The US Visa Bulletin is the Department of State’s monthly schedule that shows when immigrant visa numbers are available for family and employment preference categories. It tells you two things that matter most: when you can file your case and when a green card can be approved. Applicants outside the US use it to see when the National Visa Center can take documents. Applicants in the US check it with USCIS’s monthly chart selection to see if Form I-485 can be filed. Immediate relatives of US citizens do not use the Bulletin because they are outside the numerical limits.
Section A: What is the US Visa Bulletin?
The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly update from the Department of State that controls when immigrant visa numbers are available in the family and employment preference categories. It sets cut-off dates by preference category and by country of chargeability to keep annual visa issuance within the limits set by Congress. If a category is current, anyone with an approved petition and complete paperwork can move to decision. If a category shows a date, only applicants with a priority date earlier than that cut-off can be approved.
The Bulletin is central to planning. Applicants processing at a consulate use it to know when the National Visa Center can accept fees and civil documents and when a visa can be issued. Applicants in the United States use it with USCIS’s monthly “When to File” notice to see if they can submit Form I-485 that month. The Bulletin does not show USCIS processing times or local consular appointment waits. Those timelines sit on separate tools and post guidance.
The limits drive how long it takes to reach the front of the line. For some applicants, such as those from India or China in the EB-2 or EB-3 categories, the wait can stretch for years. For others, such as many EB-1 applicants from countries without backlogs, the dates may be current. The only way to know your position is to track the Bulletin monthly and compare your priority date to the published cut-off date for your category and country.
Several factors affect how quickly a category moves forward in the Bulletin. These include the number of pending cases awaiting document review, the pace of consular scheduling, changes in USCIS processing rates, and visa usage patterns from earlier months. When demand exceeds supply, DOS slows or reverses movement to stay within the yearly limits. For applicants, this means that timing is never fixed; the Bulletin reflects shifting conditions rather than a guaranteed timeline.
Immediate relatives of US citizens, being spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents, are not subject to the preference limits and do not rely on the Bulletin. All preference categories, including family preference and EB-1 through EB-5, follow the Bulletin and can move forward only when the applicant’s priority date is within the window shown for the month.
1. Key terms
Priority date is the place in line. For family cases it is the I-130 filing date. For employment cases it is usually the PERM filing date, or the I-140 filing date if no PERM was required.
Country of chargeability is normally your country of birth, not your citizenship.
Cross-chargeability can allow use of a spouse’s country if that gives a better date. These terms drive which row and column in the Bulletin apply to you.
2. How to use the Bulletin
Consular applicants track two stages. First, when NVC will accept the fee bill and documents. Second, when a visa can be issued after interview. Applicants in the United States look at USCIS’s monthly “When to File” page to see whether they can file an I-485 using the earlier filing chart or whether they need to wait for the final action chart. Employers and attorneys watch the movement each month to plan filings, concurrent I-140 and I-485 where allowed, and the timing for dependants.
3. Charts to check
a. Final Action Dates (Chart A)
These dates control approvals. Your case can be approved when your priority date is earlier than the listed cut-off for your category and country. If you are abroad, a consular officer can issue the immigrant visa. If you are in the United States, USCIS can approve your I-485 and grant permanent residence.
b. Dates for Filing (Chart B)
These dates let cases start the last stage sooner. Consular applicants use Chart B for NVC fee payments and document submission. USCIS decides each month whether applicants in the United States may use Chart B to file I-485 or whether they need to follow Chart A. Always check the current month’s USCIS “When to File” update before preparing the I-485 packet.
“C” means current, so no cut-off date applies for that row. “U” means unavailable, so no visa numbers are left for that category and country that month. Movement can advance, hold, or retrogress. Treat each month as a fresh snapshot and keep evidence and civil documents ready so you can act when your date becomes current.
View the current US Visa Bulletin
Section B: Visa categories, limits and allocation
The number of immigrant visas that can be issued each year under the family- and employment-based preference categories is limited by law. The US Visa Bulletin reflects how the Department of State allocates those visa numbers every month to stay within the statutory ceilings and per-country limits. Understanding how these numbers are managed helps explain why some categories are current while others have backlogs lasting several years.
1. Annual visa limits
Each fiscal year, the Immigration and Nationality Act sets the minimum and maximum number of immigrant visas that may be issued in the preference categories. There are at least 140,000 employment-based visas and 226,000 family-sponsored preference visas available annually. Any unused family-based numbers can roll over to employment-based categories the following year, and vice versa, allowing some variation from year to year.
2. Per-country caps
No single country can receive more than 7% of the total number of immigrant visas issued in any fiscal year across the family and employment preference categories. This means that nationals of high-demand countries such as India, China, Mexico and the Philippines often face longer queues, while other countries may see categories remain current. The cap applies to both principal applicants and their dependants, which further limits the number of approvals available to large populations.
3. Distribution by category
The total annual allotment is divided into separate preference categories. For family-based immigration, these include the F1 through F4 categories, depending on the relationship between the US citizen or green card holder and the relative being sponsored. For employment-based immigration, there are five main preference groups, EB-1 through EB-5, covering priority workers, advanced degree professionals, skilled workers, special immigrants and investors. Each of these categories is then subdivided by country of chargeability, creating multiple lines that move independently within the Bulletin.
4. How the State Department sets cut-off dates
The Department of State’s Visa Control Office monitors worldwide visa demand, approvals, and pending inventories held by USCIS and consulates. Every month, it uses this data to determine how far to move the cut-off dates for each preference and country to ensure visa number use stays within the annual limits. If demand is low, the cut-off dates advance. If demand is high, they may remain static or move backward, known as retrogression. In months where the full quota for a preference category is reached, the Bulletin will show “U” for unavailable.
5. Other capped categories
The Diversity Visa (DV) program operates separately from family and employment routes, providing up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to eligible applicants from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. Although published in the same document, the DV data in the Bulletin follows its own allocation rules and is not affected by family or employment demand.
Section C: Priority dates, filing routes and timing
Your priority date decides where you sit in the queue. The Visa Bulletin tells you when you can file the last stage and when a green card can be approved. The route then depends on where you are living: applicants in the United States file Form I-485 when USCIS opens the right chart, while those outside the United States complete consular processing through the National Visa Center and the local post. Effective planning means knowing which chart applies in a given month, what “immediately available” means, and how to protect options if dates move forward or retrogress.
1. Priority date: how it is set and why it matters
Your priority date is the anchor for every timing decision. In family cases it is the I-130 filing date shown on the I-797 receipt. In employment cases that require PERM, it is the PERM filing date. If PERM is not needed, the priority date is the I-140 filing date. Keep the I-797 notices safe and scan them for quick reference. Many employment applicants can keep, or “retain,” the earliest priority date when moving between EB categories. That retention preserves place in line and is often the difference between filing now or waiting months. Country of chargeability usually tracks country of birth, not citizenship, although cross-chargeability through a spouse can open a faster country column for the entire family unit.
2. Filing inside the United States: I-485 and monthly chart selection
Each month USCIS announces whether employment and family applicants may use Dates for Filing (Chart B) or need to follow Final Action Dates (Chart A) for I-485 filings. When USCIS opens Chart B, you can submit the I-485 package earlier and start benefits like work and travel authorization while waiting for approval under Chart A. Concurrent filing of I-140 and I-485 is allowed only when a visa is immediately available under USCIS policy, which in practice usually aligns with Chart A being current for your country and category. After filing I-485, you may request an EAD and advance parole. Employment-based applicants can consider portability after 180 days if the I-140 is approved and the new role is in the same or similar occupational classification. Treat the monthly USCIS selection as a go-no go gate and prepare the packet so you can file in the same month the window opens.
3. Filing outside the United States: NVC steps and consular timing
Consular processing runs on two clocks. Dates for Filing control when the National Visa Center will accept the fee bill, civil documents and, where needed, the affidavit of support. Final Action Dates control when an interview can be scheduled and when the visa can be issued. If your case retrogresses before interview, it waits at NVC or the post until numbers are again available. Keep documents current so you are interview-ready at short notice. Police certificates, medical exams and financial evidence can expire. Build a refresh plan so nothing lapses while you wait.
4. Tips for Applicants
Priority date retention helps many workers move from EB-3 to EB-2 or EB-1 without losing their place. Employers sometimes file an additional I-140 in a different category to follow the faster chart in a given year. If EB-3 advances ahead of EB-2, a downgrade can unlock filing, and the reverse is true when EB-2 moves ahead. Keep the evidence base consistent so both petitions remain viable until one becomes current. Where eligible, cross-chargeability through a spouse’s country can shorten the wait for the whole family, but planning is needed so all dependants are included and follow-to-join is not triggered by mistake.
Put together your core evidence early. For I-485, that includes birth and marriage records, proof of lawful admission and maintenance, medical exam timing and, for family cases, a complete and accurate affidavit of support. For consular cases, follow NVC document rules and keep uploads legible and consistent with forms. Watch for retrogression. If you are eligible to file under Chart B or Chart A, submit in that month. Waiting can close the window for several cycles. Keep life events in view. Marriage, divorce, a child nearing 21 or a job change can alter eligibility and sequencing. Workers should map any role change against portability rules. Parents should review Child Status Protection Act calculations where a child is approaching 21 so the filing date is timed to lock the child’s age.
Using last month’s Bulletin or a repost leads to wrong conclusions. Always work from the current Department of State Bulletin and the USCIS chart selection for that month. Do not mix up the charts. Dates for Filing allow document or I-485 submission when permitted, while Final Action Dates control approval. Evidence gaps cause avoidable stalls when a number becomes available. Inconsistent names, missing civil records or expired police certificates are common blockers. A short checklist and a refresh calendar keep the file decision-ready when your date becomes current.
Section D: Movement, Retrogression &Monthly actions
Cut-off dates change to keep visa usage within the annual limits set by Congress. Some months bring forward movement, some hold steady, and at times dates move backward. Treat the Visa Bulletin as a live control panel for visa number availability while remembering it is not a forecast of consular appointment slots or USCIS case speeds. Practical planning starts with a clear view of why dates move, what retrogression does to a case already in train, and how to keep filings decision-ready so you can act in the first month eligibility opens.
Dates move because the Department of State is balancing real demand against the numbers available for the year and for each country column. When fewer cases are documentarily complete, cut-offs can advance to avoid wasting numbers. When more cases are ready than expected, dates may hold to prevent exceeding category or country limits. Shifts between the family and employment totals from one fiscal year to the next can also change the pace. If one stream leaves numbers unused, the other can benefit, which sometimes creates a surge that later settles as demand catches up. Country pressure adds another layer. High-demand countries share a fixed portion of the annual total, so their columns often move slower than countries with lighter demand even within the same category.
Retrogression is the point where a cut-off moves backward. For applicants preparing to file, a retrogression can close the filing window after a short opening. For those who already filed I-485 under the filing chart, the application remains pending but approval waits until the final action chart again shows a date that is later than the priority date. Consular cases can see interviews deferred or cancelled when numbers tighten and then rescheduled once the post receives allocation for that month. None of this changes the underlying petition, but it does shift when a case can move to decision and when travel or work plans can be confirmed.
Monthly discipline helps keep momentum. Check the current Department of State Bulletin and the USCIS “When to File” notice at the start of each month. Confirm the correct category and country column, then compare the priority date on the I-797 to both charts. If the filing chart opens for your row and the date is earlier, have the package ready so you can submit in that same month. If the final action chart reaches your date, plan the last steps for decision, such as medical exam timing for I-485 or ensuring the consulate still holds valid police certificates and civil documents. Treat online reposts with caution and work only from the primary sources to avoid filing on stale dates.
Strategy fills the gaps when movement stalls. Many workers benefit from holding a second I-140 in a different category so the case can ride whichever chart advances first, provided the evidence base supports both tracks. Families sometimes shorten the wait through cross-chargeability where a spouse’s country of birth sits in a faster column, but filings need to be sequenced so every dependant is included and follow-to-join delays are avoided. Adjustment applicants should keep employment authorization and advance parole valid during longer waits so work and travel can continue while the final action date catches up. Any job change should be mapped to portability rules and to the petition details to keep eligibility intact.
Life events can change the timing equation. Where a child is nearing 21, early Child Status Protection Act calculations help identify the month that best locks age while meeting document readiness. Marriage or divorce can alter who qualifies as a dependant, so records should be updated promptly across USCIS, NVC and post systems. Promotions, title updates and worksite moves in employment cases should align with the petition and with portability timing to avoid new questions at adjudication just as a date becomes current. The goal is steady readiness. Keep documents valid, track the Bulletin monthly, and align personal or employment changes with the rules so the case can complete at the first lawful opportunity.
Section E: Summary
The US Visa Bulletin is the Department of State’s monthly guide to immigrant visa number availability across family- and employment-based preference categories. It determines when applicants can file and when a green card can be approved. Visa numbers are limited each fiscal year and capped by country, meaning some nationalities and categories experience longer waits than others. The Bulletin operates through two charts: Final Action Dates for approval and Dates for Filing for submission readiness. Applicants already in the US rely on USCIS’s monthly announcement to know which chart to use for I-485 filings. Because cut-off dates shift monthly and can retrogress without notice, staying informed and preparing documentation early are critical. Immediate relatives of US citizens are outside these limits and can apply once petitions are approved. For everyone else, the Visa Bulletin sets the rhythm of progress, controlling when each stage of the process can move forward.
Section F: Need Assistance?
Visa Bulletin timing drives every step of a green card case. Missing a filing window or misunderstanding a chart can lead to costly delays. If you need tailored guidance on how your priority date, category or country affects your case, professional advice can help you plan filings with precision. Our US immigration attorneys can assess your category movement, cross-chargeability options and filing readiness to ensure you act as soon as a number becomes available. Contact us for advice on your position in the Visa Bulletin and the best strategy for your situation.
Section G: US Visa Bulletin FAQs
What is the US Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is the Department of State’s monthly publication that shows when immigrant visa numbers are available for family- and employment-based preference categories. It determines when cases can be filed and when green cards can be approved.
What is a priority date?
The priority date is the date that sets your place in line. For family cases it is the I-130 receipt date. For employment cases it is the PERM filing date or, where no PERM is required, the I-140 filing date.
What are Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?
Final Action Dates (Chart A) show when a green card can be approved. Dates for Filing (Chart B) show when you can submit your application. USCIS decides each month which chart applicants inside the US should follow.
Who does not use the Visa Bulletin?
Immediate relatives of US citizens, such as spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents, are not subject to numerical limits and can apply for a green card as soon as their petition is approved.
What does it mean if a date is “current” or “unavailable”?
“Current” means visa numbers are available for all qualified applicants in that category and country. “Unavailable” means all numbers have been used for the fiscal year, and new approvals must wait until the next allocation.
What causes retrogression?
Retrogression occurs when demand for visa numbers exceeds availability, causing cut-off dates to move backward. This can happen without warning, so applicants should file as soon as eligible.
How often is the Visa Bulletin updated?
The Bulletin is published monthly, usually in the second week of the month for the following month’s visa availability.
Where can I find the current Visa Bulletin?
The latest issue is available on the Department of State’s website: US Visa Bulletin.
Section H: Glossary
| Final Action Date (Chart A) | The cut-off date showing when an immigrant visa or green card can be approved once the applicant’s priority date is earlier. |
| Dates for Filing (Chart B) | The date showing when applicants can submit their immigrant visa or adjustment application, if USCIS allows it for that month. |
| Priority Date | The date establishing an applicant’s place in the visa queue, taken from the I-130, PERM, or I-140 filing as applicable. |
| Retrogression | The backward movement of cut-off dates caused by higher-than-expected visa demand. |
| Per-Country Limit | A 7% cap that restricts the number of family and employment preference visas issued to nationals of any one country each fiscal year. |
| Immediate Relative | A spouse, unmarried child under 21 or parent of a US citizen who is exempt from numerical visa limits and does not need to follow the Visa Bulletin. |
| Cross-Chargeability | A rule allowing applicants to use a spouse’s country of birth to benefit from a shorter waiting time. |
| USCIS “When to File” Chart | Monthly guidance issued by USCIS stating whether applicants inside the US should use Chart A or Chart B when filing Form I-485. |
| Visa Availability | The status of immigrant visa numbers as managed by the Department of State each month, determining which cases can proceed. |
Author
Founder & Principal Attorney Nita Nicole Upadhye is a recognized leader in the field of US business immigration law, (The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal and AILA) and an experienced and trusted advisor to large multinational corporates through to SMEs. She provides strategic immigration advice and specialist application support to corporations and professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, actors and athletes from across the globe to meet their US-bound talent mobility needs.
Nita is an active public speaker, thought leader, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals.