How to read the Visa Bulletin

1. Find your priority date

Your priority date is the date your green card petition (or, for many employment cases, your labor certification) was filed. It is printed on your receipt or approval notice. It decides your place in the line.

2. Find your category and your country column

Family categories are F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4. Employment categories are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Other Workers, 4th (including certain religious workers) and 5th (investors). Each row has five columns: All other countries, China (born in mainland China), India, Mexico and the Philippines. Pick the column for your country of birth, or “All other countries” if yours is not listed.

3. Compare your date with the date in the table

• If your priority date is earlier than the date shown, your turn has come.
• If the table says Current (C), numbers are available for everyone in that category.
• If it says Unavailable (U), no numbers can be issued right now.
• If your priority date is later than the date shown, you wait for the line to move.

Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing

There are two charts for each group. The Final Action Dates chart shows when a green card can actually be issued. The Dates for Filing chart shows when people can send in their documents earlier. Each month the government says which chart to use for applying inside the United States on the USCIS website (uscis.gov/visabulletininfo). People applying from abroad follow the instructions from the National Visa Center.

Why dates go forward and back

Dates usually move forward over time, but not always. When more people apply in a category than there are numbers, the date can stay still or move back. This is called retrogression. On this site, a green cell means a date moved forward since last month and a red cell means it moved back, with the change in days.