EXPLAINERS
Learn
The words the official pages assume you already know, in plain English. Every rule on these pages is quoted from a USCIS, State Department or Labor Department page, and the quote is re-checked against the official page every month.
- Priority dateYour place in the green card line — what the date is, where it comes from, and how the Visa Bulletin uses it. 13 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Final Action Dates vs Dates for FilingThe two charts in each month's Visa Bulletin, what each date means, and how USCIS says which one to use for filing an I-485. 15 sources · checked October 17, 2026
- Country of chargeabilityWhat "country of chargeability" means, how the per-country limit works, and why some countries get their own Visa Bulletin column. 16 sources · checked October 17, 2026
- Visa retrogressionWhy a Visa Bulletin cutoff date can move backward, what "C" and "U" mean, and what happens when a new fiscal year starts on October 1. 17 sources · checked October 17, 2026
- Adjustment of status vs consular processingThe two routes to a green card once a visa is available: applying with USCIS inside the U.S., or through a U.S. consulate abroad. 21 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- PERM and prevailing wageWhat a PERM labor certification and a prevailing wage determination are, and how both come before the employer's Form I-140. 17 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Form I-140What the I-140 immigrant petition for alien workers is, how it connects to PERM, and the filing rules USCIS publishes for it. 20 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Premium processingWhat USCIS premium processing is, which forms and I-140 categories it covers, what the guarantee means, and how it is requested. 28 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- National Visa CenterWhat the State Department's National Visa Center does between petition approval and the consular interview, and how to read its published timeframes. 23 sources · checked October 17, 2026
- Request for Evidence (RFE) and NOIDWhat a USCIS Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny is, what it must contain, and how the Policy Manual treats responses. 29 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Biometrics appointmentWhat the USCIS biometric services appointment is, what USCIS says to bring, what happens there, and how rescheduling works. 24 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Green card interviewHow USCIS interviews for adjustment of status work under the Policy Manual, who attends, and when an interview may be waived. 38 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Receipt and approval notices (Form I-797)What the different kinds of USCIS Form I-797 notices are, from receipt and approval notices to requests for evidence. 17 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- Work permit and advance paroleA general look at Form I-765 (work permit) and Form I-131 (advance parole and other travel documents), based on USCIS form pages. 23 sources · checked October 18, 2026
- How USCIS processing times workHow USCIS calculates the processing times it publishes, what the number does and does not mean, and how the case inquiry date is worked out. 17 sources · checked October 18, 2026