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. 64 guides and counting.
Photo: 2H Media via UnsplashStrategy & Fundamentals
EB3 India Backlog Forecast
India EB-3 cutoff movement with a clearly labeled estimate outlook.
Read guide →China Employment Visa Forecast
China EB-2/EB-3 outlook, framed as an estimate from verified movement.
Read guide →Visa Bulletin Release Schedule
When bulletins publish, the two charts, and how to read effective dates.
Read guide →Understanding Visa Bulletin Retrogression
What retrogression is and the India EB-2 example.
Read guide →Dates for Filing vs Final Action
The two Visa Bulletin charts and which one adjustment filers use.
Read guide →Visa Spillover and Spillup Explained
How unused visas move between categories and countries.
Read guide →Annual Numerical Limits for Visas
The 140,000 employment, 226,000 family, and 55,000 Diversity limits.
Read guide →Per-Country Cap Explained
The 7% cap and how it creates the India/China and Mexico/Philippines backlogs.
Read guide →Why EB2 India Is Unavailable in 2026
A deep dive into India EB-2 exhausting its annual numbers.
Read guide →How to Read the Visa Bulletin 2026
Final Action vs Dates for Filing, chargeability, and real August 2026 cutoffs.
Read guide →What Priority Date Do You Need for a Green Card?
The reverse-planning question almost no tool answers, with worked examples.
Read guide →Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) 2026: Age Calculation & 1-Year Rule
How CSPA freezes a derivative child's age so they don't age out: the formula, the Final Action Dates chart, the sought-to-acquire 1-year rule, and the Aug. 15, 2025 USCIS update.
Read guide →Employment (EB)
EB2 India Priority Date 2026
India EB-2 real timeline and why it retrogressed to Unavailable in 2026.
Read guide →EB3 India Priority Date 2026
India EB-3 cutoff movement and how it compares with retrogressed EB-2.
Read guide →EB1 India Priority Date
India EB-1 cutoff and why it moves faster than EB-2/EB-3 for India.
Read guide →EB2 China Priority Date 2026
China EB-2 cutoff has stayed stable — what the numbers show.
Read guide →EB3 China Priority Date 2026
China EB-3 cutoff movement across verified bulletins.
Read guide →EB-5 China Unreserved: Cutoff & Set-Asides
China EB-5 retrogression and how set-aside reservations offer an escape.
Read guide →EB-5 India Unreserved: Cutoff & Set-Asides
India EB-5 Unavailable and the set-aside path around the per-country backlog.
Read guide →EB-2 NIW for China: A Guide
The National Interest Waiver route (no PERM) for China-mainland applicants.
Read guide →PERM Backlog for India
The DOL labor-certification bottleneck that precedes India EB-2/EB-3.
Read guide →EB2 India Backlog Forecast
Why India EB-2 went Unavailable in 2026, with a clearly labeled estimate outlook.
Read guide →H-1B FY2026 Registration & Selection: The Real USCIS Numbers
How the H-1B cap lottery works in FY2026: the 85,000 cap split (65,000 + 20,000), the $215 registration fee, and how many registrations USCIS selected — with sources.
Read guide →Family (F)
F4 Mexico Visa Bulletin
The F4 sibling category for Mexico — the longest family wait, with real cutoffs.
Read guide →F3 Philippines Visa Bulletin
Married sons/daughters of citizens from the Philippines — real cutoffs.
Read guide →F2A Visa Bulletin
Spouses and minor children of permanent residents — near-current cutoffs.
Read guide →F2B Visa Bulletin
Unmarried adult sons/daughters of LPRs — real cutoffs by chargeability.
Read guide →F1 Visa Bulletin
Unmarried adult sons/daughters of citizens — real cutoffs by country.
Read guide →Mexico Family Priority Dates
An overview of F1–F4 cutoffs for Mexico and the 7% cap behind the backlog.
Read guide →Philippines Family Priority Dates
An overview of F1–F4 cutoffs for the Philippines and the 7% cap.
Read guide →Sibling Petition (F4) Guide
The I-130 sibling petition and why waits run longest for Mexico, India, Philippines.
Read guide →Immediate Relatives: No Wait, No Cap
Spouses, minor children, and parents of citizens are exempt from numerical limits.
Read guide →Comparisons
EB1 vs EB2 Comparison
Criteria, the no-PERM EB-1 path, and real cutoff differences for India and China.
Read guide →NIW vs EB2 Comparison
National Interest Waiver versus PERM-based EB-2 — when each makes sense.
Read guide →EB3 vs EB5 Comparison
Skilled-worker wait versus investor path — costs and cutoffs side by side.
Read guide →PERM vs No-PERM Paths
PERM labor certification versus NIW/EB-1 routes that skip it.
Read guide →H-1B vs Green Card
The nonimmigrant H-1B (cap + lottery) versus the employment green-card path.
Read guide →O-1 vs EB1 Comparison
The O-1 nonimmigrant versus EB1-A extraordinary-ability immigrant path.
Read guide →L-1 vs EB1 Comparison
Intracompany transferee (L-1) versus EB1-C multinational manager.
Read guide →EB2 vs EB3 for India
With India EB-2 Unavailable, how does EB-3 compare — and the downgrade question.
Read guide →EB2 vs EB3 for China
China EB-2 versus EB-3 cutoffs and relative movement.
Read guide →EB2 vs EB3: Cost & Waiting-Time Comparison
Side-by-side current cutoffs, fees, and difficulty for your country.
Read guide →Process & Filings
PERM Labor Certification Guide
What PERM is, why it precedes I-140, the DOL filing with no USCIS fee, and typical timing.
Read guide →I-140 Immigrant Petition Guide
How the I-140 establishes your priority date, the filing fee, typical processing, and premium processing.
Read guide →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.
Read guide →Adjustment of Status vs Consular Processing
The tradeoffs between filing I-485 in the U.S. and the DS-260 consular route.
Read guide →EAD and Advance Parole (Combo Card)
I-765 and I-131 work and travel authorization while your I-485 is pending.
Read guide →How to Read USCIS Processing Times
Decode egov.uscis.gov/processing-times and why published ranges vary by form and center.
Read guide →National Visa Center (NVC) Guide
The NVC stage for consular cases: fees, document submission, and interview scheduling.
Read guide →Immigrant vs Nonimmigrant Visas
The difference, dual-intent categories (H-1B, L-1), and immigrant-intent rules.
Read guide →Travel While I-485 Is Pending
Why Advance Parole is required and the risks of leaving the U.S. without it.
Read guide →Immigration Medical Exam (I-693)
The civil-surgeon medical exam required for adjustment and consular processing.
Read guide →How to Check USCIS Case Status Online
Track your I-485, I-130, I-140 or N-400 with the official USCIS case status tool — receipt numbers, status meanings, and when to make an inquiry.
Read guide →DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application Guide
The online DS-260 form is the gateway from NVC to consular interview — what it asks, required documents, and the exact steps from submission to interview.
Read guide →Green Card Interview Preparation: What to Expect at Your I-485 Interview
The I-485 adjustment interview is often the last step before approval — what to bring, common questions, how to prepare, and what happens after the interview.
Read guide →Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2027): Eligibility & How to Enter
The DV lottery awards up to 55,000 green cards a year. DV-2027 changes ($1 fee, passport rule), country-of-birth eligibility, cross-chargeability, the entry window, and scam warnings.
Read guide →OPT & STEM OPT 2026: 12 + 24 Months, F-1 D/S Rule & Cap-Gap
F-1 Optional Practical Training: 12 months of OPT, the 24-month STEM extension, the 2026 D/S-to-fixed-stay rule, cap-gap, unemployment limits, and the I-765 fee.
Read guide →K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa 2026: I-129F $675, 90-Day Rule & K-1 vs CR-1
The K-1 fiancé(e) visa: I-129F $675, the 90-day marriage rule, adjustment after marriage, and how it compares with the CR-1 spouse visa.
Read guide →B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa 2026: DS-160, ESTA, 10-Year Visa & Immigrant Intent
The B-1/B-2 visitor visa: DS-160, the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA, the 10-year multiple-entry visa, the 214(b) immigrant-intent rule, and extending stay with I-539.
Read guide →USCIS & PERM Processing Times 2026: Real Ranges by Form
Typical USCIS processing times by form (I-485, I-140, I-130, N-400, EAD, H-1B), how long PERM labor certification takes, and which forms allow premium processing.
Read guide →N-400 Civics Test 2026: 2008 vs 2025 Version & 65/20 Exemption
Which U.S. civics test you take depends on your N-400 filing date: the 2008 version (100 questions, 10 asked, 6 to pass) or the 2025 version (128 questions, 20 asked, 12 to pass), plus the 65/20 exemption.
Read guide →TN Visa 2026: NAFTA/USMCA Work Visa for Canadians & Mexicans
The TN classification under USMCA: who qualifies, the designated profession list, Canadian port-of-entry vs Mexican consular filing, the 3-year stay, TD dependents, and the no-dual-intent rule.
Read guide →Green Card Renewal (Form I-90) 2026: $415 Online / $465 Paper & 36-Month Extension
How an LPR renews a 10-year green card with Form I-90 in 2026: the $415 online / $465 paper fee (biometrics included), when to file, the 36-month receipt extension, processing time, and the I-751/I-829 exception for conditional cards.
Read guide →Reentry Permit (Form I-131) 2026: Protect Your Green Card on Long Trips Abroad
A reentry permit (Form I-131) lets a green-card holder take a trip abroad longer than one year without triggering the presumption of abandoned residence. File and complete biometrics in the U.S.; valid up to two years, not extendable.
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