From the official announcement by USCIS ↗
According to USCIS's update on permanent residency filing schedules, the agency has confirmed which of two priority date charts it will use to review adjustment of status applications for July and August 2026. Each month, USCIS must choose between two charts published by the U.S. State Department in the Visa Bulletin: the Dates for Filing chart—which allows earlier filing based on the earliest possible priority date—and the Final Action Dates chart, used when the number of available visas is less than the number of people waiting in that category.
Specifically, for July 2026, family-sponsored applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart, while employment-based applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart. This rule remains unchanged for August 2026: family-sponsored applicants continue using Dates for Filing, while employment-based applicants continue using Final Action Dates.
The difference between the two priority date charts can determine whether a family is allowed to file immediately or must wait many more years.
Who Is Affected
Vietnamese-origin individuals waiting for a green card through family sponsorship—for example, parents sponsoring adult children or siblings sponsoring each other—will be allowed to file Form I-485 earlier if their priority date falls within the range on the Dates for Filing chart, even if that date has not yet "become current" according to the Final Action chart. Conversely, those seeking a green card through employment-based sponsorship—tech engineers, small business owners using the EB-5 investor category, or skilled workers—must wait until their priority date actually becomes "current" on the Final Action Dates chart before filing, a stricter standard.
Practical Significance
The difference between the two charts can determine whether a family is permitted to file this month or must wait several more months, even years. Since USCIS announces its chart choice within about a week after the State Department releases the monthly Visa Bulletin, applicants need to monitor both sources closely to know exactly when their case becomes eligible to file. If a priority date becomes current on the Final Action Dates chart, an applicant can still use that chart to file even if USCIS designates a different chart for their category.
View USCIS's official announcement at the source link below.
Analysis
The choice of which chart to use for reviewing cases is not merely a technical matter—it reflects different pressures on the two immigration streams. Family-sponsored applicants typically have hundreds of thousands of cases pending in countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Mexico, so when permitted to use the Dates for Filing chart, families can file early and begin preparing medical and financial documents while awaiting their official priority date to mature. Employment-based sponsorship faces tighter restrictions because the annual visa supply is capped and competition is fierce across occupations. This is a recurring monthly cycle driven by visa supply and demand, not a one-time policy change.
Diaspora Impact
If you or a family member is waiting for adjustment of status, check your priority date against the latest State Department Visa Bulletin and USCIS's monthly announcements—especially if your priority date is near the announced cutoff. Family-sponsored applicants should file Form I-485 early using the Dates for Filing chart if eligible; employment-based applicants must wait until their priority date becomes current on the Final Action Dates chart. File directly through uscis.gov rather than unofficial intermediaries. If your priority date has not yet become current on either chart, no further action is needed at this time—simply monitor the monthly announcements.