Remember! Chart B Doesn’t Lock in Your Child’s CSPA Age
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that on 08.Aug.2025 USCIS rescinded a policy that let a child’s CSPA (Child Status Protection Act) age be calculated using the Dates‑for‑Filing chart (Chart B).
- Going forward, only the Final Action Dates chart (Chart A) will be used to compute a child’s CSPA age.
- The change can cause children who relied on earlier Chart B filing dates to “age out” (turn 21) before a visa is available under Chart A.
- Affected groups include family‑ and employment‑based derivative beneficiaries and anyone who filed adjustment of status (Form I‑485) relying on Chart B.
- Those affected should check priority dates, consult an immigration attorney, and explore alternatives quickly (e.g., consular processing options, humanitarian relief, or other family‑based petitions).
What changed
It has been reported that USCIS officially rescinded the policy that allowed Chart B (the Visa Bulletin’s Dates‑for‑Filing chart) to be used as the reference date for calculating a child’s age under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The CSPA was enacted to prevent children from “aging out” of eligibility when green‑card backlogs make visa availability slow. Under the CSPA, a child’s age is generally calculated by taking the age on the date a visa becomes available and subtracting the time the underlying immigrant petition (e.g., Form I‑130 or I‑140) was pending. With the rescission, USCIS will use only Chart A (Final Action Dates — the dates when visas may actually be issued) to determine whether a beneficiary is a “child” for CSPA purposes.
Who this affects and the human impact
This affects anyone with derivative children named on family‑ or employment‑based petitions, and particularly families who filed Form I‑485 (adjustment of status) when USCIS was using Chart B to accept filings. For many families, Chart B previously allowed filing earlier and provided the hope that a child’s CSPA age would be locked in even though final‑action dates remained backlogged. Now, children who turned 21 in the window between Chart B and Chart A dates may lose derivative status, forcing family separation, additional petitions, or potential loss of eligibility altogether. Processing times and visa backlogs—for certain countries and categories—mean this change will have immediate and significant effects for people already waiting years for visas.
What to do now
Check your priority date against the Visa Bulletin’s Final Action Dates (Chart A) and recalculate CSPA age using the final‑action date minus petition pendency time. If a child risks aging out, consult an immigration attorney promptly. Possible options include exploring consular processing if a visa becomes available sooner at a consulate, evaluating other family‑based or employment‑based routes, or seeking discretionary relief in narrow circumstances. This is not a simple procedural tweak — it changes the baseline for CSPA protection and can change outcomes for families on backlogged cases. Legal advice is strongly recommended because individual facts and timing matter.
Source: Original Article