US Visa Bulletin: A Guide to Green Card Dates and Categories

One of the most significant monthly releases for those waiting for an employment-based or Family-sponsored Green Card is the US Visa Bulletin. The bulletin, which is issued by the United States Department of State, indicates when immigrant visa numbers are available and enables an applicant to decide whether to proceed with his or her case. It is especially crucial for those who are applying from countries with high demand like India and China, as there could be a visa backlog resulting in delayed visa processing. Because it has various immigration categories, country-specific cut-off dates, Priority Dates, Final Action Dates, and Dates for Filing, the system can seem complex. The August 2026 Visa Bulletin illustrates, for instance, how visa availability is determined by annual and per-country visa limits.

What is the US Visa Bulletin?

The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication that contains details on the availability of immigrant visa numbers in the categories that are subject to a numerical quota. It's like a line to get a U.S. Green Card, in simple terms.

The bulletin is particularly applicable to employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories. It provides the applicants with the Priority Dates, which can be filed or finally acted upon during a specific month.

The bulletin is issued by the US Department of State, and USCIS decides which chart to use for adjustment-of-status applications filed in the United States. The bulletin for August 2026 indicates that, unless USCIS issues other guidance, applicants for adjustment of status should follow the Final Action Dates chart.

Not all U.S. visa applicants need to watch the Visa Bulletin. Most temporary visas (tourist, student, and temporary employment) are not included in the system. The bulletin is primarily for those who are seeking Green Cards in categories that are subject to an annual numerical limit.

Also Read: Visa Fees for All Countries from India: Latest Guide

Who Needs to Check the US Visa Bulletin?

People who apply under the employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories will be especially interested in the bulletin.

Employment-based categories include:

• EB-1: Priority workers

• EB-2: Professionals with advanced degrees or people with exceptional ability

• EB-3: Skilled workers, Professionals and Other Workers (certain other workers).

• EB-4: Special immigrants (some)

• EB-5: Employment-Based Immigrant Investor

There are family-sponsored preference categories that include F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4.

The bulletin may also impact spouses and children who are derivative beneficiaries of preference-category applicants. In contrast, immediate family members of U.S. citizens (such as spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of adult U.S. citizens) are not subject to the same preference-category numerical waiting period.

The bulletin is especially important for Indian applicants as India is one of the chargeability areas that is oversubscribed by the Department of State. India is included in the special allocation provision in the August 2026 bulletin, along with China, Mexico, and the Philippines.

What is a Priority Date?

One of the most significant pieces of information when monitoring a Green Card case is the Priority Date.

It basically puts an applicant's name in the immigration line. How a Priority Date is determined varies depending on the immigration category.

In most employment-based cases where permanent labour certification is required, the Priority Date is usually concurrent with the date upon which the US Department of Labor receives the labour certification application. Where labour certification is not required, it is typically linked to the date the USCIS accepts the immigrant petition.

The Priority Date for family-sponsored preference cases is typically the date of proper filing of the petition. The date is typically included on the USCIS notices that are sent to applicants.

After an applicant is aware of the Priority Date, he or she must then check the Priority Date against the date in the Visa Bulletin.

How to Read the US Visa Bulletin?

When an applicant has three important pieces of information, reading the bulletin is easier:

• Green Card category

• Country of chargeability

• Priority Date

In most cases, the country of chargeability is determined by the applicant's country of birth and not by their citizenship or current residence, with a few exceptions for immigration rules.

Indian professional applicant, for instance, should search for the employment-based portion, the EB-2 category, and then the India column.

Assume the Priority Date is June 10, 201,4 and the cutoff is May 1, 2014. The applicant has not yet met the cutoff because the date of June 10, 2014 is after the date of May 1, 2014.

If the cutoff date is changed to July 1, 2014, in a subsequent bulletin, the June 10, 2014 Priority Date would be before the changed cutoff date. The applicant would then have met the appropriate threshold, subject to the rules and other eligibility requirements.

The general rule is that the Priority Date must precede the applicable cutoff date.

Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing

The most confusing part of the Visa Bulletin is that it has two charts.

Final Action Dates

Available for Final Action on Eligible Cases by the date on the Final Action Dates chart.

In the actual application process, this is the chart on which a Green Card application or immigrant visa can be submitted for final approval based on visa availability.

Dates for Filing

The Dates for Filing chart may enable eligible applicants to submit documents and/or applications earlier in the process.

Just because a person qualifies to file, however, does not necessarily mean that the Green Card is immediately approved.

USCIS notifies people who are applying for adjustment of status from within the United States of which chart may be used during a specific month. It is important to note that while the Dates for Filing chart applies to the USCIS instructions, applicants should review the instructions for themselves.

Also Read: 14 Best Countries For Indians To Live And Work In Europe

Why the Difference Matters for Green Card Applicants?

Let's take an applicant with a Priority Date of January 15, 2023. Suppose an applicant has a Priority Date of January 15, 2023.

Let's say that the filing date is May 1, 2023, and the Final Action Date is December 1, 2022.

The Priority Date for the applicant is before May 1, 2023, and he/she may be able to file if USCIS allows the use of the Dates for Filing chart and all other requirements are met.

However, the Priority Date is later than December 1, 2022. The applicant is therefore ineligible to receive final approval of the Green Card at that time due to the fact that the visa numbers were not available.

This distinction is crucial because the two phases are application and final approval.

What do “C” and “U” mean?

Sometimes letters are used in place of dates in the Visa Bulletin.

• C means “Current.” It means that applicants in that category who are qualified will be able to apply for a visa without having to wait for a Priority Date to be earlier than a date listed.

• U means “Unavailable.” It is not an indication that there are no visas available to be issued in that category for that month.

The codes are not a guarantee of acceptance. There are other eligibility, documentation, and processing requirements.

What is Visa Bulletin Retrogression?

Visa Bulletin dates can't always be forward-looking.

The cutoff date occasionally goes back in time. This is known as retrogression.

• For instance, a category could have a cutoff date of June 1, 2014 in one month and advance to July 1, 2014 the next month. The date may then be adjusted to January 1, 2014 if demand unexpectedly increases.

• Retrogression may occur when the number of immigrants who apply for a particular visa category exceeds the number of visas expected to be issued, or when the government must comply with the annual and country caps on the number of visas it may issue in a particular category.

That is why it is important for applicants not to assume that if they meet a cutoff, then the date will keep progressing each month.

Why the Visa Bulletin is Important for Indian Applicants?

The Visa Bulletin is significant for several reasons for applicants from India.

Indian Green Card applicants tend to keep a close eye on the bulletin as there is a high demand for jobs in several employment-based categories and country-specific caps can impact visa availability.

However, the August 2026 bulletin indicates that India is subject to the per-country allocation rules for oversubscribed chargeability areas. The per-country cap for preference immigrants is 7% of the annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference caps, with some exceptions provided by U.S. immigration law where demand is greater than the caps.

The August bulletin also notes that applicants seeking employment must keep a close watch on the movement of the categories to which they are applying. Separate tables for EB-1 through EB-5 are included in the bulletin, and country-specific dates are included as appropriate.

Thus, an Indian professional should keep an eye not only on his/her employment category, but also on his/her individual Priority Date and the particular India cutoff released monthly.

Also Read: How Many Types of Visa in USA? New Full Expert Guide

How Often Should Applicants Check the Visa Bulletin?

Applicants can review the bulletin on a monthly basis, especially when their Priority Date is nearing the relevant cut-off date.

The Department of State has a special Visa Bulletin page with the latest bulletin and previous updates. USCIS also provides instructions on which chart adjustment-of-status applicants should use.

The dates may change, stay the same, become earlier or later, or even be removed, so it can be wrong to assume that someone is eligible based on an earlier bulletin.

Candidates whose applications are near a cutoff must also ensure that all supporting documents and other criteria are in order to take action when allowed.

Does Reaching the Cutoff Guarantee a Green Card?

If you reach the cutoff dates in the Visa Bulletin does not mean you will automatically be granted a Green Card.

The bulletin only provides information about the availability of immigrant visas. Applicants will still need to meet all immigration requirements and pass through the required immigration procedures and obtain approval from the competent authority of the state.

Additional requirements may also apply for consular processing, including requirements of the National Visa Center, and the US Embassy or Consulate in the country of the applicant's residence. The State Department's immigrant-visa scheduling system states that interview scheduling is based on a variety of considerations, such as the time the case becomes documentarily complete.

Hence, applicants should consider a current Priority Date as more of a procedural milestone and not a guarantee of permanent residence.

What Applicants Should Track Each Month?

Each month, applicants should keep track of:

It will make it easier to navigate the Visa Bulletin for Green Card applicants to have a simple monthly checklist:

• Verify Green Card category.

• State the country of chargeability.

• Look for the Priority Date on the USCIS notice.

• Check the latest Final Action Dates table.

• Check the Dates for Filing chart (if applicable).

• Review USCIS guidance for filing for adjustment of status.

• Be alert for movement, stagnation, or retrogression.

• Check for “C” ratings or “U” ratings.

Have necessary documents and forms on hand in case the case becomes eligible.

If there are complex matters, then seek professional immigration advice. Applicants must use the information in the bulletin for the month they applied for rather than using general estimates of Green Card waiting times.

August 2026 Visa Bulletin: What Applicants Should Know?

The August 2026 Visa Bulletin contains both Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for the family-sponsored preference categories and the employment-based preference categories. It further clarifies that visa allocations are based on demand and the statutory numbers.

In family-sponsored cases, the August bulletin lists various dates for F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4, with India having separate dates in a number of categories.

The bulletin provides a separate listing of the categories EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 for employment-based cases. Applicants must check the full table and not presume that a movement from one employment category to another exists.

The August bulletin also serves as a reminder that the fiscal year is important. The Department of State reports that the employment-based preference category has a minimum of 140,000 worldwide employment cases, and the family-sponsored preference category has a minimum of 226,000 cases worldwide. If annual limits are met, a category may be removed.

Conclusion

The US Visa Bulletin is a document that allows applicants who are waiting for an immigrant visa or Green Card in the categories with limited visas to follow a roadmap of the process month-by-month. Knowing the Priority Date, country of chargeability, Final Action Dates, and Dates for Filing will be useful to the applicant in determining where their case is and when it may be possible to take the next step. It is particularly crucial for Indian applicants, who may experience substantial employment-based and family-sponsored backlogs, to keep an eye on the bulletin. But applicants need to keep in mind that a current date does not automatically mean a Green Card approval. The availability of visas is just one component of the larger immigration process, and cutoff dates may advance, retard, or even back up due to demand and annual limits.

Contact TerraTern for more information.