The State Department’s monthly Visa BulletinA monthly State Department publication showing which family and employment visa categories currently have visas available.See it in the glossary decides when millions of people waiting in family and employment preference categories can take the last step toward a green card. It looks like a simple table of dates. In practice, it is one of the most misread documents in U.S. immigration.
What the bulletin does
The bulletin allocates the annual number of Immigrant visaA visa issued at a consulate to a person intending to live permanently in the United States. On admission the holder becomes a permanent resident.See it in the glossary in numerically limited categories. For fiscal year 2026, the family preference limit was 226,000 and the employment-based limit was 186,317, with a Per-country limitThe cap, set at 7 percent of the combined family and employment totals, on how many preference visas may go to natives of any single country in a fiscal year.See it in the glossary of 28,862, according to the September 2026 bulletin.
Myth: Immediate relatives are in the bulletin
False. Spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of adult U.S. citizens are not subject to annual limits and do not appear in the bulletin.
Myth: The date shown is how long you will wait
False. A cutoff date shows which Priority dateThe date a petition was filed, or a labor certification was submitted, used to determine an applicant's place in line for a visa category with limited annual numbers.See it in the glossary are being reached now, not a wait time. If the F4 cutoff is October 2011, that means people who filed before then are eligible now, not that everyone waits the same number of years. Movement depends on demand.
Myth: There is only one chart
False. Each category has two charts:
- Final Action DatesThe Visa Bulletin chart showing the priority dates for which a visa number can actually be issued or a green card approved in that month.See it in the glossary: when a visa or green card can actually be approved.
- Dates for FilingThe Visa Bulletin chart showing the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit documents, or in some months file for adjustment of status, ahead of a visa number being available.See it in the glossary: when applicants can start submitting documents, which is usually earlier.
USCIS decides each month which chart applicants inside the United States may use to file adjustment applications, as shown on its filing charts page. In September 2026, it allowed the dates for filing chart for family cases and required the final action dates chart for employment cases.
Myth: Dates only move forward
False. Dates can stand still or retrogress when demand exceeds supply. Categories can also become “U,” unavailable, for the rest of a fiscal year, as EB-2 India was in September 2026. See what happens if your date retrogresses.
Myth: Everyone in a category waits the same
False. Per-country limits create separate dates for countries with heavy demand. In September 2026, the F3 final action date was October 22, 2014 for most countries but July 1, 2001 for Mexico and February 22, 2006 for the Philippines.
Myth: Big jumps mean the backlog is gone
False. The State Department said in the September bulletin that dates had advanced partly because issuance to nationals of some countries decreased under administration actions, citing Presidential proclamationA formal statement from the President addressed to the public. In immigration, proclamations are often issued under INA 212(f), which lets the President suspend or restrict the entry of noncitizens when the President finds their entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The Supreme Court read that authority broadly in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), though courts have said it cannot override other parts of the INA.See it in the glossary 10949 and 10998, and warned that RetrogressionWhen a Visa Bulletin cutoff date moves backward, usually because demand exceeded the numbers available for that category.See it in the glossary may be necessary later. We covered the September bulletin’s family jumps.
Myth: A current date means an immediate green card
False. Being current allows the final step, not a guaranteed approval. Applicants still need a complete case, an interview where required, and to be admissible.
How to read your line
- Find your category, such as F2B or EB-3.
- Find your chargeability country, usually country of birth, not citizenship.
- Compare your priority date with the cutoff. Your date must be earlier than the listed date.
- For adjustment in the United States, check which chart USCIS allows that month.
Timing of publication
The bulletin is typically published around the middle of the month before it applies. A new fiscal year begins each October 1, when annual limits reset. The October 2026 bulletin had not been published when this article was written, so the dates above reflect September 2026. Our Visa Bulletin tracker follows each release.
Spillover and unused numbers
Unused family numbers can add to the employment limit the following year, and unused employment numbers can add to the family limit. That is one reason the employment-based limit for fiscal year 2026 was higher than the statutory minimum of 140,000. These adjustments affect how far dates move in each new year.
How USCIS and the State Department work together
The State Department sets the dates, but USCIS decides which chart adjustment applicants may use each month and processes adjustment cases. Consular applicants follow the National Visa Center’s instructions, which use the dates for filing chart to invite document submission and the final action dates to schedule interviews. The two agencies report demand to each other, which influences future movement.
Diversity visas in the bulletin
The bulletin also lists diversity visa rank cutoffs by region. Diversity visa entitlement ends at the close of the fiscal year for which the applicant was selected, so September bulletins matter most for those applicants.
A worked example
An F2B applicant from India with a priority date of March 1, 2019 checks the September 2026 bulletin. The F2B final action date for India is August 22, 2019. Because March 1, 2019 is earlier, the date is current for final action that month. A Mexican F2B applicant with the same priority date would not be current, because Mexico’s F2B date was February 15, 2009. The same filing date produces different results depending on chargeability.
Common questions
What does chargeability mean?
It is the country whose limit your visa is counted against, usually your country of birth. In some cases a spouse’s or parent’s country of birth can be used instead.
What does C mean in the bulletin?
Current: visas are available for all applicants in that category and country, regardless of priority date.
Can I file for adjustment using the dates for filing chart?
Only in months when USCIS says that chart may be used for your category.
Why does India or China have different dates?
Heavy demand from those countries hits per-country limits, so they receive separate, often earlier, cutoff dates.