How to Read the Visa Bulletin: A Simple Guide

The monthly Visa Bulletin from the State Department determines when you can file for your green card. It can be confusing at first — here's a simple breakdown.

Two Charts That Matter

Each bulletin has two charts for employment-based categories:

• Final Action Dates (Chart A) — If your priority date is before this date, a visa number is available and your case can be approved.
• Dates for Filing (Chart B) — If your priority date is before this date, you can submit your I-485 application (but it won't be approved until Chart A is also current).

Which Chart Should You Use?

USCIS announces each month whether they'll accept filings based on Chart A or Chart B. This is posted on the USCIS website. In recent months, USCIS has mostly used Chart B for employment-based categories, allowing earlier filing.

"Current" Means No Wait

If a chart shows "C" (Current) for your category and country, there's no backlog — you can file immediately regardless of your priority date.

Skip the Manual Checking

Instead of reading the bulletin every month, our Priority Date Predictor does the work for you. Enter your details once and get an estimated timeline — updated automatically when new bulletins are released.

Want monthly updates? Subscribe to our free newsletter — we break down each bulletin's key movements so you don't have to.