The State Department's Visa Bulletin governs when you can file or receive a green card. Published monthly, it dictates priority date cutoffs by category and country of birth. Below: current month's chart, what each row means, and a tool to check whether your priority date is current.
USCIS announced for May 2026: Family-Sponsored applicants use Dates for Filing chart for I-485 eligibility. Employment-Based applicants must use Final Action Dates chart — a tightening from prior months. Verify on uscis.gov/visabulletininfo before filing.
Family-sponsored — Final Action Dates (May 2026)
| Category | All Other | China-mainland | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 Unmarried sons/daughters of USC | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01JAN05 | 22MAR12 |
| F2A Spouses/children of LPRs | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 22JUL23 | 01AUG24 |
| F2B Unmarried sons/daughters (21+) of LPRs | 22NOV16 | 22NOV16 | 22NOV16 | 15FEB05 | 15OCT12 |
| F3 Married sons/daughters of USC | 22NOV10 | 22NOV10 | 22NOV10 | 15MAY01 | 22NOV03 |
| F4 Siblings of adult USC | 15SEP08 | 15SEP08 | 15SEP08 | 22OCT01 | 15MAR05 |
Employment-based — Final Action Dates (May 2026)
| Category | All Other | China-mainland | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 Priority workers | Current | 01APR23 | 01APR23 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 Advanced degree / NIW | Current | 01SEP21 | 15JUL14 | Current | Current |
| EB-3 Skilled workers / professionals | 01JUN24 | 01NOV21 | 22FEB14 | 01JUN24 | 01JUN24 |
| EB-3 Other workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 22FEB14 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| EB-4 Special immigrants | 15MAR21 | 15MAR21 | 15MAR21 | 15MAR21 | 15MAR21 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | 22SEP16 | 01MAY22 | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Rural set-aside | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 High Unemployment | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Infrastructure | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
How to read this chart
Each cell shows the priority date cutoff for that category and country of birth. Your category is "current" — meaning you can be issued a visa or finalize I-485 — if your priority date is earlier than the date shown.
Example: An EB-2 applicant born in India with priority date June 2014 sees "15JUL14" in their cell. Their priority date (June 2014) is earlier than July 15, 2014 → current → eligible for visa issuance or I-485 finalization this month.
"Current" means no backlog at all — anyone in that category/country can proceed.
Retrogression happens when a date moves backward month-to-month. Filed-but-not-finalized cases are protected; new filings may be paused.
Dates for Filing vs Final Action Dates
Two charts publish each month. Final Action Dates determine when a visa can actually be issued. Dates for Filing are typically several months earlier — they signal when USCIS may allow you to submit your I-485 before the visa is technically available, getting you in the queue and unlocking EAD/AP.
USCIS announces monthly which chart it accepts for each category. May 2026: family-sponsored uses Dates for Filing; employment-based reverted to Final Action Dates.
The fiscal year cycle
The U.S. fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30. Each year's annual visa caps reset October 1. The most aggressive forward movement typically happens in October-December as a new fiscal year's allocations kick in. Mid-year retrogression often follows for backlogged categories.