Priority date is a United States immigration concept. It is the date set by the U.S. Department of State that marks which applicants may schedule an
immigrant visa interview. Priority dates are updated every month, usually between the 15th or 20th day of the month. Also, it may change depending on the Immigrant Visa Category.
The priority date for an alien who applies for permanent residency or a
green card through the
Labor Certification process is the date when the U.S. employer/company files the Labor Certification application with the DOL. In other words, priority date is a person's place in line for becoming a permanent resident of the United States. In the case of
family-based visa applicants, this is the date the USCIS first received the Form I-130 filed on the aliens’s behalf.
The priority date appears on the USCIS (formerly INS) "Notice of Action" letter. When the priority date becomes current, it means that the Consulate is now scheduling interviews for those were petitioned on or before that priority date.
