Visa Bulletin and Priority Dates 2026: How to Read It and When You Can File

Every month, the US Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin — a document that controls when hundreds of thousands of family-based and employment-based green card applicants can move forward with their cases. For applicants in oversubscribed categories (particularly from India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines), understanding the Visa Bulletin is essential to planning years of immigration strategy. For those in current categories, it confirms they can file right away.

According to the State Department, approximately 1.4 million family-based visa numbers and 140,000 employment-based visa numbers are available annually. The demand for green cards — particularly from high-immigration countries — far exceeds supply in many categories, creating backlogs measured in years or decades. This guide explains exactly how the Visa Bulletin works, how to read the two charts, how priority dates are established, and what current dates mean for your category in 2026.

What Is the Visa Bulletin and Why Does It Matter?

The Visa Bulletin is the State Department’s monthly publication showing which immigrant visa applicants — based on their preference category and country of chargeability — can have their case adjudicated in that month. It matters because Congress limits the number of immigrant visas (green cards) issued per year: 675,000 family-based and 140,000 employment-based visas per fiscal year (October 1 through September 30), with per-country limits of 7% of the total allocation.

When demand for a category from a particular country exceeds supply, a waiting list forms. Your place in that line is your priority date. The Visa Bulletin tells you when your priority date has become “current” — meaning a visa number is available for you. Only then can USCIS complete your case. According to Congressional Research Service data, the total family-based backlog exceeded 10 million cases in 2024, making Visa Bulletin tracking critical for anyone in a family preference category from an oversubscribed country.

The Two Charts: Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing

This is the most misunderstood aspect of the Visa Bulletin. The bulletin contains two separate charts, and using them incorrectly can mean missing a filing window — or thinking you can file when you cannot.

Chart A: Final Action Dates

This is the primary chart. It shows the priority date that must be reached before USCIS can approve a green card (final action). If your priority date is before (earlier than) the date shown in Chart A for your category and country, USCIS can approve your case and issue your green card. This chart always applies for consular processing cases processed through a US Embassy abroad.

Chart B: Dates for Filing

This secondary chart shows the priority date that must be reached before you can submit your Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) application to USCIS. In some months, Chart B dates are further advanced than Chart A dates, allowing applicants to file their I-485 earlier than they could receive final approval — giving them access to work and travel authorization (EAD and Advance Parole) sooner.

Critical rule: USCIS must specifically announce each month whether the Dates for Filing chart may be used for I-485 filing. If USCIS does not announce Dates for Filing availability, you must use the Final Action Dates chart. Check the USCIS website at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo each month when the new Visa Bulletin is published (usually in the 2nd week of the preceding month).

How Priority Dates Are Established

Your priority date is the date that marks your place in the immigrant visa queue. It is set differently depending on whether you are in a family-based or employment-based category:

Family-Based Priority Dates

For family preference petitions (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4), your priority date is the date USCIS receives your Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative). For immediate relatives of US citizens (spouse, unmarried child under 21, parent), there is no annual cap and no priority date — these cases are always “current.”

Employment-Based Priority Dates

For employment-based petitions, the priority date depends on the path:

• EB-1 (no PERM required): Date USCIS receives the Form I-140
• EB-2 with PERM: Date the Department of Labor receives the PERM application (ETA-9089)
• EB-2 NIW (no PERM): Date USCIS receives the I-140
• EB-3 (PERM required): Date DOL receives the PERM application
• EB-5 investor: Date USCIS receives the I-526E petition

For EB-2 and EB-3 categories requiring PERM, the PERM filing date (not the PERM approval date) is your priority date. This is why employers often rush to file PERM as early as possible. See our PERM Labor Certification guide for details on the PERM process and timeline.

Reading the Visa Bulletin: A Practical Example

When you open the Visa Bulletin, you will see a table with columns for different countries and rows for each preference category. Here is how to read it:

• “C” = Current — no waiting. You can file immediately.
• A specific date (e.g., “01JAN17”) = Your priority date must be before January 1, 2017 for you to move forward.
• “U” = Unavailable — no visas available in this category for this country this month; no new filings or approvals.

Example: If the Final Action Date for EB-2 India shows “22APR12” (April 22, 2012) and your PERM was filed on May 1, 2018, your priority date is NOT before the cut-off date. You cannot receive final approval this month. You must wait until the Final Action Date advances past your May 2018 priority date.

Current Priority Date Situation by Category (April 2026)

The following reflects general conditions as of early 2026. Always verify the current month’s Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov for exact dates:

Note: These dates are approximate illustrations. Always check the current Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov for exact figures.

Retrogression: When Priority Dates Move Backward

Retrogression occurs when the State Department moves priority dates backward — meaning dates that were previously current become unavailable again. This happens when demand in a category surges (due to a rush of I-485 filings) and the available visa numbers for the fiscal year are nearly exhausted.

Retrogression is devastating for applicants who have submitted I-485 applications and are waiting for final approval — their cases are essentially frozen until the date advances again. According to State Department data, EB-2 India experienced significant retrogression multiple times in the last decade, leaving many applicants waiting 10+ years.

To protect yourself from retrogression impact, work with an immigration attorney to monitor the bulletin monthly and plan timing of I-485 filings strategically.

EB-2 India and China: The Long Road

For professionals born in India or China seeking employment-based green cards through EB-2 or EB-3, the Visa Bulletin presents a sobering picture. Due to the 7% per-country cap on annual employment-based visa issuances, demand from these high-population countries far exceeds supply. The EB-2 India Final Action Date as of early 2026 is in the early 2010s — meaning applicants who filed PERM in 2012-2015 are only now receiving their green cards.

For Indian-born EB-2 applicants, the estimated waiting time can exceed 50-100 years under current conditions. This makes alternative strategies like the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (which competes in the same EB-2 category but without PERM delays), the EB-1 category (often has better priority dates for India/China), or the Visto O-1 (as a long-term nonimmigrant alternative) worth serious consideration.

How to Check Your Priority Date Status Monthly

Follow these steps each month to track your case:

1. Go to travel.state.gov/visa-bulletin around the 8th-12th of each month when the new bulletin is published
2. Find your preference category (F1, F2A, EB-2, etc.) and your country of chargeability (usually country of birth, not citizenship)
3. Compare the date shown to your priority date — if your priority date is earlier than the date shown, your date is current
4. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to see if USCIS has authorized use of the Dates for Filing chart
5. Set a monthly calendar reminder — retrogression can happen without warning