The most recently issued Visa Bulletin has some good news for family category 2A, which is the category for lawful permanent residents filing for their spouses and / or children under 21 years old and unmarried. The current priority date for this category is now July 15, 2010. This means that applicants that filed their cases for their loved ones on or before July 15, 2010 have now reached their priority date.
It is important to note that just because USCIS approves the petition form, this alone does Not mean that the case is ready for processing. In order for the case to be processed and sent over to the U.S. Embassy, the petition form must first be approved AND the priority date must be current. The priority date system applies to lawful permanent residents filing for their spouse and children, but U.S. citizens filing for their spouses and children under 21 years old (and unmarried) do not have to wait for any priority date.