When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application

When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: October 2025.

If you wish to adjust your status and become a lawful permanent resident of the United States through a family- or employment-sponsored preference visa, it is essential to understand when you may file Form I-485. If no immigrant visa petition has yet been filed on your behalf, you must first understand the petition process. If a petition has already been filed or approved, you may need to wait until a visa becomes available in your category before submitting your application. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin is the primary resource for determining the appropriate filing time.

To use it, locate your visa type in the first column of the chart and, on the same row, check the date corresponding to your country of birth. If the date is marked as “C” (current), or if your priority date is earlier than the one listed, you may file your application, provided all other requirements are met. If the chart shows “U,” it means that no visas are currently authorized for issuance. Generally, the priority date is the day your relative or employer filed the petition with USCIS. In cases requiring labor certification, the priority date corresponds to the date the request was accepted by the Department of Labor.

The DOS publishes the Visa Bulletin monthly, outlining visa availability in accordance with statutory limits set by Congress. In 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security directed USCIS to collaborate with DOS to ensure full utilization of authorized visas and to improve the Visa Bulletin system. In 2015, an Administration report recommended updates to better forecast visa demand and provide predictability to workers seeking permanent residence.

Based on these measures, USCIS and DOS revised procedures to align adjustment of status with the consular process. This revision allows for more accurate demand forecasting, proper setting of cutoff dates, and reduced monthly fluctuations. The updated Visa Bulletin now features two charts: “Final Action Dates,” indicating when visas may actually be issued, and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when applicants may begin the process. Each month, USCIS determines which chart will apply. In making this determination, USCIS considers the number of visas remaining for the fiscal year, the total number of qualified applications reported by DOS, pending cases at USCIS, and historical data on withdrawals, abandonments, or denials.