Visa Bulletin Explained: How to Read It and Why It Matters
What Is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication by the U.S. Department of State that determines which employment-based and family-based green card applicants can move forward with their cases. It is published around the 15th of each month for the following month and controls the flow of immigrant visas based on demand, supply, and per-country limits. If you are waiting for a green card, the Visa Bulletin is the single most important document affecting your timeline.
The Two Charts: Final Action Date vs Dates for Filing
Each Visa Bulletin contains two charts that confuse most applicants:
Chart A — Final Action Dates: This is the date when visas can actually be issued. If your priority date is before the date shown in this chart for your category and country, your green card can be approved (your I-485 can be adjudicated, or your consular interview can result in visa issuance).
Chart B — Dates for Filing: This is an earlier date that determines when you can file I-485 (or submit DS-260 documents to NVC). USCIS decides each month whether to accept Chart B — they publish a separate notice on their website. When Chart B is active, you can file I-485 earlier and begin receiving EAD and Advance Parole benefits, even though your green card cannot be approved until Chart A becomes current.
What Does "Current" Mean?
When a category shows "C" (Current), it means there is no backlog — any approved petition in that category can proceed immediately regardless of priority date. When it shows a specific date (like "01JAN23"), only petitions with priority dates before that date can proceed. When it shows "U" (Unavailable), no visas are available in that category at all — typically happens late in the fiscal year when the annual allocation is exhausted.
How to Read the Bulletin: Step by Step
Step 1: Identify your category (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-5, F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4). Step 2: Identify your chargeability country (the country of your birth — not citizenship or residence). Most applicants fall under "All Chargeability Areas" unless they are from China, India, Mexico, or the Philippines. Step 3: Find the intersection of your category and country on Chart A. Compare your priority date (from your I-140 or I-130 approval) to the date shown. Step 4: If your priority date is before the bulletin date, you are current and can file I-485 or have your visa issued. If not, you wait.
Priority Date: Where Does It Come From?
For employment-based cases: your priority date is the date your PERM labor certification was filed with the DOL (for EB-2/EB-3 with PERM), or the date your I-140 was filed (for EB-1, NIW, and EB-5). For family-based cases: it is the date your I-130 was filed with USCIS. Check your I-797 approval notice for the priority date.
Why Dates Move Forward and Backward
The State Department adjusts dates monthly based on visa demand and the annual allocation of approximately 140,000 employment-based and 226,000 family-based immigrant visas. Dates advance (move forward) when demand is lower than supply, and retrogress (move backward) when too many applications are filed and the annual limit is being reached. Retrogression risk is highest in the last months of the fiscal year (July-September). Use our Green Card Calculator to check your current status instantly.