028: All About Priority Dates

[podcast]

Founder Law partner Anita Koumriqian joins me for this episode on green card priority dates.

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The government caps not only the number of green cards issued each year, but also the number of green cards allotted to countries of origin—except for green cards for a U.S. citizen’s spouse, parents, and unmarried children under 21. Due to these numerical and per-country caps, the demand in some green card categories from individuals born in some countries far exceeds the annual supply.

For green card categories and countries of birth that are backlogged, your priority date determines your place in line for a green card. The monthly Visa Bulletin shows which green card categories and countries of birth are currently available, which priority dates have reached the front of the line, and which priority dates must still wait in line.

We discuss how all of this works in more detail and share strategies that could allow you to shorten your wait time for a green card.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

What determines your priority date
How to read the monthly Visa Bulletin
Why the wait times for some green cards is decades-long
What happens when you change jobs while waiting for an employer-sponsored green card
The fastest family-based green card categories
The fastest employment-based green card categories for individuals born in China and India
Ways to speed up the green card process
What to do given that embassies and consulates remain closed due to COVID-19 and the executive proclamation that suspended the issuance of green cards abroad