E-Paper
US visa bulletin explained: All about green card priority dates, cut-off dates and visa queues
The monthly US Visa Bulletin helps family-sponsored and employment-based applicants track visa availability and application eligibility.
Prefer HTon Google
The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication issued by the Department of State that helps people waiting for family-sponsored or employment-based permanent residency track when they can move forward with their applications. It lists cut-off dates that determine when immigrant visas are available and when applicants may submit required documents or qualify for final approval.
According to the official US Department of State Visa Bulletin page, the bulletin covers family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories, which are subject to annual numerical limits. Applicants must check the relevant category, priority date and country of chargeability to understand their place in the queue.
How US green card visa queues work
The bulletin tracks the availability of immigrant visas in categories that have more applicants than available visa numbers. It covers family-sponsored preferences for certain relatives of US citizens and permanent residents, as well as employment-based categories such as EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3.
Also Read: Trump says US should prioritize migrants from Norway, Sweden over conflict-hit nations
US immigration law sets an annual minimum of 226,000 family-sponsored preference visas and at least 140,000 employment-based preference visas. The number available in each category is limited, meaning applicants may have to wait until their priority dates become eligible.
Green card priority dates
A priority date establishes an applicant's place in the immigration queue. For many employment-based cases requiring a labor certification, it is generally the date the labor certification application was accepted for processing. For cases that do not require labor certification, it is usually the date USCIS received the immigrant petition. Family-sponsored applicants generally use the date USCIS received the relevant petition.
Applicants can find their priority dates on their immigration paperwork and compare them with the cut-off dates in the bulletin.
Green card cut-off dates
The bulletin contains two main charts.
- Final Action Dates: These indicate when an immigrant visa can be issued or an adjustment-of-status application can be approved, provided all other requirements are met.
- Dates for Filing: These indicate when applicants may submit supporting documents to the National Visa Center in consular cases. For people applying to adjust status inside the US, this chart can be used only when USCIS specifically permits it for that month.
The USCIS adjustment-of-status filing charts page identifies which chart applicants must follow each month.
What do C, U and retrogression mean?
- C - Current: Visas are available to all qualified applicants in the relevant category, subject to other requirements.
- U - Unavailable: No visa numbers are authorized for issuance in that category.
- Retrogression: A cut-off date moves backwards because demand exceeds the available supply or annual limits are reached.
Applicants should consult the latest official Visa Bulletin every month. Dates can advance, remain unchanged or move backwards, and becoming eligible under a chart does not guarantee approval. Applicants must still meet all immigration requirements and complete the relevant processing steps.
