How to Read the Visa Bulletin

Before you start

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens do not need the Visa Bulletin to find out whether a visa is available. USCIS states that their visas are unlimited and always available. The bulletin matters for the preference categories, which USCIS describes as the family categories F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4, and the employment-based preference categories.^{[1], [3]}

USCIS explains that the Department of State uses an immigrant's priority date to determine their place in the visa queue. Your priority date is the date that places you in that queue.^[1]

Reading the bulletin, step by step

1. 1

   Identify your preference category

   For family cases this is one of F1, F2A, F2B, F3 or F4, depending on the relationship and on whether the sponsor is a citizen or a permanent resident.

2. 2

   Identify your country of chargeability

   USCIS explains that visas are limited by percentage per country of chargeability, which is usually the country of birth. The bulletin has separate columns for different countries, so use the column for yours.

3. 3

   Choose the right chart

   The bulletin has a Final Action Dates chart and a Dates for Filing chart. The bulletin's own heading for the second chart reads “Dates for Filing … Visa Applications”, and this guide uses the shorter name. USCIS says you must use the Final Action Dates chart for Form I-485 unless its filing charts page says otherwise for the month. Check that page.

4. 4

   Compare your priority date with the cut-off date

   USCIS says a visa is immediately available when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off date shown for your category and country.

5. 5

   Read the letters

   If the entry shows C or U instead of a date, see the explanation below.

Sources:^{[4], [1], [2]}

The two charts compared

What C and U mean

• The Department of State Visa Bulletin says C means Current. USCIS describes it in its own words as immigrant visas being currently, immediately available to all qualified adjustment of status applicants in that category.
• The Department of State Visa Bulletin says U means Unauthorized: numbers are not authorized for issuance. USCIS describes it in its own words as visas being temporarily unavailable to all applicants in that particular category or country of chargeability.

Sources:^{[4], [1]}

A C describes visa availability, not the outcome of any individual case. You still need to be eligible, and USCIS or a consulate still decides the application.

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong chart. The chart can change from one month to the next.
• Reading the column for the wrong country. The column for your country of chargeability, usually your country of birth, is the one that counts.
• Assuming immediate relatives need to wait for a date. USCIS says their visas are always available.
• Copying a cut-off date from an old page. Dates move every month.

Sources:^{[1], [2]}

What happens next

If a visa is immediately available and you are otherwise eligible, you can file Form I-485 from inside the United States or continue consular processing abroad. For preference categories USCIS says a visa must be available both when you file and when USCIS makes a final decision, so a category that is open when you file can still matter later.^{[3], [1]}

Forms mentioned

• I-485
• I-130

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status — Form I-485
• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative — Form I-130
• Green Card Through Marriage to a U.S. Citizen — Green card through marriage
• The Visa Bulletin: What It Is and Who Needs It — Visa Bulletin

Where to check the current official information

Official pages to consult directly. They are listed so you can check the latest details; they are not among the sources this guide was written from.

• Visa Bulletin (U.S. Department of State)

  U.S. Department of State — The monthly bulletin itself, with the current cut-off dates. Open the most recent month listed there.

• USCIS: Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin

  USCIS — States which chart applicants must use for the current month.

Sources checked

Official sources this page was written from, in order of authority. See our sources policy.

1. [1] Visa Availability and Priority Dates

   USCIS · Official source · Checked October 3, 2026 · Source last updated January 24, 2025

   Supports: priority dates; visa immediately available; country of chargeability; Final Action Dates default; C and U; immediate relatives

2. [2] Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin

   USCIS · Official source · Checked October 3, 2026 · Source last updated October 1, 2026

   Supports: USCIS designates the chart monthly; when Dates for Filing may be used

3. [3] Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants

   USCIS · Official source · Checked October 3, 2026 · Source last updated July 8, 2025

   Supports: family preference categories; visa must be available at filing and at final decision

4. [4] Visa Bulletin For October 2026

   U.S. Department of State · Official source · Checked October 3, 2026

   Supports: the Visa Bulletin uses Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing; C means Current; U means Unauthorized, numbers are not authorized for issuance