Guides & Visa Figures

Plain-English explainers that turn the official Visa Bulletin into decisions you can actually make. Every figure links back to the Department of State or USCIS, so you can verify it yourself. 50 guides and counting.

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Strategy & Fundamentals

EB3 India Backlog Forecast

India EB-3 cutoff movement with a clearly labeled estimate outlook.

China Employment Visa Forecast

China EB-2/EB-3 outlook, framed as an estimate from verified movement.

Visa Bulletin Release Schedule

When bulletins publish, the two charts, and how to read effective dates.

Understanding Visa Bulletin Retrogression

What retrogression is and the India EB-2 example.

Dates for Filing vs Final Action

The two Visa Bulletin charts and which one adjustment filers use.

Visa Spillover and Spillup Explained

How unused visas move between categories and countries.

Annual Numerical Limits for Visas

The 140,000 employment, 226,000 family, and 55,000 Diversity limits.

Per-Country Cap Explained

The 7% cap and how it creates the India/China and Mexico/Philippines backlogs.

Why EB2 India Is Unavailable in 2026

A deep dive into India EB-2 exhausting its annual numbers.

How to Read the Visa Bulletin 2026

Final Action vs Dates for Filing, chargeability, and real August 2026 cutoffs.

What Priority Date Do You Need for a Green Card?

The reverse-planning question almost no tool answers, with worked examples.

Employment (EB)

EB2 India Priority Date 2026

India EB-2 real timeline and why it retrogressed to Unavailable in 2026.

EB3 India Priority Date 2026

India EB-3 cutoff movement and how it compares with retrogressed EB-2.

EB1 India Priority Date

India EB-1 cutoff and why it moves faster than EB-2/EB-3 for India.

EB2 China Priority Date 2026

China EB-2 cutoff has stayed stable — what the numbers show.

EB3 China Priority Date 2026

China EB-3 cutoff movement across verified bulletins.

EB-5 China Unreserved: Cutoff & Set-Asides

China EB-5 retrogression and how set-aside reservations offer an escape.

EB-5 India Unreserved: Cutoff & Set-Asides

India EB-5 Unavailable and the set-aside path around the per-country backlog.

EB-2 NIW for China: A Guide

The National Interest Waiver route (no PERM) for China-mainland applicants.

PERM Backlog for India

The DOL labor-certification bottleneck that precedes India EB-2/EB-3.

EB2 India Backlog Forecast

Why India EB-2 went Unavailable in 2026, with a clearly labeled estimate outlook.

Family (F)

F4 Mexico Visa Bulletin

The F4 sibling category for Mexico — the longest family wait, with real cutoffs.

F3 Philippines Visa Bulletin

Married sons/daughters of citizens from the Philippines — real cutoffs.

F2A Visa Bulletin

Spouses and minor children of permanent residents — near-current cutoffs.

F2B Visa Bulletin

Unmarried adult sons/daughters of LPRs — real cutoffs by chargeability.

F1 Visa Bulletin

Unmarried adult sons/daughters of citizens — real cutoffs by country.

Mexico Family Priority Dates

An overview of F1–F4 cutoffs for Mexico and the 7% cap behind the backlog.

Philippines Family Priority Dates

An overview of F1–F4 cutoffs for the Philippines and the 7% cap.

Sibling Petition (F4) Guide

The I-130 sibling petition and why waits run longest for Mexico, India, Philippines.

Immediate Relatives: No Wait, No Cap

Spouses, minor children, and parents of citizens are exempt from numerical limits.

Comparisons

EB1 vs EB2 Comparison

Criteria, the no-PERM EB-1 path, and real cutoff differences for India and China.

NIW vs EB2 Comparison

National Interest Waiver versus PERM-based EB-2 — when each makes sense.

EB3 vs EB5 Comparison

Skilled-worker wait versus investor path — costs and cutoffs side by side.

PERM vs No-PERM Paths

PERM labor certification versus NIW/EB-1 routes that skip it.

H-1B vs Green Card

The nonimmigrant H-1B (cap + lottery) versus the employment green-card path.

O-1 vs EB1 Comparison

The O-1 nonimmigrant versus EB1-A extraordinary-ability immigrant path.

L-1 vs EB1 Comparison

Intracompany transferee (L-1) versus EB1-C multinational manager.

EB2 vs EB3 for India

With India EB-2 Unavailable, how does EB-3 compare — and the downgrade question.

EB2 vs EB3 for China

China EB-2 versus EB-3 cutoffs and relative movement.

EB2 vs EB3: Cost & Waiting-Time Comparison

Side-by-side current cutoffs, fees, and difficulty for your country.

Process & Filings

PERM Labor Certification Guide

What PERM is, why it precedes I-140, the DOL filing with no USCIS fee, and typical timing.

I-140 Immigrant Petition Guide

How the I-140 establishes your priority date, the filing fee, typical processing, and premium processing.

I-485 Adjustment of Status Explained

File the final green-card step inside the U.S. once your priority date is Current — fees and timing.

Adjustment of Status vs Consular Processing

The tradeoffs between filing I-485 in the U.S. and the DS-260 consular route.

EAD and Advance Parole (Combo Card)

I-765 and I-131 work and travel authorization while your I-485 is pending.

How to Read USCIS Processing Times

Decode egov.uscis.gov/processing-times and why published ranges vary by form and center.

National Visa Center (NVC) Guide

The NVC stage for consular cases: fees, document submission, and interview scheduling.

Immigrant vs Nonimmigrant Visas

The difference, dual-intent categories (H-1B, L-1), and immigrant-intent rules.

Travel While I-485 Is Pending

Why Advance Parole is required and the risks of leaving the U.S. without it.

Immigration Medical Exam (I-693)

The civil-surgeon medical exam required for adjustment and consular processing.