For many newcomers to the U.S. immigration process, terms like “Final Action Date” and “Priority Date” can seem confusing or even misleading—especially when those dates are years in the past, like 2022. So, what do these dates actually represent, and why are they important?

When someone applies for a U.S. green card through either a family-based or employment-based petition, they are assigned to a priority date. This is their place in line in the immigration system. For example, if your family member filed an I-130 petition for you on September 1, 2022, that date becomes your official priority date.

Every month, the U.S. Department of State issues a Visa Bulletin that lists the Final Action Dates for each visa category and country. These dates indicate how far USCIS has reached in processing applications. If your priority date is earlier than or equal to the listed Final Action Date for your category, then your case is now eligible for final approval. If your priority date is later than the listed date, you must continue to wait.

So, when the July 2025 Visa Bulletin shows that the Final Action Date for F2A has moved to September 1, 2022, it means USCIS is now working on cases that were filed on or before that date. People with priority dates earlier than that are now eligible to complete the green card process. This is why it’s normal to see Final Action Dates that go back to years ago, like 2013 for EB-3 or 2006 for F4. These categories are heavily backlogged due to limited annual visa caps and high demand, especially from countries like India.

In summary, if your priority date is before the Final Action Date listed in the monthly Visa Bulletin for your category, you’re officially in line for approval. If your priority date is after the Final Action Date, keep monitoring the monthly bulletins closely to know when your moment arrives.