The Visa Bulletin and How to Read It

The monthly Visa Bulletin published by the U.S. Department of State determines when certain green card applicants can move forward with their cases. For family-based applicants in preference categories, understanding priority dates is not optional. It is the difference between knowing where you stand and waiting without any clear picture of what comes next.

The team at DP Legal Solutions works with families who have been in preference category backlogs for years, sometimes decades. One of the most consistent gaps we see is applicants who do not know how to read the bulletin or how to apply what it tells them to their own situation.

What the Visa Bulletin Is

The State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin monthly. It communicates which applicants, organized by family preference category and country of birth, are eligible to receive an immigrant visa or proceed with adjustment of status in a given month. When demand for green cards in a particular category exceeds the annual numerical limit Congress has established, a backlog develops. The bulletin is the tool that manages that backlog.

Not every family-based green card applicant needs to track it. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, meaning spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents, are not subject to numerical limits. Their cases move forward without waiting for a priority date to become current. Everyone else in a preference category needs to pay attention.

The Two Charts That Matter

Each monthly bulletin contains two separate charts.

Chart A: Dates for Filing

This chart lists the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit adjustment of status applications to USCIS, even if a visa number is not yet immediately available. USCIS must specifically authorize the use of Chart A each month, and it does not always do so.

Chart B: Final Action Dates

This chart lists the priority dates for which visas are actually available and cases can be completed. It is the more conservative of the two and the one that ultimately controls when a green card is issued.

Understanding Your Priority Date

A priority date is assigned when the I-130 petition is filed with USCIS. For most family preference applicants, it is the date the agency received that petition. Once assigned, it does not change.

To find out if a case is current, an applicant compares their priority date to the date listed in the bulletin for their preference category and country of birth. If their date is earlier than the bulletin date, the case is current. If it is later, they continue waiting.

How to Track the Bulletin Effectively

Staying on top of the bulletin each month requires a consistent routine. Applicants should:

• Bookmark the State Department Visa Bulletin page and check it when each new edition is published
• Know their exact preference category and country of birth, as both affect which column applies to their case
• Confirm whether USCIS has authorized Chart A for a given month, since that determines whether an early adjustment filing is possible
• Keep records of all National Visa Center correspondence, which manages cases between I-130 approval and consular processing

Priority date movement is not always forward. Dates can retrogress, meaning they move backward when demand in a category surges. That is not a sign something went wrong with an individual case. It is a consequence of how the annual numerical cap system operates.

When Legal Guidance Makes a Difference

Reading the bulletin is straightforward once you understand the structure. Acting on it correctly is where things become more involved. Knowing when to file, which chart applies, and how retrogression affects your specific timeline requires a working understanding of the broader adjustment of status process. A family immigration lawyer can help you interpret the bulletin in the context of your case, anticipate upcoming movement, and file at the right time so nothing is delayed unnecessarily.