Glossary
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin tells you when a green card number is ready for your category and country. Here is how to read it in plain words.
Last checked October 2026 · Sources
- Published by
- U.S. Department of State
- How often
- Every month
- Charts
- Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing
- Which chart applies
- USCIS says each month
Quick answer
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly notice from the U.S. Department of State. It shows cut-off dates for each green card category and country. You compare your priority date with the cut-off date. It has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. USCIS says each month which chart people inside the US use.
- Each row is a category, such as EB-1 or EB-2.
- Each column is a country of chargeability, usually your country of birth.
- “C” means current: numbers are available to all qualified applicants.
- Dates can move forward, stay still or move back.
The two charts
Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing
| Point | Final Action Dates (Chart A) | Dates for Filing (Chart B) |
|---|---|---|
| What it tells you | When a visa number is available, so a green card can be approved | When you can get ready and submit documents |
| Used inside the US | The default chart for adjustment of status | Only in months when USCIS says so |
| Your priority date must be | Earlier than the date shown | Earlier than the date shown |
| Example | September 2026: USCIS said to use it for employment-based cases | October 2026: USCIS said to use it for employment-based cases |
Sources: USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates and USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts. The October 2026 chart choice was checked on October 7, 2026.
How to read it
How to read the Visa Bulletin
-
Find your priority date
It is on your I-140 receipt or approval notice. See priority date.
-
Find your row and column
Your row is your category. Your column is your country of chargeability.
-
Check which chart USCIS picked
USCIS says it aims to post its choice within one week of the bulletin. (USCIS filing charts)
-
Compare the dates
If your priority date is earlier than the date shown, or the box says C, you can move to the next step.
Why it matters for you
Why the Visa Bulletin matters
-
An approved I-140 is not a green card
You still need a visa number. The bulletin tells you when it is ready.
-
Your birth country can change your wait
In the September 2026 bulletin, EB-1 was current for most countries but had a final action date of October 15, 2022 for India.
-
Dates can move back
USCIS calls this retrogression. A date that was current can stop being current.
Where it comes from
The legal source
USCIS explains that the State Department, working with DHS, revises the Visa Bulletin each month. A visa is available when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off for your category and country. (USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates) For this month’s dates, see our Visa Bulletin page.
FAQ
Questions people ask
The State Department publishes a new bulletin each month. USCIS then names the chart to use, and says it aims to do so within one week of the bulletin.
C means current. USCIS says visas are immediately available to all qualified applicants in that category and country that month.
If you file inside the US, use the chart USCIS names for that month. For October 2026, USCIS said employment-based applicants use Dates for Filing. You may use Final Action Dates if that chart is current or later for your category.
Yes, for planning. Your priority date is usually set when your I-140 is filed. The bulletin hints at the wait after that.
It is when a cut-off date moves back, or a current category stops being current. It happens when demand is higher than the visas available.
Plan around the line, not just the petition
The free evaluation shows where your record stands for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1. A partner-firm attorney confirms your category and timing before anything is filed. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources · checked October 2026
- USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates
- USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
