrant visas are actually being released. If your date is before the date published, you may receive your green card that month (in the past this is the date by which filing of adjustment of status applications was determined).
• Dates for Filing Applications:  Below is the new chart that provides the date before which your priority date must be to file the adjustment of status application.  These dates are later than the Application Final Action Dates for October.

What does it all mean?

If you are in the United States and qualify to “adjust status” (i.e., file your “green card” application in the U.S.), you may do so if your priority date is before the Dates for Filing Applications in a particular month for your country and USCIS has indicated it will accept applications based on that date.  For October, USCIS will accept filings for adjustment of status for the following dates:

Family Sponsored Dates for Filing Applications

Employment-Based Dates for Filing Applications

Applications may not reach USCIS before October 1.  For more information, please see:  http://www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo