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.
Latest data fetched from travel.state.gov. Always verify on the official source before filing.
Family-Sponsored — Final Action Dates (May 2026)
| Category | All ChargeabilityAreas ExceptThose Listed | CHINA-mainlandborn | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 15AUG07 | 01MAY13 |
| F2A | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG24 |
| F2B | 22MAY17 | 22MAY17 | 22MAY17 | 15FEB09 | 08APR13 |
| F3 | 15FEB12 | 15FEB12 | 15FEB12 | 01MAY01 | 22NOV05 |
| F4 | 15SEP08 | 15SEP08 | 01NOV06 | 08APR01 | 15JUL07 |
Family-Sponsored — Dates for Filing (May 2026)
| Category | All ChargeabilityAreas ExceptThose Listed | CHINA-mainlandborn | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT08 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2B | 01JAN18 | 01JAN18 | 01JAN18 | 15MAY10 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 08DEC12 | 08DEC12 | 08DEC12 | 15JUL01 | 08AUG06 |
| F4 | 01SEP09 | 01SEP09 | 15DEC06 | 30APR01 | 22MAR08 |
Employment-Based — Final Action Dates (May 2026)
| Category | All ChargeabilityAreas ExceptThose Listed | CHINA-mainlandborn | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | C | 01APR23 | 01APR23 | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 01SEP21 | 15JUL14 | C | C |
| 3rd | 01JUN24 | 15JUN21 | 15NOV13 | 01JUN24 | 01AUG23 |
| Other Workers | 01FEB22 | 01FEB19 | 15NOV13 | 01FEB22 | 01NOV21 |
| 4th | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 |
| 5th Unreserved(including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) | C | 22SEP16 | 01MAY22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:Rural (20%, including NR, RR) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:High Unemployment (10%, including NH, RH) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:Infrastructure (2%, including RI) | C | C | C | C | C |
Employment-Based — Dates for Filing (May 2026)
| Category | All ChargeabilityAreas ExceptThose Listed | CHINA-mainlandborn | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | C | 01DEC23 | 01DEC23 | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | C |
| 3rd | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | 01JAN24 |
| Other Workers | 01AUG22 | 01OCT19 | 15JAN15 | 01AUG22 | 01AUG22 |
| 4th | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| 5th Unreserved(including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 01MAR17 | 01MAY24 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:(Rural: NR, RR - 20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:(High Unemployment: NH, RH - 10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside:(Infrastructure: RI - 2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
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.