Glossary
What is a final action date?
The final action date tells you when a green card can actually be approved for your category and country. Here is how it works.
Last checked October 2026 · Sources
- Where it appears
- Visa Bulletin, Chart A
- Compared with
- Your priority date
- When you qualify
- Priority date is earlier
- Default chart at USCIS
- Yes
Quick answer
What is a final action date?
A final action date is the cut-off date in Chart A of the monthly Visa Bulletin, for your category and country. If your priority date is earlier than that date, a visa number is available. Your green card can then be approved, if you are otherwise eligible. If the box shows C, numbers are available to everyone qualified.
- The State Department revises it each month, working with DHS.
- It is different for each category and country.
- It is the default chart USCIS uses for adjustment of status.
- Dates for Filing (Chart B) only lets you file, not get approved.
Side by side
Final action date vs date for filing
| Point | Final action date (Chart A) | Date for filing (Chart B) |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | A visa number is available now | When to get documents ready and submit them |
| What you can do | Get your green card approved | File your I-485, in months USCIS names this chart |
| When USCIS uses it | By default, unless USCIS names the other chart | Only in months USCIS names it |
| Usually | Earlier (further back) date | Later (closer to today) date |
Sources: USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates and USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts. The ‘Usually’ row is a general pattern, not a rule.
Why it matters for you
Why the final action date matters
-
It decides when you get the card
In general, even if you filed under Dates for Filing, your I-485 is approved only once a visa number is available. Chart A shows when that is.
-
It can matter on the day you file
USCIS says you may file using Chart A if your category is current there. The same applies if Chart A’s date is later than Chart B’s.
-
It can move back
If demand is high, the date can retrogress. Then you wait again, even if you were close.
Where it comes from
The legal source
USCIS says a visa is available when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off for your category and country. It also says the Final Action Dates chart applies unless USCIS announces otherwise. (USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates) A green card through adjustment of status also needs a visa to be immediately available. (INA 245(a), 8 U.S.C. 1255(a)) Current dates are on our Visa Bulletin page.
Go deeper
Related terms and guides
Visa Bulletin
The monthly notice that holds both charts.
Read more GlossaryPriority date
The date you compare with the final action date.
Read more GlossaryCountry of chargeability
Which column of the chart is yours.
Read more BlogEB-1 priority dates and retrogression
Why dates move, and why they can move backward.
Read moreFAQ
Questions people ask
It is the cut-off date in Chart A. If your priority date is earlier than it, a visa number is available and your green card can be approved.
Final action date is when a visa number is available. Date for filing is when you can get ready and, if USCIS allows it that month, submit your I-485.
Only in months when USCIS says to use Dates for Filing and your priority date is earlier than that chart’s date. For October 2026, USCIS named Dates for Filing for employment-based cases.
C means current. Visas are immediately available to all qualified applicants in that category and country.
Yes. This is called retrogression. It happens when demand for visas is higher than the number available.
Know your category first
Your category sets which row of the chart you read. The free evaluation shows where your record stands for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1. A partner-firm attorney confirms eligibility before anything is filed. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources · checked October 2026
- USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates
- USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
- 8 U.S.C. 1255 (INA 245), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
