Visa Bulletin: How the Green Card Queue Works in the USA

The Visa Bulletin is the monthly bulletin published by the U.S. Department of State that acts as a queue management system for immigrants waiting for a Green Card. For anyone in the process of obtaining permanent residency in the United States, whether through family or employment-based routes, understanding how this bulletin works is essential for planning timelines and expectations.

The system exists because the number of Green Cards issued each year is limited by law. Section 201 of the INA sets a global annual cap of approximately 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas and about 226,000 family-based visas. Additionally, Section 202 imposes a 7% per-country limit, ensuring that no single nation dominates visa allocation. When demand exceeds supply, queues form.

Following the monthly Visa Bulletin is what determines when you can move forward in the process, whether to file for adjustment of status in the U.S. or to complete consular processing. In this guide, we explain each element of the bulletin with updated data from May 2026.

What is the Priority Date

The Priority Date is the date that marks your place in line. For employment-based categories, this date usually corresponds to the day the I-140 Form was received by USCIS. In cases requiring labor certification (PERM), the Priority Date is the date the PERM application was accepted by the Department of Labor. For family petitions, it is the date the I-130 Form was received.

This date is personal and non-transferable: it follows the beneficiary throughout the process. In some cases, if a previous I-140 was approved and the beneficiary changes employers, the original Priority Date can be “ported” (transferred) to the new petition, a benefit provided for in Section 204(j) of the INA. Knowing and protecting your Priority Date is essential for any immigration strategy.

Why There Are Queues

The 7% per-country limit means that a small country receives proportionally the same quota as a country with massive demand. This creates disproportionate queues for countries with a large volume of qualified immigrants. In the May 2026 Visa Bulletin, for example, the Final Action Date for EB-1 India is April 1, 2023, while for most other countries the category is current (“C”), with no queue.

For Brazilian citizens, most employment-based categories have historically shown current dates or relatively short queues. This means that, in many cases, Brazilians can move forward more quickly in the process than citizens of high-demand countries such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The Two Tables of the Bulletin

Final Action Dates

The Final Action Dates table is the most important. When your Priority Date is earlier than the date listed for your category and country in this table, it means an immigrant visa is available for you. This is the green light for Green Card issuance, whether via adjustment of status (I-485, if you are already in the U.S.) or via consular processing (if you are in Brazil or another country).

If the table shows the letter “C” (Current), there is no queue for that combination of category and country. In this scenario, anyone with an approved I-140 can immediately move to the next step.

Dates for Filing

The Dates for Filing table allows candidates who are already in the U.S. to submit Form I-485 before a Green Card is actually available. USCIS determines monthly whether it will accept the Dates for Filing table or the Final Action Dates table for adjustment of status purposes.

Using the Dates for Filing table is advantageous because, when submitting the I-485, the applicant can simultaneously request Form I-765 (work authorization/EAD) and Form I-131 (Advance Parole for travel). This offers employment and travel flexibility while the final Green Card is not yet issued. In the May 2026 bulletin, USCIS indicated it will honor the Final Action Dates for employment-based categories.

How to Interpret the Bulletin

To consult the Visa Bulletin, you need three pieces of information: your visa category (e.g., EB-1, EB-2, EB-3), your country of chargeability, and your Priority Date. Locate the intersection between your category and your country in the relevant table. If your Priority Date is earlier than the date listed, or if the cell shows “C,” you can move forward.

Consider this practical example: a Brazilian professional in the EB-2 category with a Priority Date of September 15, 2022. If the Final Action Dates table shows “C” for EB-2 in the “All Chargeability Areas” column, their Priority Date is already current and the process can proceed. If the table showed a date like October 1, 2022, the Priority Date of 09/15/2022 would still be within range (as it is earlier than 10/01/2022), so they could also move forward.

May 2026 Data

The May 2026 Visa Bulletin, published by the Department of State in mid-April, shows stability in the main employment-based categories. Most categories remain unchanged from the previous month. Highlights include:

• EB-1: Current (“C”) for most countries. India remains at April 1, 2023.
• EB-2 India: Remains at July 15, 2014, with no advancement.
• EB-3 India: Remains at November 15, 2013.
• EB-5: Current (“C”) for all countries, but with a warning that the category may close without prior notice upon reaching the annual cap.

USCIS announced that it will accept the Final Action Dates (and not the Dates for Filing) for adjustment of status in employment-based categories in May 2026.

What is Retrogression

Retrogression occurs when the Department of State needs to move dates backward in a category because demand has exceeded visa availability. In practice, this means that candidates who could move forward the previous month may be temporarily blocked. Retrogression is more common in high-demand categories, especially for India and China.

This phenomenon can happen at the end of the fiscal year (October to September) when USCIS uses visas more quickly than anticipated. It can also occur when there is an unexpected increase in petitions in a given category. The May 2026 Visa Bulletin warned of potential retrogression in EB-5, although dates remain current for now.

Tracking Tips

• Check the official Visa Bulletin on the Department of State website (travel.state.gov) every month, usually published in the second or third week of the previous month.
• Also check the USCIS announcement on which table will be used for adjustment of status (Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing).
• Keep accurate records of your Priority Date and any approved petition.
• If your category is subject to retrogression, consider concurrent filing as soon as dates allow, to secure the benefits of a pending I-485 (EAD, Advance Parole).
• For categories with long queues, consider whether it is possible to reclassify to a category with more favorable dates, such as EB-1A for professionals who qualify for extraordinary ability.

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.