The Visa Bulletin: Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing

What is the difference between a final action and the filing date?

The final action chart just means your case can be approved you can get a green card. The date for filing chart, for purposes of persons here in the US it means they can file an I-145.

For purposes of NVC, it means the NVC will work on your case. So, it means different things, not quite as significant at the NVC because of the way the process works there, however, very significant for the US because you can't get an EAD card or work card until that 45 is filed. And so, if you're an OPT student, you graduated and you have a one year of OPT, and there's no extension available for that one year of OPT. You need to know that you can file your 45 within that one year and still get an EAD card in order that you don't have a gap in employment, or worse a gap in status. And with the priority dates being backed up to February 1, 2023. We're still under a year, but we're not that far under a year. So it is the the path for us grads is a murky? It's probably a good statement. Not a positive statement, but a good statement.

Okay, so what what I'm taking away from that is that it's really going to depend if you are in the US if you're out of the US, and what kind of filing you're going to be doing and that's kind of what helps you figure out how you're going to look at the filing date and final action charts. Is that right?

Correct. If you're out of the US, you don't care quite as much about the date for filing chart because that didn't really affect you directly. You care about the final action date chart. If however, you're in the US you care about both charts.

Got it okay, thank you, Mike. I think I saw a ton of questions about that. So I'm sure a lot of our viewers really appreciate that clarity.