If you’re working in the U.S. on an H-1B or O-1 visa and dreaming of a green card, the Visa Bulletin is the roadmap to your goal. In this blog, we’ll break it all down in plain English – what the bulletin is, how to find it, how to read those confusing tables, and why terms like “Final Action Date”, “Date for Filing”, and “priority date” are so important.
What Is the Visa Bulletin (and Why Should I Care)?
The Visa Bulletin is published each month by the State Department, telling people whether immigrant visa numbers (green cards) are available in their category. U.S. immigration law caps the number of green cards issued each year across various categories. When there are more applicants than visas, a backlog builds up. Think of the Visa Bulletin as a monthly weather report for green card availability. It’s a crucial tool for immigrants (and attorneys) to understand where they stand in the queue for a green card.
If you are on an H-1B or O-1 visa and your employer has filed an employment-based green card petition, or if you have filed one yourself in certain categories like the EB-1A or EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW), the Visa Bulletin tells you when you can take the next big step in the process. It answers questions like: “Has my turn come to file the last paperwork?” or “How much longer might I have to wait?” Staying on top of the bulletin can help you plan your life, from job changes to travel, since you’ll know when your green card might finally be approved.
Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing (Two Tables, One Goal)
One confusing thing about the Visa Bulletin is that it has two tables for each category: one called “Final Action Dates” and another called “Dates for Filing.”
Final Action Dates: This chart shows when green cards can actually be approved. In other words, when an immigrant visa number is available for you. If your priority date (more on that soon) is earlier than the date listed in this chart for your category and country, then your application can be processed to completion. In plain terms, you’re at the front of the line, a visa is available for you now and USCIS can make a final decision on your green card. If the chart shows a “C”, that means Current, i.e. visa numbers are available for all applicants in that category (no backlog at all). If a date (e.g. 01JAN13) is shown, that date is a cutoff: only those with a priority date earlier than that can get a visa number right now. Note: “Earlier than” means if the bulletin says 01JAN13, a priority date of Jan 1, 2013 does not qualify yet – you’d need Dec 31, 2012 or earlier to be “before” the cutoff.
Dates for Filing: This chart is a bit more optimistic. It shows when you can submit your final paperwork like your adjustment of status application or documents to the National Visa Center, even if a visa isn’t ready yet. If your priority date is earlier than the date in this second chart, you’re allowed to file your green card application, but you might still wait a while for approval until your date becomes current in the Final Action chart. The advantage? Filing early can let you receive benefits like a work permit or travel document while you wait. For people already in the U.S., this is huge as one can file the I-485 application for adjustment of status and get a temporary work/travel permit once the Dates for Filing are in their range. For those going through consular processing abroad, the Dates for Filing tells them when the National Visa Center might start calling them to submit documents and prepare for an interview.
Why have two charts? Essentially, the government sometimes allows folks to file early even if final approval will take longer. This happens if there are more visas available than the known demand, or at fiscal year start, etc. However, USCIS decides which chart is used for filing in a given month. For employment-based cases, USCIS often sticks with Final Action Dates for letting one file, unless the bulletin dates are moving very slowly. That’s why it’s always best to double-check USCIS’s monthly bulletin update. If USCIS says “use the Dates for Filing chart” for a month, and your date is before the one listed there, go ahead and file your application. Otherwise, you have to wait until your date is before the Final Action cutoff to file.
C: You’ll notice both charts use "C" for current (no wait, everyone can proceed) and sometimes "U" for unavailable (no visas at all, usually when a category’s annual quota is used up). Thankfully, "U" is rare for EB categories except sometimes certain religious or investor visas – but “current” versus a date is something to watch closely. If it’s “C”, congratulations – no backlog for that category! If there’s a date, you’re playing the waiting game until your turn.
Priority Date: Your Golden Ticket
We’ve mentioned the term “priority date” a few times, so let’s clarify that. Your priority date is your personal timestamp in the green card line. It’s the date your first immigrant petition or labor certification was filed. It marks your place in line. For employment-based (EB) green cards, the priority date is typically:
EB-2 or EB-3 (with PERM labor certification): the date your labor certification (PERM) was filed with the Department of Labor (since that’s the first step before the I-140 petition).
EB-1, EB-2 NIW, or other categories without a labor certification: the date your I-140 immigrant petition was filed with USCIS.
If you’re not sure what your priority date is, check the receipt notice of your I-140 petition or the I-797 approval notice. It’s often listed there. It might also be on your PERM approval notice.
Why is this date so important? Because the Visa Bulletin charts are organized by priority dates. The bulletin will say something like “EB-2 India – 01JAN13”. That means if you’re an EB-2 applicant chargeable to India with a priority date of Jan 1, 2013 or later, you’re still waiting. If your priority date is in December 2012 or earlier, you are current (your date is before the cutoff) and can move forward. The earlier your priority date, the sooner you get to the front of the line. It’s literally first-come, first-served, by country and category. Your priority date never changes. Think of it as a deli counter ticket; you take a number, aka your date, and keep that number through the whole process. Even if you change jobs or refile in a different EB category, you can often keep your original priority date. This is called priority date portability, and it’s a key part of green card strategy. USCIS generally allows you to keep your original priority date as long as your first I-140 petition was approved and your second petition is also eligible. This ability to “port” your date can save you years of waiting, especially if you qualify for a faster-moving category.
This is why people care so much about locking in an early priority date. It’s your golden ticket to getting ahead in the queue.
Visa Bulletin Backlogs: Impact on Applicants Born in India and China
If you’ve looked at the Visa Bulletin and noticed that India and China are still stuck in 2013 while other countries are nearly current, you’re not alone. The reason comes down to how the U.S. distributes green cards. By law, no more than 7 percent of green cards in any category can go to people from a single country. The idea is to make things fair for everyone, but for countries with a high number of applicants, it ends up causing long wait times.
In employment-based green card categories, about 140,000 green cards are issued each year. With the 7 percent limit, each country gets around 9,800. India and China often have far more people applying than that. Once the cap is reached, the rest must wait their turn in line based on their priority date. Over time, this creates major backlogs, especially in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.
India and China typically face the longest wait times in employment-based categories. Mexico and the Philippines sometimes experience delays too, but mainly in family-based categories. If you were born in a country other than these four, you likely fall under the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” group, which as of 2025, usually means little to no backlog. It is important to clarify that it is the country of birth that determines your green card category, not your current citizenship. For example, if someone was born in China but later became a Canadian citizen, they would still be counted under the China category and subject to that backlog.
It is also important to understand that the Visa Bulletin does not always move forward. In most months, the dates inch ahead. But if too many people file at once or if demand suddenly spikes, the State Department may pull the date back. This is called retrogression. It temporarily stops visa approvals until the next fiscal year. It can be discouraging to see your date get close and then slip back. But reading the bulletin carefully helps. It often includes notes or warnings, like “high demand in EB-3 may require retrogression,” so always check the commentary along with the dates.
Navigating this process might seem intimidating, but you don’t have to go it alone. At this point, you might be thinking: “Alright, I understand the basics, but this is still a lot to keep track of!” Immigration is complex, and that’s where Casium can step in to help. At Casium, we specialize in expert-supported visa petitioning to guide you through this journey. We’ve seen countless talented people on H-1Bs who felt “stuck” because of the green card backlog. Our mission is to make sure talented individuals understand their path and we accelerate their journey wherever possible with our expertise. We can’t change the cutoff dates, but we can help you file the strongest application at the earliest possible time, avoid mistakes that lead to RFEs (requests for evidence) or delays, and keep you informed. If you are ready to start your journey, connect with us for a free profile evaluation.
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