Official cutoff rules
For a dated cutoff, the priority date must be strictly earlier, not equal. Current and Unavailable remain distinct states. The State Department Visa Bulletin provides separate employment and family Final Action and Dates for Filing tables. USCIS selects the permitted I-485 charts each month separately for employment and family cases; an unverified chart choice is marked unknown. Family preference categories do not include the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. A cutoff does not predict an interview appointment or individual approval.
Employment Historical Pace Scenarios
Employment scenarios measure net cutoff movement in complete six-month windows, retaining stalls and retrogression. Windows containing Current, Unavailable, or missing months are excluded. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile historical rates illustrate slower, typical, and faster movement; they are not probability bounds.
Scenarios require at least twelve months of history, three positive windows, a dated latest cutoff, and positive overall net movement. Nonpositive rates have no finite date, and no date is displayed beyond ten years. Family tracking shows current cutoffs and historical movement without dated projections. No inaccessible USCIS inventory or queue is invented. Cutoff eligibility, permission to file, agency processing, and individual approval are different questions.
Salary scope
DOL OFLC disclosures cover certified H-1B cases in the configured cumulative quarter. Both full-time and part-time filings are included. Annualization uses 2,080 hours, 52 weeks, 26 biweekly periods, or 12 months. Annualized wages outside $5,000-$1,000,000, unsupported units, other classes/statuses, and duplicate case numbers are excluded. One case can cover multiple workers or worksites; the primary disclosed worksite is used.
Verification
Every snapshot carries its official source and verification date. Failed downloads or changed table formats preserve the last verified data. Future demand, supply, policy, and agency decisions can diverge completely from historical movement. This independent educational tool is not a government service or legal advisor.