Key immigration dates & deadlines
The recurring U.S. immigration deadlines that matter — counted down from today, with the official source for each. Missing a window can cost you a full year, so we surface them early. This is timing, not legal or tax advice.
Every deadline, counted down
Sorted soonest-first. Recurring monthly or per-person items are listed last.
- RecurringH-1B
H-1B electronic registration
USCIS opens the H-1B cap registration window for about three weeks. Miss it and you wait a full year for the next lottery.
- RecurringTaxes
Federal tax filing deadline
Individual returns are due April 15 — including nonresident (1040-NR) returns for many F-1 and J-1 visa holders. File or request an extension by this date.
- RecurringGreen card
Diversity Visa (green-card) lottery
The DV lottery registration opens for about one month in the fall, free, for nationals of eligible countries. A rare path to a green card with no employer or family sponsor.
- RecurringH-1B
New fiscal year — H-1B start date
October 1 begins the federal fiscal year: cap-subject H-1B employment can start and a fresh set of visa numbers becomes available.
- Released monthly · around mid-monthGreen card
Visa Bulletin
The State Department publishes priority-date movement for family- and employment-based green cards. Check it the moment it drops to see if your date is current.
- Per student · up to 90 days before graduationStudents
F-1 OPT application window
Post-completion OPT can be filed from 90 days before your program end date to 60 days after. Apply early — USCIS processing can take months.
Dates recur each year; exact windows (H-1B registration, the DV lottery, the Visa Bulletin) are set by the agency annually — always confirm with the official source. Not legal or tax advice. Some “get help” links are partnerships. How this works →