Visa Bulletin

It is a monthly report from the U.S. Department of State. It lists cutoff dates for people in line for limited employment- and family-based green cards. Each row is a visa category; each column is usually country of birth (chargeability).

It is the date that holds your place in line for a preference-category green card. It often comes from when a petition or labor certification was filed—the exact rule depends on your case type.

Each month you compare your priority date to the cutoff published for your category and country.

The U.S. Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin every month in advance for the next month.

Table A (Final Action Dates) is the date the government may use for final action. In general, when your priority date is earlier than (or “current” under) the Table A cutoff, you may be eligible for the final step (for example, immigrant visa issuance abroad or I-485 approval in the U.S.).

Table B (Dates for Filing) is the date the government may use for filing. In general, if your priority date is earlier than the Table B cutoff and you are eligible to file from your location, you may be able to file I-485 (and start related steps) earlier than Table A would allow for final approval.

Table B is often “more advanced” than Table A: the filing cutoff may be later (closer to today) than the final-action cutoff for the same category and country. That usually means you can take earlier steps—while still waiting for Table A to become available for the final green-card approval.

Before Table A is reached, you generally cannot complete the final approval step yet. However, if you file I-485 when Table B is available for that month, you may be able to request work authorization (EAD) and travel permission (advance parole) if USCIS rules and eligibility allow.

For I-485 inside the U.S., you must follow USCIS’s monthly decision about whether to use Table A or Table B for filing that month (the State Department bulletin and USCIS instructions are what you should use for the current month).

For April 2026, USCIS instructs you to use Table B (Dates for Filing) for I-485 filing.

USCIS publishes a monthly notice that tells you whether to use Table A or Table B for I-485 that month. Use that notice for the month you plan to file.

Sometimes USCIS follows exceptions (for example, when your category is “current” on Table A, or when Table A is more favorable than Table B). The USCIS notice explains which rule applies.

On the government bulletin, “C” means that category and country are not held to a cutoff date on that chart for that month—numbers are available for all qualified applicants in that cell, subject to other rules. This page labels that as “Current.”

“U” means no visa numbers are authorized for that cell that month for issuance as described in that month’s bulletin notes. Read the official bulletin if you see U.

The tables group cases into employment-based categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4, EB-5) and family-based categories (F1, F2-A, F2-B, F3, F4). Your priority date is compared against the cutoff in your row and your country column.

EB-1 (priority workers): people with extraordinary ability; outstanding professors and researchers with at least 3 years of experience; or certain multinational managers and executives employed outside the U.S. for at least 1 year in the preceding 3 years. Example: an internationally recognized researcher or a senior executive at a multinational company.

EB-2 (advanced degree or exceptional ability): professionals with advanced degrees or persons with exceptional ability, including national interest waiver provisions. Example: an engineer with a master’s degree applying for a role that requires advanced training.

EB-3 (skilled workers, professionals, and other workers): professionals with a U.S. bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent); skilled workers with at least 2 years of training/experience (not temporary or seasonal); and other workers for jobs where qualified workers are not available in the U.S. Example: a skilled trade job requiring 2+ years, or a professional role requiring a bachelor’s degree.

EB-4 (special immigrants): the 4th employment-based category for special immigrants. It includes multiple subgroups, including religious workers and special immigrant juveniles.

Certain Religious Workers (EB-4): one subgroup within EB-4 for people who may immigrate or adjust status to perform religious work (ministers and non-ministers in religious vocations/occupations). Example: a full-time minister (or other full-time religious vocation/occupation role) at a qualifying nonprofit religious organization with the required membership and qualifying service.

EB-5 Unreserved: immigrant investors whose project is not counted in the reserved set-asides (rural, high unemployment area, and infrastructure projects). Example: an EB-5 investor project that does not qualify as a rural, high-unemployment, or infrastructure set-aside.

EB-5 Set Aside: Rural: visas reserved for rural investment (20%). A rural area is generally outside a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and outside the outer boundary of a city/town with a population of 20,000+ (based on the most recent decennial census). Example: a project located outside an MSA.

EB-5 Set Aside: High Unemployment: visas reserved for high unemployment area investment (10%). It is designated using census tract unemployment rates (for example, at least 150% of the national average). Example: a project in a qualifying census tract area meeting the required unemployment threshold.

EB-5 Set Aside: Infrastructure: visas reserved for infrastructure projects investment (2%). An infrastructure project involves a capital investment project in a filed or approved business plan administered by a governmental entity as part of the Regional Center/investment structure for public works. Example: a public works project administered by a governmental entity.

F1: unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Example: an unmarried 22-year-old is the son or daughter of a U.S. citizen.

F2-A: spouses and children of permanent residents (lawful permanent residents). Example: the spouse or child of a permanent resident.

F2-B: unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older of permanent residents. Example: an unmarried 23-year-old child of a permanent resident.

F3: married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Example: a married adult child of a U.S. citizen.

F4: brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens. Example: the sibling of a U.S. citizen age 21 or older.