What is the Visa Bulletin and How Do Priority Dates Work?

If you are waiting for a green card through a family member or an employer, the Visa Bulletin controls when you can move forward. It is published every month by the U.S. Department of State, and for millions of people, it is the single document that determines how long they wait.

The Visa Bulletin may look like a simple chart, but it controls your timeline.  Here is a clear explanation of what it all means and how to use it.

What is the Visa Bulletin?

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the Department of State that shows which immigrant visa numbers are currently available.

U.S. immigration law caps the number of green cards that can be issued each year: 226,000 for family-sponsored categories and at least 140,000 for employment-based categories for fiscal year 2026.

Because demand for green cards far exceeds the number available, the government uses the Visa Bulletin to manage the queue. It tells applicants when they can take the next step in their case, either filing an application for adjustment of status inside the U.S. or scheduling an interview at a consulate abroad.

What is a Priority Date?

Your priority date is your place in line. It is the date that establishes when you entered the green card queue.

For family-sponsored cases, your priority date is the date USCIS receives your Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative).

For employment-based cases, it is either the date your Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) was filed, or the date your employer’s PERM labor certification application was accepted by the Department of Labor, depending on your case.

Your priority date does not change. What changes every month is the cutoff date published in the Visa Bulletin for your specific visa category and country of birth. When the bulletin’s cutoff date advances past your priority date, your number is up and you can move forward.

How to Read the Visa Bulletin

The Visa Bulletin contains two charts for each preference system (family-sponsored and employment-based):

• Final Action Dates: Shows when a visa can actually be issued or when an adjustment of status application can be approved. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed for your category and country, a visa number is available.
• Dates for Filing: Shows the earliest date when you can submit your adjustment of status application (Form I-485) or immigrant visa documents. These dates are typically more advanced than Final Action Dates, letting you get paperwork into the system earlier.

Each month, USCIS announces which chart applies for adjustment of status filings. For April 2026, USCIS directed applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based categories.

Key terms to know:

• “C” (current): No backlog exists for your category. You can proceed immediately.
• “U” (unauthorized): Visa numbers are not available. You cannot file.

Family-Sponsored Visa Categories

Family-sponsored green cards are divided into two groups:

1. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents) are not subject to the Visa Bulletin. There is no annual cap, no priority date, and no waiting. These applications can be filed at any time.
2. Family preference categories are subject to annual limits and per-country caps:

• F1: Unmarried adult children (21+) of U.S. citizens
• F2A: Spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents
• F2B: Unmarried adult children (21+) of lawful permanent residents
• F3: Married adult children of U.S. citizens
• F4: Siblings of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be 21+)

Wait times vary dramatically by category and country of birth. F2A cases are currently moving relatively quickly. F4 cases for applicants from countries like the Philippines, India, and Mexico can involve wait times of 15 to 25 years.

Employment-Based Visa Categories

Employment-based green cards are divided into five preference categories:

• EB-1: Priority workers (extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers, multinational executives)
• EB-2: Advanced degree professionals and people of exceptional ability
• EB-3: Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers
• EB-4: Special immigrants (religious workers, certain government employees)
• EB-5: Immigrant investors

For most countries, EB-1 and EB-2 are currently showing as “current” in the April 2026 bulletin, meaning no backlog. But for applicants born in India and China, the backlogs are severe. India-born EB-2 applicants are currently waiting over 11 years. India-born EB-3 applicants face waits exceeding 12 years.

Why Are There Such Long Waits?

The backlogs exist because of per-country limits. Under INA Section 202, no single country can receive more than 7% of the total family-sponsored and employment-based green cards issued in a fiscal year. That ceiling is currently 25,620 visas per country.

For countries with high demand (India, China, Mexico, the Philippines), this cap creates enormous backlogs. An applicant from India in the EB-2 category is in the same queue as applicants from every other country, but the 7% cap means far fewer visas are available for Indian nationals each year relative to demand.

Congress has not updated these numerical limits in decades, despite massive changes in immigration patterns and demand. The result is a system where legally qualified applicants wait years or even decades for a green card that is theoretically available to them.

How to Track Your Priority Date

• Check the Visa Bulletin every month when it is published (usually mid-month for the following month)
• Compare the cutoff date for your category and country of birth against your priority date
• Check the USCIS filing charts page to see which chart (Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing) applies each month
• When your priority date becomes current, work with your attorney to file your adjustment of status application or prepare for consular processing
• Keep your contact information updated with USCIS and the National Visa Center at all times

Understanding Priority Dates for Your Green Card Case

The visa bulletin and priority dates system is the backbone of the U.S. green card queue. It is not intuitive, it changes every month, and the backlogs for some categories are measured in decades rather than months.

If you are waiting for a green card, check the bulletin monthly, keep your contact information updated with USCIS and the National Visa Center, and consult with an immigration attorney if your priority date is approaching or if you have questions about which chart applies to your case. 

Contact the Law Office of Lina Baroudi for help understanding where you stand in the queue and what steps to take next.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration law changes frequently, and individual circumstances vary. If you need legal guidance, consult with a qualified immigration attorney. Nothing in this post creates an attorney-client relationship.