What Is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that tells you whether an immigrant visa number is available for your green card application. It is the single most important document for anyone waiting for a green card, because you cannot receive your green card until a visa number is available for your specific category and country of chargeability.
The bulletin is published at travel.state.gov around the middle of each month, and it covers the following month. For example, the May 2026 bulletin is released in mid-April 2026. The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, and new visa allocations begin each October.
The bulletin exists because Congress limits the total number of immigrant visas issued each year (approximately 226,000 for family-based and 140,000 for employment-based), with no single country receiving more than 7% of the total. When demand exceeds supply — as it does for applicants from India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines — backlogs form and applicants must wait.
Understanding Your Priority Date
Your priority date is your place in line for a green card. Think of it as the timestamp that marks when you entered the queue. How your priority date is determined depends on your category:
Employment-based (EB) cases: If your employer filed a PERM labor certification, your priority date is typically the date the PERM application was filed with the Department of Labor. If no PERM was required (EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW), the priority date is the date the I-140 petition was filed with USCIS.
Family-based (FB) cases: Your priority date is the date your I-130 petition was filed with USCIS.
Diversity Visa Lottery: Priority dates for DV lottery winners are assigned by case number, not by filing date.
Your priority date matters because you can only proceed with your green card when the Visa Bulletin shows a date that is the same as or later than your priority date for your category and country. Until then, you wait.
The Two Charts: Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing
Each Visa Bulletin contains two separate charts for both family-based and employment-based categories. Understanding the difference between them is critical.
Chart A: Final Action Dates
This chart shows when a visa number can actually be assigned — meaning when your green card application can be finally approved. If your priority date is earlier than the date shown on this chart for your category and country, a visa number is available for you.
For consular processing (applying for a green card at a U.S. embassy abroad), the Final Action Dates chart is always the controlling chart.
Chart B: Dates for Filing
This chart shows when you can file your I-485 adjustment of status application with USCIS (if you are already in the U.S.). The Dates for Filing are always the same as or earlier than the Final Action Dates, which means you can often file your application earlier than you can receive your green card.
The benefit of filing earlier is significant: once your I-485 is pending, you can typically obtain a work permit (EAD) and travel document (advance parole), even while waiting for final approval.
Important: USCIS decides each month whether to use Chart A or Chart B for I-485 filings. They announce this on the USCIS visa bulletin page. Always check the USCIS announcement, not just the State Department bulletin.
Preference Categories Explained
Employment-Based Categories
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| EB-1 | Priority workers: extraordinary ability (EB-1A), outstanding professors/researchers (EB-1B), multinational managers/executives (EB-1C) |
| EB-2 | Professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. Includes National Interest Waiver (NIW) |
| EB-3 | Skilled workers (2+ years experience), professionals (bachelor's degree), and other workers (unskilled) |
| EB-4 | Special immigrants (religious workers, certain government employees, etc.) |
| EB-5 | Immigrant investors ($800,000 or $1,050,000 investment). Includes targeted employment areas (TEA) and non-TEA |
Family-Based Categories
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| F1 | Unmarried sons and daughters (21+) of U.S. citizens |
| F2A | Spouses and minor children of permanent residents |
| F2B | Unmarried sons and daughters (21+) of permanent residents |
| F3 | Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens |
| F4 | Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens |
Note: Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21) are not subject to the Visa Bulletin — they always have a visa number available.
Country of Chargeability
The Visa Bulletin lists dates for specific countries that are oversubscribed: typically China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines. Everyone else falls under "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" (commonly called "Rest of World" or ROW).
Your country of chargeability is generally the country where you were born, not your current citizenship. However, there is a "cross-chargeability" rule: if your spouse was born in a different country with a more favorable visa bulletin date, you may be able to use your spouse's country of chargeability. This can be extremely valuable for, say, an India-born applicant whose spouse was born in Canada.
How to Read the Chart: A Step-by-Step Example
Let us walk through a concrete example. Suppose you are an EB-2 applicant born in India, and your priority date is March 15, 2015. You look at the current month's Visa Bulletin and find the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) row under India.
If the Final Action Date shows "01JAN15" (January 1, 2015), that means visa numbers are being issued to applicants with priority dates up to January 1, 2015. Since your priority date (March 15, 2015) is later than January 1, 2015, a visa number is not yet available for you on the Final Action chart. You would need to wait for the date to advance past March 15, 2015.
Now check the Dates for Filing chart. If it shows "01JUN15" (June 1, 2015) for EB-2 India, and USCIS has announced they are accepting Chart B filings this month, your priority date (March 15, 2015) is before June 1, 2015 — so you can file your I-485 and get a work permit and travel document while waiting for the Final Action Date to reach you.
Special Symbols on the Visa Bulletin
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| C (Current) | No backlog. Visa numbers available for all applicants regardless of priority date. |
| U (Unavailable) | No visa numbers available for the remainder of the fiscal year. Usually reopens in October. |
| A date (e.g., 01MAR22) | Visa numbers available only for applicants with priority dates before this date. |
Movement and Retrogression
The dates on the Visa Bulletin do not always move forward. They can advance (move to a more recent date, which is good), remain unchanged (no movement), or retrogress (move backward to an earlier date, which means some people who were current are no longer current). Retrogression typically happens toward the end of the fiscal year (July-September) when visa numbers are running out.
The beginning of the fiscal year (October) often brings the biggest forward movement, as new visa numbers become available. Watching the bulletin month to month is essential for planning your green card timeline. Use our Green Card Calculator to track where your priority date falls.
What to Do When You Are Current
When the Visa Bulletin shows that your priority date is current (or earlier than the cutoff date), you need to act. If you are in the United States, file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) with USCIS if you have not already. If you are abroad, prepare for your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. consulate. If you already filed I-485 using Chart B, your case can now be approved once you are current on Chart A.
Being current does not mean automatic approval — USCIS still needs to adjudicate your case. But it means the visa number is available and the final barrier is removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does C (Current) mean on the visa bulletin?
C or "Current" means there is no backlog for that category and country. A visa number is available for all applicants regardless of their priority date. You can file or have your green card approved without waiting.
What does U (Unavailable) mean?
U or "Unavailable" means no visa numbers are available for that category and country for the remainder of the fiscal year. This typically happens when annual limits are reached. Numbers may become available again in October (the start of the new fiscal year).
Should I use the Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing chart?
USCIS announces each month which chart to use for filing I-485 adjustment of status applications. Check the USCIS visa bulletin page for the current month to see which chart applies. For consular processing, the Final Action Dates chart is always used.
How often is the visa bulletin updated?
The Department of State publishes a new visa bulletin every month, typically around the middle of the month, covering the following month. For example, the May 2026 bulletin is usually released in mid-April 2026.
Why is the India EB-2 and EB-3 backlog so long?
India has a very large number of employment-based green card applicants relative to the per-country limit (7% of total visas). The demand far exceeds supply, creating a multi-year (sometimes multi-decade) backlog. The per-country limit applies equally to all countries regardless of population or demand.
What is a priority date?
Your priority date is essentially your place in line for a green card. For employment-based cases, it is usually the date your PERM labor certification was filed (or I-140 filing date if no PERM was required). For family-based cases, it is the date your I-130 petition was filed.
Bookmark this: The official Visa Bulletin is published at travel.state.gov/visa-bulletin. Check it monthly. For which chart USCIS is using for I-485 filings, check uscis.gov.
📚 Related Visa Guides
→ Priority Date Explained → Adjustment of Status (I-485) → Consular Processing GuideLast verified: April 2026 · Reviewed by USImmigrationLaw.Today editorial team.