Priority date
The date that marks your place in line. It may appear on a receipt or approval notice, but the source can vary by case.
A visual immigration guide
How to read the Visa Bulletin
No alphabet soup. This visual guide from AG Law Firm in New Brunswick, New Jersey explains the monthly waiting-line charts for many family- and employment-based immigrant visa categories. See what information to collect, which chart to open, and how to compare dates without entering case information here.
Attorney-reviewed resource
Reviewed by Aleksandra Gontaryuk, Founder and Managing Attorney
Start with four clues
Preference category
For example, F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4, or an employment-based category. Do not guess from the relationship alone.
Country column
Usually based on country of birth. If the country is not separately listed, the worldwide column may apply. Special rules can change this.
Correct monthly chart
People applying inside the United States must check which chart USCIS authorizes that month. Consular cases follow Department of State and NVC instructions.
What do F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4 mean?
Each code is shorthand for a relationship, the petitioner’s status, and sometimes the beneficiary’s age or marital status.
U.S. citizen → unmarried adult son or daughter
The beneficiary is unmarried and age 21 or older.
Green-card holder → spouse or young unmarried child
The beneficiary is the permanent resident’s spouse, or an unmarried child under 21.
Green-card holder → unmarried adult son or daughter
The beneficiary is unmarried and age 21 or older.
U.S. citizen → married son or daughter
The beneficiary is married.
Adult U.S. citizen → brother or sister
The petitioning U.S. citizen must be at least 21.
These are plain-language summaries, not a category determination. Immigration definitions, derivatives, conversions, age rules, and marital-status changes can affect the correct category.
Five-step reading path
Follow the line from your notice to the chart
- 01
Find your priority date
Write it exactly as shown in your reliable case record. Do not use a guess or the date you first spoke with a lawyer.
STAGED EDUCATIONAL IMAGEPriority dateLook near the top of the notice for the priority-date field. The correct source of the date can vary by case. - 02
Find the right category and column
Choose family-sponsored or employment-based, then match the preference category and country column.
U.S. Department of StateAugust 2026 Visa BulletinFinal Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Preference Cases Family-Sponsored All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed China-mainland born India Mexico Philippines F1 15DEC18 15DEC18 15DEC18 01DEC07 01MAY13 F2A 22JUL26 22JUL26 22JUL26 22JUL25 22JUL26 F2B 01JAN18 01JAN18 01JAN18 15FEB09 01JUN13 F3 15MAY12 15MAY12 15MAY12 01JUL01 22FEB06 F4 01SEP09 01SEP09 01NOV06 08APR01 01AUG07 Highlighted example: follow the F2A row to the Mexico column. The cell reads 22JUL25.This is a dated teaching example, not a live chart. Open the official August 2026 bulletin - 03
Confirm which chart controls this month
For adjustment of status, USCIS announces whether to use Dates for Filing or Final Action Dates. Do this check every month.
- 04
Read the cell
A date is a cutoff. C means current. U means unavailable. The bulletin uses day-month-year formatting.
- 05
Compare carefully
A priority date earlier than the listed cutoff may allow the next process step, subject to the correct chart and all other requirements.
Why are there two charts?
U.S. Department of StateAugust 2026 Visa Bulletin
| Family-Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | China-mainland born | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 15JUN19 | 15JUN19 | 15JUN19 | 01DEC08 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2B | 01JAN19 | 01JAN19 | 01JAN19 | 15MAY10 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 01MAR13 | 01MAR13 | 01MAR13 | 15JUL01 | 08AUG06 |
| F4 | 22JUN10 | 22JUN10 | 15DEC06 | 30APR01 | 22MAR08 |
Dates for Filing
This chart may indicate when a person can begin the filing or document-collection stage. For adjustment of status, it can be used only when USCIS says so for that month.
U.S. Department of StateAugust 2026 Visa Bulletin
| Family-Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | China-mainland born | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 15DEC18 | 15DEC18 | 15DEC18 | 01DEC07 | 01MAY13 |
| F2A | 22JUL26 | 22JUL26 | 22JUL26 | 22JUL25 | 22JUL26 |
| F2B | 01JAN18 | 01JAN18 | 01JAN18 | 15FEB09 | 01JUN13 |
| F3 | 15MAY12 | 15MAY12 | 15MAY12 | 01JUL01 | 22FEB06 |
| F4 | 01SEP09 | 01SEP09 | 01NOV06 | 08APR01 | 01AUG07 |
Final Action Dates
This chart indicates when an immigrant visa number may be available for final approval, assuming the person is otherwise eligible and the case is ready.
The one comparison that matters
These dates are examples only—they are not current Visa Bulletin dates.
Earlier than the cutoff
Priority date: 15 JAN 2022 • Example cutoff: 01 FEB 2022. The priority date comes first, so the line may be ready for the next permitted step.
On or after the cutoff
Priority date: 15 FEB 2022 • Example cutoff: 01 FEB 2022. The priority date has not been reached by this example cutoff.
Three things you may see in a cell
Current
No category cutoff date is listed for that cell.
Unavailable
No visa numbers are authorized for that cell at that time.
Cutoff date
The priority date generally must be earlier than this date.
RETROGRESSION
The line can move backward
Cutoff dates can advance, stop, or retrogress. A date being current one month does not guarantee that it will remain current. Save the official links and check again before acting.
FAMILY CASES
Not every family case uses this waiting line
Many immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are not placed in the family-preference Visa Bulletin categories. The correct category depends on the petitioner, beneficiary, age, marital status, and other facts.
Check the official source every month
This guide is general information, not legal advice. It does not determine whether a visa is available in a specific case. Dates, categories, chargeability, age calculations, and filing rules can be complex and should be reviewed using current official information.
Need help identifying the correct category or chart? Request a consultation →