How to Read Visa Bulletin? Priority Date and Application Dates

The visa bulletin indicates the priority dates up to which the visa number can be used in immigration categories subject to numerical limitation. I-140 or I-130 approval is not the same as having a visa number ready. For correct reading, the category, country allocation, priority date and the table to be used must be determined together. ¹

The following dated examples are taken from the September 2026 newsletter; It is not a fixed rule or personal application permit for the coming months. Additionally, in this study, the table chosen by USCIS for September 2026 I-485 applications could not be verified. Therefore, based on the examples, one should not conclude that "you can send I-485 this month". ¹

What is priority date?

Priority date is the priority date of the case in the relevant preference order. Appropriate workforce certificate application date for employment applications requiring PERM; Many I-140 files that do not require a PERM are based on the date the appropriate petition was submitted to USCIS. The exact date should be checked from the relevant files and approval records. ²

Whether the prior date can be preserved in new or amended petitions may depend on separate rules. It is not correct to just select the oldest date in the document or automatically carry over the dates of all previous applications. ²

Which country column to look at?

The general country assignment is determined by a person's place of birth, not their passport or country of residence. There may be certain exceptions related to a spouse or parent. For this reason, it is not correct to automatically evaluate every person who is a Turkish citizen in the same column. ³

A person who was born in Türkiye and does not have another allocation exception usually looks at the "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" column. If there is a possibility of different allocation due to birth or spouse in another country, a personal review should be made. ³¹

What do Final Action Dates indicate?

This table shows the limit for final approval or visa number use in the appropriate file. If a specific date is written, the priority date must be before that date. Being on the same day is not the same as a “before” condition. ¹

C means the category is current; U indicates that the relevant numbers cannot be used. C does not eliminate individual eligibility review, agency processing time, or potential security controls. Quota usage during the year may also change the situation. ¹

Why is Dates for Filing different?

This table may show a later date at certain application or document preparation stages. NVC's instructions are important in consular files. For I-485 applications within the USA, USCIS also specifies which table will be used that month. ¹

Being eligible in the Dates for Filing table does not mean that the Green Card is ready for final approval. Application acceptance and final visa number eligibility are different stages. The two tables should not be used interchangeably when preparing the case. ¹

September 2026: Dated reading example

The following lines are a limited summary of the overall country column in the September 2026 newsletter. The country, subcategory, and USCIS selection for that month should also be checked. The newsletter may also contain quota usage or decline warnings during the month. ¹

Source: Department of State, September 2026 Visa Bulletin; only the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column. F2A's footnotes regarding country limits and other special columns should be examined separately. ¹

Example: Is the same day as the date enough?

If the priority date of the hypothetical EB-3 professional file is September 1, 2024, just because the same date is written in the table does not mean that this file is before the Final Action limit. August 31, 2024 is ahead of this limit in terms of date. However, other eligibility and number availability checks remain. ¹

Example: What does C provide in the Filing table?

A C in the EB-3 Filing column in the same month does not mean that everyone's Green Card will be approved. For I-485, the table selected by USCIS and the individual's applicant eligibility are also checked; The relevant Final Action and number conditions are important in the final confirmation. ¹⁴

What is retrogression?

Due to demand and annual numerical limits, dates may be delayed or the category may become unavailable. Just because the bulletin moves forward does not mean that it will always move forward at the same pace. The exact waiting year should not be calculated from one month's movement. ¹

The September 2026 bulletin also highlights the possibility that some employment categories may decline or become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year. For this reason, the dated sample does not replace the final check to be made on the application day. ¹

What check should be done every month?

Open the correct month's newsletter, verify the category and country, compare the priority date to the relevant date, and read USCIS's monthly selection for I-485. Then, the person's current status and other eligibility requirements must be evaluated. ¹⁴

The most common mistake is to mistake the I-140 approval for order compliance or to wait for final approval by just looking at the Filing table. Keeping track of the petition, visa number and final session stage separately is the basis of establishing a realistic calendar. ²¹