EB-2 vs EB-3: Visa Bulletin Dates Side by Side
Pick a country of birth and enter a priority date to see EB-2 and EB-3 Chart A and Chart B history next to each other, plus the months EB-3's cut-off was later than EB-2's. This page only lays out the dates and rules the Visa Bulletin publishes. It does not tell anyone which category to choose: the two categories ask for different education, work and labor certifications, and whether either is open to you is a question for your own attorney.
Type your priority date to see where it sits against each cut-off. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Two things about the rules
- Chart A (Final Action Dates) is when a green card can be approved. Chart B (Dates for Filing) is when an I-485 can be filed, and only in months when USCIS says employment-based applicants may use it.
- You will sometimes hear that moving from EB-2 to EB-3 (a "downgrade") must happen within 180 days. There is a 180-day rule, but it is about the labor certification: a PERM certification expires if it is not filed with an I-140 within 180 days of approval (20 CFR 656.30(b)). A downgrade is a second, EB-3 I-140 on the same PERM, and the I-140 instructions allow it to be filed without the original certification when that original was already submitted to USCIS with an earlier petition. So "downgrade within 180 days" is not what the regulation says; the idea most likely comes from the PERM validity rule. Whether a change is possible in a given case is for that person's attorney.
This page sets the published dates side by side. It does not say which category anyone should choose.
Source: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin, compiled by CareerEngineUS.
How to Read This Page
Where the data comes from
Each month's cut-off dates come from the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin, compiled month by month by CareerEngineUS from October 2015 to now. "Current" means there is no cut-off that month; "Unavailable" means no numbers were available.
Chart A and Chart B
Chart A (Final Action Dates) decides when a green card can be approved. Chart B (Dates for Filing) decides when an I-485 can be filed. USCIS announces separately each month which chart employment-based applicants use, and the dates on the two charts can be far apart. The page states which chart USCIS used for the latest bulletin.
What "EB-3's cut-off was later than EB-2's" means
For the same country of birth and the same chart, if EB-3's cut-off date in a month is later than EB-2's, EB-3 was further along than EB-2 that month. The page merges consecutive months into one period and shows the largest lead in days within it. Months when EB-2 was Current are not counted. This describes the past; it does not say whether it will happen again.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does it take to move from EB-2 to EB-3?
- This page does not answer that, because the answer depends on each person's case: the job requirements, the labor certification, and where the I-140 and I-485 stand. Please ask your own immigration attorney.
- I heard that a "downgrade" is only possible within 180 days. Is that the law?
- The regulation's 180 days is about the labor certification: a PERM certification expires if it is not filed with an I-140 within 180 days of approval (20 CFR 656.30(b)). A downgrade is a second, EB-3 I-140 on the same PERM; as long as that certification was already submitted to USCIS with the first I-140 while it was valid, the I-140 instructions allow the second petition to be filed without the original. So the regulation itself does not say a downgrade must happen within 180 days. Whether and when you can downgrade in your case, confirm with the attorney handling it.
- Can the history tell me what will happen next?
- No. Dates move forward and backward; EB-3 has been later than EB-2 and that has ended. The page only sets out dates that have already been published.
Sources: Data and Law
Related Tools
This tool gives estimates based on public regulations and government data, for reference only. It is not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Every case is different — talk to an immigration lawyer before making a decision.