A preferred date can be recorded, but it does not establish permission or government timing.
Use the date as a planning constraint
Review the actual process and unresolved eligibility questions. A future proposal cannot authorize present work or residence in the United States. Hypothetical example: a forensic-animation studio owner hoping to relocate before a child begins university.
At a first review, the first review should list the application, vetting, eligibility, availability, and family-document stages that remain outstanding. The records most likely to settle that point are official status notices, passports, civil records, requested supporting documents, school dates, and a realistic contingency plan. Sequence the work deliberately: treat the desired move date as a constraint, then choose commitments only after the actual official stages are known.
A common error is taking a promotional estimate as permission to resign, move, or work before permanent-residence status is obtained; that error matters because a conclusion based on incomplete or mismatched facts may not carry to the final arrangement. Write down the decision that remains after the review, the fact that could change it, and the record needed to resolve that fact. This creates a usable file rather than a collection of documents that cannot be connected to the actual plan.