Green Card Tracker Based on USCIS and DOS Data
Instructions
The green card tracker is based on USCIS pending I-485 inventory and State Department's Consular Processing inventory. It automatically calculates the total number of green card applicants (I-485 and CP) waiting ahead of you. The graph is generated to show your place in line and how it has been changing over the past two years. The shorter the columns, the closer you are to a green card.
If your I-485 is still pending, use this tool to figure out the total number of Adjustment of Status applications from your country, in the same employment-based category, but having an earlier priority date than yours. The pending I-485 inventory is released quarterly (every three months or so) by USCIS.
In addition to I-485 applications, there are also pending cases waiting for immigrant visas through consular processing (CP). Both USCIS and the State Department have disclosed that roughly 15% of visa numbers are allocated to people going through the consular process overseas. However, the 15% number is an average ratio considering all green cards issued annually - the exact percentage can vary significantly from category to category. To make the green card tracker more accurate, we actually calculate the CP to I-485 ratio for each category individually, using the latest matching data from USCIS and DOS.
To check your position in the green card queue, select your case information and click "Track Green Card":
- Chargeability:
This is usually your country of origin or birth. There are five choices based on the Visa Bulletin: China (mainland), India, Mexico, Philippines, and "the Rest of the World (ROW)" for all other countries and regions. - EB Preference:
This is the preference category of your immigrant petition (I-140). EB1 means employment-based first preference, EB2 second preference, etc. - Priority Date (PD):
This is the date your labor certification (LC) was filed, or I-140 was filed if LC was not required. From the pop-up calendar, select Month, Year, then Day. You must select a date for the PD value to take effect.
Note that although USCIS generally operates on a first in first out (FIFO) basis, there are many factors affecting case processing. So it is normal to see fluctuations in the order of applications being adjudicated. For example, you may still see pending cases ahead of you even if your I-485 has been approved.
The green card tracker is also synchronized with our visa bulletin database, and will display the cut-off date for your preference category for current month as well as next month if available.
Answers to common questions, such as "Is your green card tracker accurate?" or "When will you update the tracker?" can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
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