Last Updated: November 9, 2025.
In U.S. immigration, some visa categories require reading the Visa Bulletin by the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
This article helps to gain an understanding of what the Visa Bulletin is and provides the most current version of the Visa Bulletin from the DOS so you have all the important dates you need to know for a smooth application process.
What is the U.S. Visa Bulletin?
The U.S. Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication issued by DOS that provides critical information about the availability of immigrant visa numbers for individuals seeking a Green Card (lawful permanent residence) in the United States.
This publication assists in managing the flow of legal immigration, as it helps determine when an applicant can move forward with their application based on their priority date, the type of visa they are applying for, and their country of birth.
Key Terms in the Visa Bulletin
- Priority Date: This is the date when an applicant’s petition (either family-based or employment-based) is filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The priority date serves as a reference point to determine when a person can proceed with the next stages of the immigration process, such as adjustment of status (AOS) or the consular processing. Priority dates are essentially for tracking where an applicant stands in the queue for available visas.
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- Preference Categories: There are two primary types of immigration categories that the Visa Bulletin addresses: family-based and employment-based. Within both, there are different “preference categories” that prioritize certain types of applicants over others.
- Current (or “Current” Status): When a visa category is marked as “current,” it means that there is an unlimited supply of visas available for that category, so applicants with any priority date can immediately proceed with the Green Card application.
- Cut-Off Date: The cut-off date is the date listed in the Visa Bulletin that reflects the last priority date eligible for a visa in a particular category. If your priority date is earlier than or on the listed cut-off date, you can move forward with your Green Card or nonimmigrant visa application. If your priority date is later, you must wait until the cutoff date advances, allowing you to proceed.
- Backlog: Refers to when an immigration application is pending for more than 180 days.
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- Chargeability Area: Immigrant visa numbers are allocated by country of chargeability, which is typically the applicant’s country of birth. Some countries, such as Mexico, India, China, and the Philippines, have more applicants than available visa numbers, which can lead to longer wait times for individuals from these countries, especially in certain preference categories.
- Final Action Date: This is an estimated date for when your application will be processed.
Numerical Limits and Categories
The Visa Bulletin operates under the guidelines set by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which places annual numerical limits on the number of immigrants who can be admitted to the United States.
The Visa Bulletin specifically covers family-based and employment-based immigration preference categories, and provides limits for the amount of visas that are to become available for applicants in different categories.
The Visa Bulletin also specifies a per-country and dependent area limits to ensure that a fair amount of visas is allocated to immigrants based on location.
For the 2025 fiscal year, the per-country limit is 7% of the total family-based and employment-based visa limit (25,620) and the dependent area limit is 2% (7,320).
Family-Based Immigration
In family-based immigration, the Visa Bulletin plays a vital role in determining when the family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can join them in the U.S.
Immediate relatives (spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens) are not subject to annual caps and can receive visas more quickly.
Immediate relative categories include:
- Spouses – IR-1/CR-1 visa
- Unmarried children under 21 – IR-2 visa
- Parents (if the U.S. citizen petitioner is 21 or older) – IR-5 visa
However, for family preference categories, there are annual limits on the number of visas available, which can create significant backlogs, especially for applicants from countries with high demand.
In 2025, there is a limit of 226,000 visas in the family preference categories. The five family preference categories are:
- Unmarried sons and daughters (older than 21) of U.S. citizens (First preference: F1) – 23,400 visas
- Spouses and unmarried children (under 21) of Green Card holders (Second preference: F2A) – 87,934 visas
- Unmarried sons and daughters (older than 21) of Green Card holders (Second preference: F2B) – 26,266 visas
- Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (Third preference: F3) – 23,400 visas
- Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens (Fourth preference: F4) – 65,000 visas
Employment-Based Immigration
The Visa Bulletin is also necessary for applicants in employment-based (EB) categories.
USCIS utilizes a preference system to issue Green Cards to individuals who can help fill the current needs of the U.S. workforce.
EB “preference immigrant” category limitations are determined by a percentage.
In 2025, the allotment for each category will be as follows:
- Priority workers (First preference: EB-1) – 28.6% of worldwide employment-based visas
- Professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability (Second preference: EB-2) – 28.6% of worldwide employment-based visas
- Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers (Third preference: EB-3) – 28.6% of worldwide employment-based visas
- Special immigrants (Fourth preference: EB-4) – 7.1% of worldwide employment-based visas
- Immigrant investors (Fifth preference: EB-5) – 7.1% of worldwide employment-based visas
Visa Bulletin for April 2025
The tables below depict movement for each category’s cut-off date.
Family-Based Cases
| Family- Sponsored |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA-mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 15MAR16 | 15MAR16 | 15MAR16 | 01JAN05 | 15JUL12 |
| F2A | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 15MAY21 | 01JAN22 |
| F2B | 22JUL16 | 22JUL16 | 22JUL16 | 01JAN06 | 22JAN12 |
| F3 | 01APR11 | 01APR11 | 01APR11 | 15JAN01 | 22MAR03 |
| F4 | 01AUG07 | 01AUG07 | 15JUN06 | 15MAR01 | 01JAN05 |
Employment-Based Cases
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 15FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 22JUN23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 22JUN23 | 22JUN23 |
| 3rd | 01JAN23 | 01NOV20 | 01APR13 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01APR17 | 01APR13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | U | U | U | U | U |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) |
C | 22JAN14 | 01NOV19 | 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 |
Need Help?
If reading the Visa Bulletin for family-based and employment-based immigrations on your own proves to be difficult, book a free consultation today to see how we can assist.
See Also:
How to Read the Visa Bulletin for Family-Based Immigration Cases
How to Read the Visa Bulletin for Employment-Based Applications