Filing Date Chart vs Final Action Date Chart: A Practitioner Walkthrough

Every monthly visa bulletin publishes two charts. Most investors look at the wrong one. The Final Action Date chart (sometimes called Chart A) controls when a visa can actually be issued. The Filing Date chart (Chart B) controls when USCIS and the National Visa Center will accept paperwork. They are not interchangeable, and the chart that matters depends on what step of your case you are at. This article walks through both charts, when each applies for EB-5, and how USCIS announces which one Adjustment of Status filers should use. ## The two charts in plain terms Chart A: Application Final Action Dates. The cutoff for actual visa issuance and final approval. If your priority date is on or before the Chart A cutoff for your country and category, a visa number is available to your case. Chart B: Dates for Filing Applications. A cutoff that is typically several months...