Visa Bulletin Calculator: Check Your Priority Date for I-485 or Consular Processing
Enter your employment-based category, country of chargeability and priority date to compare your case with the applicable U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin cutoff. For adjustment of status, the calculator also applies the chart designated for employment-based Form I-485 filings in the selected month.
November 2026: Check the Visa Bulletin priority dates and I-485 filing rules alongside your calculator result.
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin is now in effect. Select November in the calculator to check its priority dates. USCIS authorizes the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based I-485 applications in both months. Final Action Dates still determine availability for final approval.
Country of chargeability is not necessarily citizenship. It is generally based on country of birth. Cross-chargeability through a spouse or, in limited circumstances, a parent can change which Visa Bulletin column applies. If chargeability is uncertain, resolve that issue before relying on a cutoff date.
Check Your Employment-Based Priority Date
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin is now in effect. Select November in the calculator to check its priority dates. USCIS authorizes the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based I-485 applications in both months. Final Action Dates still determine availability for final approval.
How the Visa Bulletin Calculation Works
Employment-based immigrant visa categories are numerically limited. When demand exceeds the number of visas available for a category or chargeability area, the Department of State publishes a cutoff date. A priority date must be earlier than that cutoff.
Final Action Dates
Final Action Dates determine when an immigrant visa number may be available for final action on a qualifying case. They govern immigrant visa issuance at a U.S. consulate and may also govern Form I-485 filing when USCIS requires the Final Action Dates chart for adjustment filings in that month.
Dates for Filing
Dates for Filing are an earlier document-stage benchmark. For consular cases, applicants whose priority dates are earlier than the listed date may be asked to assemble and submit documents to the National Visa Center after receiving NVC instructions. For Form I-485, this chart matters only when USCIS authorizes its use.
What “C” and “U” mean
C — Current means no separate cutoff applies to qualified applicants in that category and chargeability area. U — Unavailable means visa numbers are not authorized for issuance in that category and chargeability area at that time.
A priority date equal to the cutoff date is not current. If the Visa Bulletin lists September 1, 2024, a priority date of August 31, 2024 is earlier and passes the date comparison. A priority date of September 1, 2024 does not.
What the calculator does not determine
A favorable priority-date result is only one part of an immigration case. It does not determine whether a person is otherwise eligible to adjust status, whether a petition remains valid, whether chargeability has been identified correctly, whether an applicant is admissible, or whether all filing or visa-issuance requirements have been met.
The tool also does not predict future Visa Bulletin movement. Cutoff dates can advance, remain unchanged, retrogress or become unavailable.
October and November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Employment-Based Filing Dates
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin is now in effect. Select November in the calculator to check its priority dates. USCIS authorizes the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based I-485 applications in both months. Final Action Dates still determine availability for final approval.
A priority date must be strictly earlier than the listed cutoff. When the chart says C, the preference category is current; U means unavailable. Selecting a future bulletin is only a preview and does not open filing early.
| Category | Chargeability | October 2026 DFF | November 2026 DFF |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | China | Jul 1, 2024 | Jul 1, 2024 |
| EB-2 | Rest of World | Mar 15, 2026 | Mar 15, 2026 |
| EB-2 | India | Jan 15, 2015 | Jan 15, 2015 |
| EB-3 | Rest of World | Aug 1, 2024 | Aug 1, 2024 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Rest of World | Jun 1, 2022 | Jul 1, 2022 |
| EB-4 | All chargeability areas | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | China | Mar 1, 2021 | Mar 1, 2021 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | India | May 1, 2024 | May 1, 2024 |
All five chargeability columns and ten employment-based options are included in the calculator, including EB-3 Other Workers, EB-4 religious workers and EB-5 set-asides. The table is a short comparison, not a replacement for the full bulletin.
I-485 filing versus final green card approval
Example: EB-2, Rest of World, priority date February 1, 2026. The October and November Dates for Filing cutoff is March 15, 2026, so this date passes the I-485 filing comparison. But the Final Action cutoff is January 1, 2025 in October and April 1, 2025 in November, so final approval cannot be based on a current priority date yet.
What to Check Before Filing Form I-485 or Moving Forward With Consular Processing
If the calculator shows that your date is within the I-485 filing range
Confirm the USCIS filing chart again immediately before submission. Then review whether adjustment of status is available in your circumstances, whether the underlying immigrant petition and labor certification remain usable, whether chargeability and priority date are correct, and whether all required forms and evidence are ready.
Depending on the case, an adjustment package may also include Form I-765 for employment authorization and Form I-131 for travel documentation. Those filings are separate from the Visa Bulletin calculation and are not required in every case.
If your priority date is not current
A priority date later than or equal to the applicable cutoff has not reached the required position in the queue. Monitor each new Visa Bulletin rather than assuming that the next month will move forward.
If the category is unavailable
“U” means numbers are not authorized for issuance in that category and chargeability area for the selected month. An underlying petition or already pending case is not automatically denied merely because a Visa Bulletin temporarily shows “U,” but final action based on immigrant visa availability cannot proceed while it remains unavailable.
If you are processing through a U.S. consulate
Final Action Dates determine final immigrant visa availability. Dates for Filing may permit the document stage to begin earlier, but applicants should follow National Visa Center instructions rather than treating the published filing date as a stand-alone instruction to submit documents.
October 2026 begins fiscal year 2027. The official Visa Bulletin warns that additional restrictions may become necessary in some employment-based categories before the fiscal year ends. Always verify the current bulletin immediately before relying on visa availability.
Visa Bulletin and Priority Date FAQ
When is a priority date considered current?
Which chart should employment-based applicants use for Form I-485?
What happens if my category shows “U”?
Can Dates for Filing be used to file I-485 whenever they are more favorable?
Can a date become unavailable after it was current?
Guidance on related U.S. immigration categories
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