Guide
How to read the Visa Bulletin (step by step)
Short answer
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that shows cutoff dates for employment-based and family-based green card categories. To use it: find your category (EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3), find your country of chargeability, and check whether your priority date is on or before the listed Final Action Date. If it is, your date is 'current' for that month.
What the Visa Bulletin is
The Visa Bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). It exists because U.S. law caps the number of green cards that can be issued each year, both overall and per country. When more people want green cards in a category than there are visa numbers available, a queue forms. The Visa Bulletin is the public scoreboard for that queue: it sets the cutoff dates that determine who can move forward each month. It covers both family-based and employment-based (EB) immigration. This guide focuses on the employment-based section, which is what most skilled workers, researchers, and professionals track.
The two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing
The employment-based section contains two separate charts each month. The 'Final Action Dates' chart shows when a visa number is actually available and a green card can be approved and issued. The 'Dates for Filing' chart, when USCIS authorizes its use, shows an earlier cutoff at which applicants may submit Form I-485 before a visa number is available — letting you get in line for adjudication and often unlock work and travel documents sooner. This tool uses the Final Action Dates chart, because that is the date that ultimately controls when a green card can be granted. Every month, USCIS announces on its website which chart may be used for filing. Always confirm this before filing.
Reading the table: rows and columns
Each chart is a grid. The rows are employment preference categories: EB-1 (priority workers), EB-2 (advanced degree or exceptional ability, including the National Interest Waiver), and EB-3 (skilled workers and professionals), plus a few subcategories like 'Other Workers.' The columns are countries of chargeability: China (mainland-born), India, Mexico, Philippines, and 'All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed' — commonly called Rest of World (ROW). To read your status, find the single cell where your category row meets your country column.
What the cutoff date means
The value in each cell is the Final Action Date for that category and country. Compare it to your priority date. If your priority date is earlier than or equal to the listed date, your date is 'current' for that month and you may be eligible to take the next step. If your priority date is later than the listed date, you are not current yet and must keep waiting. Two special values appear instead of dates: a 'C' means the category is completely current (all priority dates qualify), and a 'U' means the category is 'Unavailable' — no visa numbers can be used that month, regardless of your priority date.
A worked example
Suppose you are EB-2, born in India, with a priority date of January 1, 2013. You look at the EB-2 row and the India column. If that cell shows a Final Action Date of February 1, 2013, your date (January 1, 2013) is earlier, so you are current. If the cell instead shows a date of September 1, 2012, your priority date is later than the cutoff, so you are not current. And if the cell shows 'U,' nobody in EB-2 India can move forward that month — even someone with a priority date from a decade ago.
Country of chargeability — a common point of confusion
Your country of chargeability is generally your country of birth, not your citizenship or current residence. Someone born in Canada but living in India for years is still 'charged' to Canada (Rest of World). This matters enormously because India and China have far longer queues than most other countries. There is one important exception: 'cross-chargeability.' If you are married, you may be able to use your spouse's country of birth if it has a more favorable cutoff date. Many applicants overlook this and wait years longer than necessary.
Common mistakes when reading the bulletin
Three mistakes come up repeatedly. First, reading the wrong chart — comparing your date to Dates for Filing when only Final Action Dates are authorized for filing that month, or vice versa. Second, using the wrong country column because they assume chargeability follows citizenship. Third, confusing the priority date with the petition receipt date or the approval date; your priority date is set when the underlying case (PERM or I-140) is filed, and it does not change if you later switch employers or downgrade categories, as long as you keep the same approved I-140.
Where and when to find the Visa Bulletin
The Visa Bulletin is published on the U.S. Department of State website at travel.state.gov. It is typically released in the second half of the month before the effective month — for example, the August bulletin usually appears in mid-to-late July. USCIS then posts an 'Adjustment of Status Filing Charts' page indicating which chart (Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing) applicants inside the U.S. may use that month. Reading both sources together gives you the complete picture.
View the Visa Bulletin at travel.state.govHow this tool uses the Visa Bulletin
This calculator uses historical Final Action Date data from many years of past Visa Bulletins to project when your priority date may become current. It analyzes how quickly dates have advanced for your category and country of birth, then produces optimistic, median, and pessimistic estimates based on that movement pattern. Because dates can advance, stall, retrogress, or go Unavailable, these are estimates for planning — not guarantees. The Visa Bulletin remains the single authoritative source for your actual status each month.
Reading a real snapshot: July 2026
It helps to practice on real numbers. The table below is the employment-based Final Action Dates section from the July 2026 Visa Bulletin. Notice how varied the cells are: some show 'C' (current), one shows 'U' (Unavailable), and the rest show specific dates. To read your row, pick your category, then slide across to your country column. For instance, an EB-3 applicant born in the Philippines with a priority date before 01 Aug 2023 is current; an EB-2 applicant born in India is not current at all this month because the cell shows 'U.'
| Category | Rest of World | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01 Jun 2023 | 15 Oct 2022 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01 Sep 2021 | U | C | C |
| EB-3 | 01 Aug 2024 | 22 Dec 2021 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Aug 2024 | 01 Aug 2023 |
Subcategories you might see
Beyond the three main preference categories, the employment-based section lists a few subcategories. 'Other Workers' (sometimes called EW) is a slice of EB-3 for positions requiring less than two years of training or experience; it usually has an even more backlogged date than regular EB-3. There are also special categories such as certain religious workers and employment-creation (EB-5) investors, including regional-center and set-aside categories. This tool focuses on EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, which cover the large majority of skilled and professional applicants, but it is worth knowing the other rows exist so you don't misread the table.
Frequently asked questions
Is the date the day I can get my green card? Not exactly — under Final Action Dates, being current means a visa number can be allotted and your case approved, but USCIS still has to finish adjudication. Does a 'C' ever change back to a date? Yes; a category that is current can retrogress to a specific date, or even to 'U,' in a later month. Which country column do I use if I hold dual citizenship? Chargeability follows your country of birth, not citizenship, unless cross-chargeability to a spouse applies. When is next month's bulletin released? Typically in the second half of the current month, ahead of the effective month.
This guide is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. For questions about your specific case, consult a qualified immigration attorney.
Check your priority date estimateLive timeline data
See current Final Action Dates, 12-month movement, and forward estimates for every category and country: