Green card explainer
How to read the Visa Bulletin
The State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin shows who may move forward in the line for numerically limited immigrant visas. This guide explains priority dates, the bulletin's two charts, and how to read them step by step. It is general information, not advice about a particular case.
What the Visa Bulletin is
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets how many immigrant visas, the numbers behind green cards, can be issued each year. For many categories, more people qualify than there are numbers available, so a line forms. The U.S. Department of State manages that line and publishes the Visa Bulletin every month to show which applicants can move ahead.
The State Department revises the bulletin each month. A chart you read last month may not apply today, so always check the current edition before making a decision.
Who waits on the bulletin, and who does not
Not everyone needs the Visa Bulletin. According to USCIS, visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited, so a number is always available. Immediate relatives are:
- spouses of U.S. citizens;
- unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens;
- parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21; and
- certain widows and widowers of U.S. citizens.
These relatives do not wait on the bulletin. If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, for example, your path usually depends on the petition and the processing itself; see our page on marriage-based immigration.
The family-sponsored preference and employment-based preference categories are different. They are numerically limited. In general, the law provides 226,000 family-sponsored and 140,000 employment-based numbers per year, which may be exceeded when unused numbers carry over from the prior year. Those totals are divided among sub-categories, and per-country limits also apply. When demand is higher than supply, a backlog forms, and the bulletin is how you see where the line stands.
Your priority date: your place in line
Your priority date is your place in the line. You can find it on the Form I-797 Notice of Action for your petition. How it is set depends on the type of case:
- Family-based: the date the Form I-130 (or, in certain cases, Form I-360) was properly filed.
- Employment-based with a labor certification: the date the Department of Labor accepted the labor certification application. The Form I-140 must be filed within 180 days of the Department of Labor's approval.
- Employment-based without a labor certification: the date USCIS accepted the Form I-140.
- EB-4: the date the Form I-360 was filed. EB-5: the date the Form I-526 was filed.
USCIS explains these rules on its Visa Availability and Priority Dates page.
Preference categories and country of chargeability
The State Department allocates numbers by three things: preference category, country of chargeability and priority date.
Preference category
The family charts list F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4:
- F1: unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of U.S. citizens.
- F2A: spouses and children under 21 of permanent residents.
- F2B: unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of permanent residents.
- F3: married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
- F4: brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.
The employment charts list EB-1 through EB-5, from priority workers (EB-1) to immigrant investors (EB-5), with some sub-categories shown on their own rows.
Country of chargeability
Per-country limits are based on your country of chargeability, which is usually your country of birth, not your citizenship. The charts have an "All Chargeability Areas" column plus separate columns for the countries listed on their own. If your country does not have its own column, you use the "All Chargeability" column.
The two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing
Each monthly bulletin has two main charts for each group of categories:
- Application Final Action Dates. These show when a visa number may actually be available, so a green card or immigrant visa can be approved.
- Dates for Filing Applications. These are earlier dates that show when immigrant visa applicants should be told to gather and submit their documents to the National Visa Center.
If you are applying from inside the United States with Form I-485, USCIS decides each month which chart you must use. When there are more visas available than known applicants, USCIS may let you use the Dates for Filing chart; otherwise you use Final Action Dates. In USCIS's words, unless otherwise indicated on its filing-charts page, you must use the Application Final Action Dates. USCIS posts its choice each month on its Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin page. Do not assume last month's choice still applies.
How to read the chart, step by step
- Open the current bulletin on the State Department's Visa Bulletin page and confirm the month at the top.
- Pick the right chart. Family or employment, and then Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing (for adjustment of status, check USCIS's filing-charts page for that month).
- Find your row: your preference category, such as F2B or EB-3.
- Find your column: your country of chargeability, or "All Chargeability Areas" if your country is not listed separately.
- Read the box where your row and column meet.
- Compare it with your priority date. If your priority date is earlier than the date in the box, your date is current for that chart.
An example (made-up dates, not a current bulletin): suppose a chart box showed 01JAN15 and your priority date were 10MAR14. Your date would be earlier than the date shown, so it would be current for that chart. If your priority date were 10MAR16 instead, it would be later than the date shown, and you would keep waiting. These dates are only an illustration; they do not describe any real category or month.
Letters you may see instead of a date
- "C" (current): on the Final Action Dates chart, the bulletin says numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants; on the Dates for Filing chart, applications may be filed regardless of priority date. Either way, there is no wait in that box that month.
- "U" (unauthorized): numbers are not authorized for issuance in that box that month, whatever your priority date.
Why the dates move forward, stand still or go back
How long you wait depends on demand and supply in your category, per-country limits and how many numbers your category gets. Because these change, the dates in the bulletin can move forward, stay the same for months, or even move backward. A backward move is called retrogression: a date that was current one month may not be current the next. Past movement does not reliably predict future movement, so avoid planning around a guess.
The bulletin wait is also separate from USCIS's own processing time. Even when a visa number is available, the agency still has to process the application; see USCIS processing times, explained.
What happens when your date is current
When your priority date is current, you may be able to take the next step, if you are otherwise eligible:
- Inside the United States: you may be able to apply to adjust status with Form I-485. See our page on adjustment of status.
- Outside the United States: you may be able to apply for an immigrant visa abroad through the National Visa Center and a U.S. consulate. See consular processing.
A current priority date does not by itself mean approval. Eligibility, admissibility, documents and the interview all still matter.
When to talk to a lawyer
Reading the chart is often simple. Some situations are not:
- your category retrogressed after you filed, or you are unsure which chart USCIS is accepting;
- a child in your case is getting close to 21 (the Child Status Protection Act may matter, and the rules are technical);
- you are unsure of your country of chargeability or your correct priority date;
- you have a case in immigration court, a past removal order or a status problem.
Our firm is led by Carlos Maury, a former U.S. Immigration Judge. Learn about the firm or see our green card lawyer page to talk about your situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Visa Bulletin?
It is a monthly publication of the U.S. Department of State that shows, by preference category and country of chargeability, which priority dates can move forward for a numerically limited immigrant visa. It is revised every month.
Where do I find my priority date?
On the Form I-797 Notice of Action for your petition. In family cases it is usually the date the I-130 was properly filed; in employment cases that need a labor certification, it is the date the Department of Labor accepted that application.
Does the spouse of a U.S. citizen have to wait on the Visa Bulletin?
No. According to USCIS, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, parents of citizens who are at least 21, and certain widows and widowers) have unlimited visas and do not wait on the bulletin.
What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?
Final Action Dates show when a visa number may be available so a case can be approved. Dates for Filing are earlier and show when applicants may be told to gather and submit documents to the National Visa Center.
Which chart do I use to file Form I-485?
USCIS decides each month and posts it on its "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page. Unless that page indicates otherwise, you must use the Application Final Action Dates.
What do "C" and "U" mean in the bulletin?
"C" (current) means numbers are authorized for all qualified applicants in that box, or, on the Dates for Filing chart, that applications may be filed regardless of priority date. "U" (unauthorized) means numbers are not authorized for issuance in that box that month.
Can a Visa Bulletin date move backward?
Yes. Dates can move forward, stand still or move backward depending on demand, supply and per-country limits. A backward move is called retrogression, and a date that was current may stop being current.