Visa Number

The country against which an immigrant visa petition is counted for per-country limit purposes. Chargeability is generally based on the applicant's country of birth, not citizenship. In some cases, an applicant may be charged to a spouse's country of birth if it provides a more favorable visa availability date (cross-chargeability).

One of two charts in the monthly visa bulletin. The Filing Date chart indicates when an applicant may file their green card application (I-485 or DS-260), which is typically earlier than the Final Action Date. Whether USCIS accepts Filing Date chart submissions depends on a monthly determination by USCIS.

A provision in the Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 that protects investors who file I-526E petitions before a specified deadline from future increases in the minimum investment amount. The current deadline is September 30, 2026. Investors who file before this date lock in the current investment minimums ($800,000 TEA / $1,050,000 non-TEA) regardless of subsequent CPI-U adjustments.

An economic concept used in EB-5 to calculate the total number of jobs (direct, indirect, and induced) created by an investment. Regional center projects use economic models (RIMS II from the Bureau of Economic Analysis or IMPLAN) to estimate the multiplier effect of the investment on the local economy.

A condition where the number of qualified applicants for a visa category exceeds the number of visa numbers available, causing the State Department to impose cutoff dates that restrict eligibility to applicants with earlier priority dates.