About GreenCardETA
GreenCardETA is an independent, informational tool that helps people in the U.S. employment-based immigration system understand their likely timelines. We turn the government's own published data into a plain-English estimate of when an employment green card priority date may become current, and what the odds of H-1B lottery selection look like. The tool is free to use.
What we are - and what we are not
We are a publisher of information and an estimation tool. We are not a law firm, we are not attorneys, and we do not provide legal advice or representation. Using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration decisions carry serious consequences, and only a licensed immigration attorney can advise you on your specific case. Our goal is narrower and honest: to make the public Visa Bulletin and USCIS data easier to understand, so you can ask better questions and know roughly where you stand.
Where our data comes from
Every estimate on this site is built on official, publicly available U.S. government sources:
- The Visa Bulletin - published monthly by the U.S. Department of State. This is the source of the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing we use to project priority-date movement.
- USCIS - the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for rules on categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3), the H-1B registration process, and per-country limits.
- U.S. Department of Labor - for how prevailing-wage levels (I-IV) are defined, which factor into the H-1B wage-weighted selection estimate.
We do not use private or proprietary data, and we do not have inside information about future government decisions. Everything we show is derived from these public sources.
How we calculate
Our estimates are projections based on history, not predictions of fact. In short:
- We identify your "line" from your category (EB-1/EB-2/EB-3) and country of birth, because U.S. law caps how many green cards each country can receive per year.
- We measure how the monthly Final Action Date for that line has actually moved over the last year, and use that pace to estimate how long it may take the cutoff to reach your priority date.
- Because movement is uneven - and can move backward (retrogression) - we show a best / likely / worst-case range rather than a single false-precision date. When a category has stalled, we say the timeline is uncertain instead of inventing a number.
You can read the full walkthrough in our guide on how to read the Visa Bulletin. The homepage tool also includes a "How we calculate your wait" section with the same methodology in detail.
How we keep it current
The Department of State releases a new Visa Bulletin each month, and a new bulletin can change your estimate. We update our underlying data when each bulletin is published, so the projections reflect the latest official cutoffs rather than stale figures. We recommend checking back monthly, since your timeline genuinely shifts with each release.
How we make money
We keep the tools free. The site is supported by display advertising and by connecting interested users, with their consent, to partner immigration law firms that advertise with us on a flat-fee basis. We are not a lawyer referral service, we do not recommend any particular firm, and we are never paid a share of any legal fee. Whether you ever contact an attorney is entirely your choice. You can read more in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Corrections and contact
Accuracy matters to us, especially on a topic this consequential. If you spot something that looks wrong or out of date, please tell us - we want to fix it. You can reach us any time through our contact form.
GreenCardETA is an independent website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Labor, or any government agency. Official information is always available directly at uscis.gov and travel.state.gov. Nothing on this site is legal, financial, or tax advice.