Visa Bulletin Tracker

How to read your result

Rows are the employment-based preference categories; columns are the countries of chargeability that have their own cutoffs. Current means visas are available without a wait. Unavailable means none are being issued this month. A date is the cutoff: if your priority date is earlier than it, your case can move toward final action.

The bulletin publishes two charts. Final Action Dates govern when a case can actually be approved, while Dates for Filing can let you submit paperwork earlier. They are not interchangeable, and each month USCIS announces which chart applicants may use for Adjustment of Status — so the chart that applies to you is the one USCIS designates that month, not whichever looks more favorable. We publish the Dates for Filing chart here once it is verified. If you are filing through a U.S. consulate rather than adjusting status inside the country, the chart that applies and the timing can differ, which is another reason to read the official bulletin rather than rely on any single number.

Common mistakes & misconceptions

The most frequent error is mixing up the two charts — reading a Dates for Filing cutoff and assuming a case can be approved, when only the Final Action chart controls final approval. A second is forgetting that USCIS chooses which chart applies to Adjustment of Status each month; the chart you used last month may not be the one in effect now.

Another misconception is treating a cutoff as a personal appointment date. The cutoff governs an entire category and country, not your individual case, and being past it is a necessary step, not the finish line. Applicants also sometimes assume forward movement is guaranteed; in reality a category can hold steady or move backward. Finally, a date that is earlier than yours by only a few days still means you are waiting — the comparison is strict, and "almost current" is not current.

Edge cases

A few situations behave differently than the headline table suggests. Retrogression — a cutoff moving backward in a later bulletin — happens when demand outpaces the annual supply, and it can pull a date that looked close back out of reach. A category showing Current is not permanently current either; heavy filing in response to a favorable bulletin can cause a later cutoff to be imposed.

Employment categories also have their own quirks. EB-5, for example, includes separate set-aside groups that can carry their own, independently moving cutoffs, so one EB-5 line being current says nothing about another. And because per-country limits interact with overall category demand, a country that is current in one category can have a years-long backlog in another. Country of chargeability adds a further nuance: it is generally based on country of birth, not citizenship, and in some cases a spouse's birth country can be used instead. Always read the row and column that match your exact category and chargeability rather than generalizing from a neighboring cell.

What to do next

For a direct yes/no on your own priority date, use the Priority Date Calculator, which compares your date against this chart for you. To project a rough remaining wait, try the Green Card Wait Time Estimator. Because dates can advance, hold, or retrogress, the most useful habit is to check back each month when the new bulletin is published, typically around the second week, with cutoffs for the following month.

To understand the mechanics behind the charts, read our guide on how the Visa Bulletin works and how to check your priority date. The official bulletin always controls, so confirm any date against it. For advice on how these dates apply to your specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney or accredited representative.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin — the official monthly source for Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing; it always controls.
• USCIS — Adjustment of Status Filing Charts — official page where USCIS designates which chart applies to Adjustment of Status each month.
• USCIS Policy Manual — official guidance on visa availability, priority dates, and category eligibility.