USCIS To Use 'Final Action Dates' Chart For Calculating Child Status Protection Act Age

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated its policy manual, effective August 15, 2025, revising how to calculate age under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for dependent children approaching the age of twenty-one.

Quick Hits

• Effective August 15, 2025, CSPA age calculations will be based on the Final Action Dates chart in the U.S. Department of State's Visa Bulletin.
• The updated policy may exclude dependents who previously benefited from USCIS's more expansive February 2023 policy.

USCIS recently updated its policy manual to include a new provision on calculating the "CSPA age" for dependent children approaching the age of twenty-one. The policy manual now states that a visa "becomes available" for calculating CSPA age based solely on the Final Action Dates chart of the State Department's Visa Bulletin. Under the old policy, visas became available for CSPA applicants based on whichever chart—final action dates or dates for