Visa Bulletin Explained for Green Cards

Visa bulletin explained in one sentence. The Visa Bulletin tells green card applicants whether an immigrant visa number is available for their preference category, country of chargeability, and priority date. For employment-based applicants, it decides when a worker can file Form I-485 in the United States, when a consular interview can move forward abroad, and whether a case must wait because annual visa numbers have run out.

The hard part is that the bulletin has two separate charts, Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing, and USCIS does not always let adjustment applicants use the more generous chart. In May 2026, for example, USCIS directed employment-based applicants to use Final Action Dates for Form I-485 filing, while family-sponsored applicants could use Dates for Filing, as reported in the AILA summary of the May 2026 Visa Bulletin.

What is the Visa Bulletin?

The Visa Bulletin is the U.S. Department of State monthly notice that controls immigrant visa number availability. It covers family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories. The Department of State publishes the bulletin because Congress limits the number of immigrant visas that can be issued each fiscal year and limits how many can go to people chargeable to one country.

For employment-based workers, the Visa Bulletin matters after an immigrant petition is filed or approved. An approved I-140 in EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 does not automatically produce a green card. The applicant also needs a visa number. The Visa Bulletin answers that question by comparing a person’s priority date to the cut-off date in the correct chart.

For fiscal year 2026, the Department of State listed the family-sponsored preference limit at 226,000 and the employment-based worldwide level at at least 140,000 in the May 2026 Visa Bulletin. The same bulletin listed the per-country limit as 25,620, equal to 7% of the combined family and employment limit, and the dependent area limit as 7,320.

Practical rule. The Visa Bulletin is a monthly supply and demand table. It does not approve your green card, but it controls whether the government can take the next green card step for your category and country.

Most employment-based applicants read the bulletin because they are trying to answer one of four questions.

• Can I file Form I-485 this month?
• Can the National Visa Center move my consular case toward interview scheduling?
• Can USCIS or a consulate approve my green card this month?
• Has my category moved backward or become unavailable?

If you are still earlier in the employer-sponsored process, start with the PERM and I-140 timeline before focusing on monthly bulletin movement. Avisa’s guide to the H-1B to green card PERM process explains the steps that create or support an employment-based priority date.

What is a priority date?

A priority date is your place in line for a green card category. For most employer-sponsored EB-2 and EB-3 cases that require PERM labor certification, the priority date is the date the Department of Labor accepts the PERM application for processing. For employment-based cases that do not require PERM, such as many EB-1 petitions and EB-2 National Interest Waiver cases, the priority date is usually the date USCIS receives the Form I-140.

The priority date stays with the case as the government measures demand. If your date is earlier than the cut-off date shown in the Visa Bulletin for your category and chargeability area, your date is current under that chart. If your date is the same as or later than the cut-off date, you keep waiting under that chart.

How to find your priority date

Look at the document that started the immigrant process. In a PERM case, the certified ETA Form 9089 contains the filing date that usually becomes the priority date. In an I-140 case, the USCIS receipt notice and approval notice show the received date. Attorneys often track this date in case status emails, but workers should keep their own copy because the date affects I-485 filing, AC21 H-1B extensions, and job-change planning.

If your employer filed EB-2 or EB-3 after PERM, your I-140 approval notice may also list the priority date. Do not rely only on the I-140 approval date. A PERM filed in February and an I-140 approved in September can still carry the February priority date.

Can you keep an old priority date after changing employers?

Many workers can keep a priority date from a previously approved I-140, even if they later move to a new employer that files a new PERM and I-140. That retention can save years for workers from India or China in backlogged categories. The details depend on revocation grounds, petition history, and timing, so review the specific record before assuming the old date is safe.

This is one reason a worker should ask about sponsorship early and clearly. If you are interviewing with companies that can support PERM and I-140 filings, use a direct sponsorship answer rather than hiding the issue until offer stage. Avisa’s guide on how to answer Do you require sponsorship? gives scripts for F-1, H-1B, and other work-authorized candidates.

What are Final Action Dates?

Final Action Dates show when an immigrant visa number is available for final green card approval. If your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date for your category and country, a consular officer may issue an immigrant visa or USCIS may approve Form I-485, assuming the applicant satisfies every other requirement.

The Final Action Dates chart is the more restrictive chart in many backlogged categories. It is tied to final number use. If the government expects that demand will exceed supply, it can hold or move back a Final Action Date. If supply is exhausted for a category, the chart can show U, meaning unavailable.

For employment-based applicants, Final Action Dates often decide the last step rather than the first step. You may have an approved I-140, a pending I-485, an EAD, and advance parole, yet your green card cannot be approved until your priority date is current under the Final Action Dates chart.

Why Final Action Dates can stop an approval even after interview

A common scenario involves an employment-based applicant who completes the I-485 interview while the category is current, then the category retrogresses before final approval. USCIS cannot approve the adjustment application unless a visa number is available at the time of approval. The case may remain pending until the Final Action Date again advances beyond the applicant’s priority date.

For consular processing, the same concept applies. The National Visa Center can collect documents, but a consulate generally cannot issue the immigrant visa unless the case is current under the applicable final action chart at issuance. Documentarily qualified status does not reserve a visa number forever.

What are Dates for Filing?

Dates for Filing show when applicants may be allowed to submit green card paperwork before final approval is available. For adjustment of status, this can mean filing Form I-485 earlier than the Final Action Date would allow. For consular processing, it helps the National Visa Center know when to ask for forms and civil documents.

Dates for Filing can be valuable because a timely I-485 filing may let a worker apply for an adjustment-based EAD and advance parole, keep a pending green card case in the United States, and position the case for approval when the Final Action Date catches up. Those benefits depend on eligibility, status history, admissibility, and the policy in force at the time of filing.

The key limitation is that employment-based adjustment applicants cannot use the Dates for Filing chart every month just because the chart appears in the Visa Bulletin. USCIS separately announces which chart it will accept for adjustment filings. In May 2026, USCIS required employment-based applicants to use Final Action Dates for I-485 filing, while family-sponsored applicants used Dates for Filing, according to the May 2026 AILA bulletin notice.

Misconception to correct. A priority date current under Dates for Filing does not always permit I-485 filing. USCIS must say that the Dates for Filing chart is available for your category that month.

Why USCIS sometimes refuses Dates for Filing for employment cases

USCIS may limit filings to Final Action Dates when pending inventory is high or visa number supply is tight. Allowing too many early I-485 filings can create a large pending caseload that cannot be approved for years. The choice can change month to month, so an applicant who could file in April may lose that chance in May if USCIS changes charts and the priority date is no longer current under Final Action Dates.

This is why a worker near a cut-off date should have medical exams, birth certificates, marriage certificates, translations, and employment letters ready before the month opens. Filing windows can close quickly, and a retrogression may delay the next chance by months or years.

What do current, unavailable, and retrogression mean?

The Visa Bulletin uses short labels that carry major consequences. Understanding them helps you avoid three common mistakes, filing too early, waiting too long, or assuming steady forward movement.

What does C mean in the Visa Bulletin?

C means current. A category marked current has visa numbers available for all qualified applicants in that category and chargeability area for that month. If EB-1 Worldwide is current, for example, there is no cut-off date for that line during that month. Applicants still need an approved or approvable petition and must meet all adjustment or consular requirements.

What does U mean in the Visa Bulletin?

U means unavailable. The government is not authorizing immigrant visa issuance or adjustment approval in that category for that month. A category can become unavailable when visa numbers are exhausted for the fiscal year or demand is too high. In the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, EB-2 India was listed as Unavailable, while EB-1 India had a Final Action Date of October 15, 2022 and EB-3 India had a Final Action Date of January 1, 2014.

What is retrogression?

Retrogression means a cut-off date moves backward. This can happen when demand exceeds the visa numbers left for the fiscal year. Retrogression is common in high-demand country and category combinations, especially India and China employment-based lines, and it can also affect family categories.

Retrogression does not cancel a properly filed I-485. It can pause final approval. A pending applicant may keep using benefits tied to the pending adjustment, if eligible, but the green card cannot be approved until the priority date becomes current again under Final Action Dates.

In July 2026, the Department of State also listed family-sponsored F2A Final Action Dates of January 1, 2024 for Mexico and January 1, 2025 for the Philippines in the same July 2026 Visa Bulletin. Family and employment categories move separately, so a family retrogression does not predict an EB-2 or EB-3 movement by itself.

Which Visa Bulletin chart can you use for I-485?

For adjustment of status, the correct monthly chart is a two-step question. First, read the Department of State Visa Bulletin for your category and country. Second, check the USCIS monthly chart-use announcement for adjustment filings. Many mistakes happen because applicants do only the first step.

1. Identify the preference category. For workers, this is usually EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3. EB-3 has separate lines for skilled workers and professionals, and for other workers.
2. Identify chargeability. Most applicants use the country of birth, not citizenship. Cross-chargeability may help some spouses if one spouse was born in a less backlogged country.
3. Find the priority date. Use the PERM filing date or I-140 received date, depending on the case type.
4. Check Final Action Dates. This tells you whether final approval can occur.
5. Check Dates for Filing. This tells you whether early filing might be possible.
6. Check the USCIS monthly filing chart decision. This decides whether an adjustment applicant may use Dates for Filing or must use Final Action Dates.

In May 2026, the chart choice was especially important. Employment-based applicants had to use Final Action Dates for I-485 filing. That meant a worker current under Dates for Filing in April could lose I-485 filing eligibility in May if the worker’s priority date was not current under Final Action Dates.

The Department of State’s May 2026 Visa Bulletin listed annual limits and category instructions, while the chart-use decision for USCIS filing determined whether U.S.-based applicants could actually submit I-485 packages that month. Read both before sending a filing fee, medical exam, or signed form.

A simple chart-use test

Use this test before preparing an I-485 filing.

• If USCIS says employment-based applicants may use Dates for Filing, compare your priority date to the Dates for Filing chart.
• If USCIS says employment-based applicants must use Final Action Dates, compare your priority date to the Final Action Dates chart.
• If your priority date is earlier than the applicable cut-off date, the visa bulletin timing requirement is met for that month.
• If the category is C, the chart timing requirement is met for that category and country.
• If the category is U, filing or approval based on that category is blocked for that month.

This test does not replace eligibility review. It only answers the monthly visa number question. Unauthorized employment, status violations, criminal issues, prior immigration misrepresentation, public charge rules, medical grounds, and petition defects can still block approval or create risk.

How do EB-2 and EB-3 examples work?

Employment-based green card applicants often compare EB-2 and EB-3 because the faster category can change over time. EB-2 generally covers advanced degree roles and exceptional ability cases. EB-3 generally covers professionals, skilled workers, and other workers. The right category depends on the job requirements, the candidate’s credentials, and the employer’s PERM strategy.

Avisa’s separate guide to EB-2 vs EB-3 green card categories explains category fit. This section focuses on how the Visa Bulletin changes the timeline after the category is selected.

Example for EB-2 India in May 2026

The May 2026 Visa Bulletin period showed how a cut-off date can keep a long-approved case waiting. Envoy Global reported that the EB-2 India Final Action Date remained July 15, 2014 in its May 2026 Visa Bulletin update. An Indian-born EB-2 worker with a September 2014 priority date would not be current under that Final Action Date. A worker with a June 2014 priority date would be current under that line, assuming the correct chart applied and all other eligibility rules were met.

If USCIS requires Final Action Dates for I-485 filing, as it did for employment-based applicants in May 2026, Dates for Filing cannot rescue the September 2014 applicant. The filing package would need to wait unless another basis for filing exists.

Example for EB-3 India in May and July 2026

Envoy Global reported that EB-3 India Professionals and Skilled Workers had a May 2026 Final Action Date of November 15, 2013. In July 2026, the Department of State listed EB-3 India at January 1, 2014 in the July 2026 Visa Bulletin. That movement helped some applicants with late 2013 priority dates, but it still left many 2014 and later applicants waiting.

For a worker deciding whether to downgrade from EB-2 to EB-3 or upgrade from EB-3 to EB-2, one month of movement is not enough. The employer and attorney should compare job requirements, PERM language, I-140 history, interfiling risk, premium processing availability, and whether the alternate category is actually likely to remain better when the case reaches approval.

Example for EB-1 India in July 2026

EB-1 can still be backlogged for India and China, even though EB-1 is often faster than EB-2 or EB-3. In July 2026, EB-1 India had a Final Action Date of October 15, 2022, according to the Department of State’s July 2026 bulletin. An Indian-born multinational manager or extraordinary ability applicant with a November 2022 priority date would still wait under that chart.

This matters for workers considering EB-1C after an L-1A transfer or EB-1A after building a strong record in research, engineering, product, medicine, or entrepreneurship. A stronger category may reduce the wait, but it may still require monthly bulletin tracking.

How did the 2026 USCIS adjustment memo change planning?

On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Memo PM-602-0199, titled Adjustment of Status and Discretion. USCIS stated that adjustment of status is considered extraordinary administrative relief and is not automatically granted even when the applicant satisfies the basic statutory eligibility requirements, according to the agency’s May 21, 2026 USCIS policy notice.

The same USCIS notice said noncitizens generally would be required to leave the United States and apply through a U.S. consulate abroad, except under extraordinary circumstances. The notice did not say adjustment was eliminated for every applicant. It also did not make already-filed valid adjustment cases disappear by retroactive cancellation.

Misconception to correct. The 2026 memo did not delete adjustment of status from the law. It changed the discretionary posture and made case-specific planning more sensitive, especially for applicants who were counting on filing I-485 as soon as the Dates for Filing chart opened.

This change makes Visa Bulletin tracking more important, not less. If an applicant must consular process, the Dates for Filing chart may affect when the National Visa Center asks for documents, while Final Action Dates still control immigrant visa issuance. If an applicant seeks adjustment in the United States, the applicant must now consider both chart availability and the discretionary standard described in PM-602-0199.

What this means for workers already in H-1B, L-1, or F-1 status

A worker in valid H-1B status may still have time to wait for a priority date, extend status where eligible, and plan consular processing if adjustment is not available. H-1B workers with approved I-140s may also qualify for extensions beyond the normal six-year limit under AC21 rules in the right circumstances. Avisa’s guide to H-1B extensions, the six-year limit, and AC21 explains how the green card timeline can affect H-1B time.

F-1 and OPT workers have less margin if the green card case will take years. They usually need an H-1B, cap-exempt H-1B, O-1, TN, E-3, L-1, or another work-authorized route to stay employed while the immigrant process moves. If your priority date is many years from current, the Visa Bulletin should shape your nonimmigrant strategy early, not after OPT is almost over.

How should workers time PERM, H-1B, and job changes?

The Visa Bulletin rewards early priority dates. A one-year delay in starting PERM can become a multi-year delay in a backlogged category because the worker joins the line later. This is why international workers should evaluate sponsorship during offer negotiation, not after the first performance review.

Employers are also watching wage policy. On March 27, 2026, the Department of Labor announced a proposed rule to revise prevailing wage methodology for PERM, H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 programs, using updated BLS OEWS data and higher percentile thresholds, according to the Department of Labor March 27, 2026 release. Higher prevailing wage requirements can affect whether an employer starts PERM, how it budgets for the role, and whether the job description supports EB-2 or EB-3.

DHS also proposed an additional $103,265 fee per H-1B cap-subject petition in an August 25, 2026 proposed rule, with the Federal Register notice also describing cost allocations for DOL programs including $95.5 million for the PERM Program and $70.5 million for Prevailing Wage Programs, as shown in the August 25, 2026 Federal Register proposed rule. A proposed rule is not the same as a final rule, but workers should expect employers to ask more budget questions before sponsoring.

What to ask before accepting a job offer

Ask concrete sponsorship questions in writing. Vague support can leave you without a priority date.

• Does the company file PERM-based green cards for this role level?
• How soon after start date can PERM begin?
• Does the company normally file EB-2 when the role and candidate qualify?
• Who pays attorney fees and government filing fees?
• Will the company file H-1B extensions based on a pending PERM or approved I-140?
• Does the company support I-485 Supplement J or consular processing steps after I-140 approval?

If you are comparing employers, Avisa’s database of visa-sponsored jobs by field and city can help you focus on roles where sponsorship is part of the hiring plan. You can also review patterns from employers that file H-1B petitions in Avisa’s companies that sponsor H-1B visas filing guide.

Job changes after I-140 approval

Changing jobs after I-140 approval can be safe or risky depending on timing. A new employer may need a new PERM and I-140. The old priority date may be retained in many cases, but the new job must still support the new immigrant petition. If an I-485 is pending long enough, portability rules may help, but the job must be same or similar and the case history must be reviewed carefully.

For workers from India with EB-2 or EB-3 dates far behind the bulletin, keeping the earliest valid priority date is often the main strategic goal. Losing a 2014 priority date and restarting with a 2026 priority date could change the green card outlook by more than a decade in a heavily backlogged line.

What are the most common Visa Bulletin mistakes?

Most Visa Bulletin errors come from reading one number without reading the surrounding rules. These are the mistakes that cause rejected filings, missed windows, and bad job decisions.

Using citizenship instead of country of birth

Chargeability is usually based on country of birth. An Indian citizen born in the United Arab Emirates may be chargeable to the UAE rather than India. A Canadian citizen born in India is usually chargeable to India. Spouses may sometimes use cross-chargeability if it helps the family use a less backlogged country, but this requires careful documentation.

Assuming Dates for Filing always controls I-485 filing

Dates for Filing only helps with I-485 if USCIS accepts that chart for the category in that month. May 2026 showed the risk clearly. Employment-based applicants had to use Final Action Dates, so a Dates for Filing advantage did not open I-485 filing for EB applicants that month.

Assuming cut-off dates move forward every month

Cut-off dates can move forward, stop, move backward, or become unavailable. July 2026 EB-2 India being listed as unavailable is a clear example. A worker should avoid making travel, resignation, or house-purchase decisions based on an assumption that next month will improve.

Confusing I-140 approval with green card availability

An approved I-140 confirms the immigrant petition, not the availability of an immigrant visa number. A worker can have an approved I-140 for years before being able to file I-485 or receive an immigrant visa. This gap is common for EB-2 and EB-3 India.

Waiting for the priority date to be current before preparing documents

Birth certificates, police certificates for consular cases, marriage documents, divorce records, translations, medical exams, tax records, pay stubs, and employment verification letters can take time. If your date is close, prepare before the bulletin opens. A one-month filing window can be missed because a birth certificate format is wrong or a translation is incomplete.

What should you do every month?

Use the same process each month so you do not overreact to headlines or miss a filing window. The best day to review is shortly after the Department of State publishes the new bulletin and USCIS posts its chart-use decision for adjustment filings.

1. Save your priority date in one place. Include the source document, such as PERM filing confirmation or I-140 receipt notice.
2. Confirm your category. EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 Professional or Skilled Worker, EB-3 Other Worker, or a family category if applicable.
3. Confirm chargeability. Use country of birth unless an attorney confirms a cross-chargeability option.
4. Read Final Action Dates first. This tells you whether approval can happen.
5. Read Dates for Filing second. This tells you whether early document filing may be possible.
6. Check USCIS chart use for I-485. Employment-based applicants must know whether USCIS accepts Dates for Filing or requires Final Action Dates.
7. Update your employer or attorney if you are close. Do not wait until the last week of the month.
8. Track nonimmigrant status separately. H-1B, L-1, F-1, O-1, TN, and E-3 end dates do not pause because the Visa Bulletin is backlogged.

Applicants within six months of a possible filing window should also prepare a clean immigration timeline. Include every U.S. entry and exit, status approval, visa stamp, employment period, school period, unpaid leave period, and address history. The Visa Bulletin only opens the door. The filing still needs a complete record.

What is the practical takeaway?

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly gatekeeping system with three numbers that matter most to workers, the priority date, the Final Action Date, and the Date for Filing. Your priority date is your place in line. The Final Action Date controls final green card approval. The Date for Filing may allow earlier paperwork, but only if USCIS accepts that chart for adjustment filings in your category that month.

For employment-based applicants in 2026, the main lesson is caution. May 2026 showed that USCIS can require Final Action Dates for EB I-485 filings. July 2026 showed that a major category such as EB-2 India can become unavailable. The May 21, 2026 USCIS adjustment memo added another planning layer by treating adjustment of status as extraordinary administrative relief rather than an automatic benefit after basic eligibility.

Before you act on a bulletin date, write down your category, chargeability country, priority date, the applicable USCIS chart for the month, and your current nonimmigrant end date. If any one of those entries is uncertain, resolve it before filing, changing jobs, or leaving the United States for consular processing.

Sources

This guide draws on the following official and institutional sources. Immigration rules change often — check the original source for the current position before acting on it.

• US Department of Labor issues proposed rule revising prevailing wage methodology for H-1B, PERM visa programs | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
• Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 25, 2026 / Proposed Rules 54831 (govinfo.gov)
• Visa Bulletin For May 2026 (travel.state.gov)
• Visa Bulletin For July 2026 (travel.state.gov)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Will Grant ‘Adjustment of Status’ Only in Extraordinary Circumstances (content.govdelivery.com)
• Visa Bulletin For May 2026 (aila.org)