How to find your priority date
You need your priority date to read the Visa Bulletin and to use tools like our CSPA age calculator. If you are not sure what it is, start with What is a priority date?. This page shows where it is usually printed.
General information only, not legal advice. Notices look different over time and by case type. If your papers disagree, or you are not sure which date to use, ask a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
Where to look
- Form I-797, Notice of Action. This is the notice USCIS mails about a petition. For a family case (Form I-130) or an employment case (Form I-140), the notice for the petition usually has a field labeled Priority Date. Check the approval notice first. Receipt notices (Form I-797C) may show it too.
- Letters or emails from the National Visa Center (NVC). If your case went to the NVC, its messages and your case information usually show the priority date next to your case number.
- Your attorney’s or representative’s records. If someone helped file the petition, they should have a copy.
- The petitioner’s copies. The person who filed the petition (the relative or employer) receives the notices, so their copy may be the one that has it.
What the notice looks like
Near the top of the notice, you will usually see fields such as Receipt Number, Received Date, Priority Date, Notice Date, Petitioner and Beneficiary. The priority date is its own field. Do not mix it up with the Received Date or the Notice Date, which can be different.
What if you cannot find it?
- Ask the person who filed the petition to look for the notices.
- Ask your attorney or representative, if you had one.
- Contact USCIS through the official site. USCIS has a process to request a replacement for a lost approval notice (Form I-824). Check the form page for current instructions and fees.
- If your case is with the NVC, ask the NVC through its official contact options.
After you find it
- Open the newest Visa Bulletin and compare your date with your category and country. Our guide on reading the Visa Bulletin shows how.
- For a child who may turn 21, use the dates in the CSPA age calculator, or follow the step-by-step guide.
Need help organizing your documents?
One Path Finder can help you gather and organize documents where permitted by law. We are not a law firm and can’t tell you what applies to your case. Contact us to start a conversation. For legal advice, ask us for a referral to our partner law firm.