Visa Bulletin & Priority Date Prediction
View employment-based visa bulletin history and predict when your priority date might become current.
Visa Bulletin
Employment-Based Visa Bulletin
✅ In October 2026, employment-based applicants CAN file I-485 under the Dates for Filing (Form B) chart
Employment-based (EB) must use Dates for Filing (Form B); family-sponsored must use Dates for Filing (Form B).
USCIS publishes this determination each month. Always confirm on the official USCIS page.
Final Action Dates: Used to determine when USCIS can approve your I-485 application and issue your green card. Your priority date must be earlier than or equal to this date.
Employment-Based
| Category | Rest of World (RoW) | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EB1 Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researchers, Multinational Executives | Current | Jul 1, 2023 | Feb 1, 2023 Forward 109d | Current | Current |
EB2 Advanced Degree Professionals | Jan 1, 2025 | Oct 1, 2021 Forward 30d | Nov 1, 2013 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 |
EB3 Skilled Workers and Professionals | May 15, 2024 Backward 109d | Jan 8, 2022 Forward 7d | Jan 1, 2014 | May 15, 2024 Backward 109d | Aug 15, 2023 Forward 14d |
Family-Based
| Category | Rest of World (RoW) | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 Unmarried Adult Children of U.S. Citizens | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 22, 2020 | Sep 8, 2008 Forward 251d | Nov 1, 2013 Forward 184d |
F2A Spouses and Minor Children of Permanent Residents | Sep 22, 2026 Forward 31d | Sep 22, 2026 Forward 31d | Sep 22, 2026 Forward 31d | Mar 22, 2026 Forward 212d | Sep 22, 2026 Forward 31d |
F2B Unmarried Adult Children of Permanent Residents | Aug 22, 2019 | Aug 22, 2019 | Aug 22, 2019 | May 15, 2010 Forward 454d | Oct 1, 2013 Forward 122d |
F3 Married Children of U.S. Citizens | Oct 22, 2014 | Oct 22, 2014 | Oct 22, 2014 | Jul 1, 2001 | Jul 22, 2006 Forward 150d |
F4 Siblings of U.S. Citizens | Oct 22, 2011 | Oct 22, 2011 | Dec 15, 2006 Forward 44d | Apr 22, 2001 Forward 14d | May 15, 2008 Forward 267d |
Priority Date Prediction Tool
Estimate when your priority date might become current based on historical trends. This prediction is for reference only and actual dates may vary.
Disclaimer: This prediction tool provides estimates based on historical visa bulletin data and is for reference only. Actual visa bulletin dates may vary due to many factors including visa demand, country quotas, USCIS processing speeds, and policy changes. Please regularly check the official U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for the most accurate information.
About Visa Bulletin
What is a Visa Bulletin?
The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin that shows the availability of immigrant visa numbers for various employment-based and family-based categories. Due to per-country annual limits, backlogs occur when demand exceeds available visa numbers.
Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing
Final Action Dates (Form A): This is the date when USCIS can approve your I-485 application and issue your green card. Your priority date must be earlier than or equal to this date for final approval.
Dates for Filing (Form B): When your priority date is earlier than or equal to this date, you may file your I-485 adjustment of status application early. This allows you to begin the application process sooner and submit your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advance Parole applications along with your I-485, but final approval still depends on Final Action Dates. Chart B is not adjustment-only: if you are abroad and using consular processing, the National Visa Center uses Chart B to decide when you can submit your documents — but the visa interview and issuance still require Chart A to be current.
What is a Priority Date?
Your Priority Date is essentially your "place in line" in the green card process. For EB1A and EB2 NIW self-petitioners, the priority date is typically the date USCIS receives your I-140 petition (I-140 Receipt Date). This date determines your position in the visa bulletin queue.
Employment-Based Categories
- EB1: First preference - includes Extraordinary Ability (EB1A), Outstanding Professors and Researchers (EB1B), and Multinational Executives (EB1C)
- EB2: Second preference - includes Advanced Degree Professionals and National Interest Waiver (NIW)
- EB3: Third preference - includes Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers
How to Use the Prediction Tool
Our priority date prediction tool analyzes the last 12 months of historical visa bulletin data to calculate the average monthly forward movement, then estimates when your priority date might become current. This prediction is for reference only, as actual bulletin dates can vary due to many factors including visa demand, policy changes, and USCIS processing speeds. We recommend regularly checking the official U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for the most accurate information.
📌 Important Note
The Visa Bulletin is updated monthly, typically published in the middle of each month. The data on this page may not be the most current. Please visit the official U.S. Department of State website for the latest Visa Bulletin:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
FAQ: Chart A vs Chart B
The questions people most often ask about Final Action Dates (Chart A) and Dates for Filing (Chart B).
What's the difference between Chart A (Final Action Dates) and Chart B (Dates for Filing)?
Chart A, the Final Action Dates, is when a visa number actually becomes available — the point at which your green card can finally be approved and issued. Chart B, the Dates for Filing, is an earlier date that lets you get into the process sooner by submitting your application and documents before a visa is actually available. Being current on Chart B never grants the green card by itself; only Chart A does.
Which chart do I use to file my I-485 (adjustment of status)?
USCIS decides each month, separately for family-sponsored and employment-based categories. If USCIS judges that more visas are available than there are applicants, it lets you use Chart B (Dates for Filing); otherwise you must use Chart A (Final Action Dates). USCIS normally posts this determination within about a week of the State Department Visa Bulletin at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo, and the banner near the top of this page reflects the current month. Note that even in a "Final Action" month, if your category is Current or its Final Action date is later than the Dates for Filing date, you may still file using the Final Action Dates chart.
Does Chart B (Dates for Filing) apply if I'm outside the United States (consular processing)?
Yes. Chart B is not only for adjustment of status. If you are abroad and obtaining an immigrant visa through a U.S. consulate, the National Visa Center (NVC) uses Chart B to tell you when you may submit your DS-260 and civil and financial documents and become "documentarily qualified." However, your interview and the actual issuance of the immigrant visa still require your priority date to be current under Chart A (Final Action Dates).
Can my green card be approved once my priority date is current on Chart B?
No. Chart B only lets you file or submit early. Your I-485 can be approved — or your immigrant visa issued at a consulate — only when your priority date is current under Chart A (Final Action Dates). It is common to file under Chart B and then wait months or years for Chart A to reach your priority date.
If I can't get the green card yet, why file early under Chart B?
Filing your I-485 early (in a month when USCIS allows Chart B) lets you apply at the same time for a work permit (EAD) and an Advance Parole travel document, and your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can file with you. After your I-485 has been pending for 180 days, employment-based applicants may also gain job flexibility ("portability") to move to a same or similar occupation. Final approval still waits for Chart A.
What is a priority date?
Your priority date is your place in line for a green card. For EB1A and EB2 NIW self-petitioners it is the date USCIS receives your I-140 petition; for cases that require PERM labor certification it is the date the labor certification was filed. When a chart’s cut-off date reaches your priority date, you are "current" for that chart.
What happens to my case if my category retrogresses after I file under Chart B?
Your already-filed I-485 stays pending and you keep your EAD and Advance Parole; nothing is lost. Retrogression means Chart A (and sometimes Chart B) has moved backward, so you simply wait longer. USCIS cannot approve the case until your priority date is once again current under Chart A.