If you're in the seemingly never ending line for your green card, the Visa Bulletin is the monthly document that tells you whether it's your turn yet.
The U.S. Department of State publishes it every month, usually around the middle of the month before the month it covers (i.e. the December bulletin should be published around mid-November).. and once you know where to look, and how to read it (which is it’s own conundrum), it just takes a few minutes to read.
Start with your priority date
Your priority date is your place in line.
For most employment-based cases it's the date your PERM was filed (or your I-140, if no PERM was needed). For family cases it's usually the date USCIS received the I-130. It's printed on your approval notice, so find it first.
Find your row and your column
Each chart lists categories down the side (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 for employment; F1, F2A and so on for family) and countries across the top. You're "charged" to your country of birth, not your citizenship, which surprises a lot of people. If you were born in India, you read the India column, even if you hold another passport. The countries shown can change from bulletin to bulletin, so always check the current one.
Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing
Each month there are two charts: Final Action, and Dates for Filing.
Final Action Dates tell you when a green card can actually be approved or issued. Dates for Filing tell you when you may be able to submit your application early, even though the green card itself isn't available yet.
If your priority date is earlier than the date listed in your row and column, you're "current" for that chart.
Which chart does USCIS use this month?
If you're adjusting status inside the U.S., you don't get to pick. USCIS posts its own monthly announcement on its "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page saying which chart applies that month. Check that page every single month, because it can change.
What "C," "U" and retrogression mean
"C" means current: For categories with a “C” there is no backlog, meaning that an immigrant visa is available regardless of your priority date.
"U" means unavailable: When a category has a “U” under it, it means that there are no available immigrant visas for that category and country right now.
Retrogression is when a date moves backward instead of forward because demand is higher than expected. It's stressful, but it doesn't erase your priority date... you keep your place in line.
Where Connect by InHouse Core fits
This is exactly why we built the Priority Date Tracker in Connect by InHouse Core. It tracks the bulletin next to your priority date, category, and country of birth every single month, and tells you if you’re current based on which chart USCIS is accepting, so you see it yourself without scouring for answers. Then you reach out to your attorney when you already know, not because you need an update.
TLDR
To read the visa bulletin:
Find your priority date and category on your I-140/I-130 approval notice;
Find your category row and your country-of-birth column, and compare.
Final Action means that USCIS is adjudicating applications with that priority date or before, and the immigrant visa is available.
Dates for Filing means you may be able to submit your application before immigrant visas are available.
Check the USCIS chart page every month to see which one counts for you.
“C” means Current, “U” means unavailable, and retrogression means the date has moved backward.
Here’s a video that shows you how to do it in real time:
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed immigration attorney.
