Not legal advice
Priority date vs. cutoff date
These are two different dates, and the Visa Bulletin checker compares them for you, but it helps to know what each one is.
Priority date
Your priority date is when your place in the immigrant-visa line was established: the filing date of the underlying petition (Form I-130 for family cases, Form I-140 for most employment cases), or the labor certification's filing date if the case went through PERM first. It does not change while you wait.
Cutoff date
The cutoff date is the Visa Bulletin's monthly answer to "how far back is the line moving this month" for a given category and country — the Final Action Date or Dates for Filing date listed in that month's chart. It moves forward and backward as demand and visa supply change.
Comparing them
Your category is current for a given chart when your priority date is earlier than that chart's cutoff date for your country. Equal to the cutoff date is not yet current — see this guide's FAQ below.
Questions attorneys ask
Where do I find my priority date?
On the receipt notice for the petition that established your place in line: the I-797 for an I-130 or I-140, or the labor certification's filing date for an employment case that went through PERM.
Is my priority date current if it equals the cutoff date exactly?
No. The Department of State's own rule is that your priority date has to be earlier than the listed cutoff date, not equal to it, for your category and country to be current.
Check your priority date against the current bulletin ·How to read the Visa Bulletin ·What retrogression means