The visa bulletin, of the U.S. Department of State 美国国务院, determines when you are able to receive your green card. This bulletin is issued each month. The bulletin for October 2011 is here: http://www.travel.state.gov/ visa/bulletin/bulletin_5560. html The visa bulletin for a particular month tells you, for each "preference category" of green card, who is able to receive their green cards that month. I will give you the major employment preference categories for China, then explain the information to you. The relevant "cutoff dates" for China, from the October 2011 bulletin, for the main employment preference categories, are as follows: Employment first preference (EB-1): current Employment second preference (EB-2): July 15, 2007 Employment third preference (EB-3): August 8, 2004 I will explain these dates to you. Lol when I was in law school, and took a class on business immigration, I myself did not immediately understand it. Anyon...