United States · Visa Bulletin
Green card priority date calculator.
Pick your preference category, chargeability area and priority date. The tool shows whether you are current, how far behind the Final Action Date you are, and how that cutoff has moved this year.
You are current when your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date in the bulletin. If it is later, the gap is the distance to wait. Cutoffs jump, stall and move backward, so a gap is a position, not a countdown.
What the calculator does, and what the existing checker does
Our Visa Bulletin Priority Date Checker answers a yes-or-no question for either bulletin chart. This calculator uses only the Final Action Dates chart and adds two things: the size of the gap between your priority date and the cutoff, and how that cutoff moved from January to October 2026 for the series we hold history for. The gap tells you how far behind you are. The movement tells you how unreliable a countdown would be.
The inputs
- Preference category. The family (F1 to F4) or employment (EB-1 to EB-5, Other Workers, special immigrant) line your petition falls under.
- Chargeability area. Usually your country of birth. The bulletin lists All Chargeability Areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines.
- Priority date. The date on your approved petition or labor certification notice.
How the result is worked out
The State Department publishes a cutoff date for each category and country. A date in the table means only priority dates earlier than that date may proceed. A C means current for everyone, and U means unavailable. If your date is earlier than the cutoff you are current. If it equals or follows the cutoff, the gap is the number of days from the cutoff to your priority date, shown in years and months.
For the seven series with 2026 history (F2A worldwide; EB-2 worldwide, China and India; EB-3 worldwide, China and India) the tool also shows how many months the cutoff advanced from the January to the October bulletin and how many times it went backward. A straight-line pace is shown only when the series advanced every month, was never current or unavailable, and averaged under six months of movement per bulletin. Otherwise the tool says why it will not.
Two worked examples
Hypothetical EB-3 India, priority date January 1, 2016. The October 2026 Final Action Date is January 1, 2014, so the gap is two years. The cutoff stood at November 15, 2013 in January and January 1, 2014 in October, a net advance of about 1.5 months over nine bulletins. Plain arithmetic at that pace is over ten years, and the tool prints that figure only as arithmetic.
Hypothetical EB-2 worldwide, priority date March 1, 2025. The cutoff is January 1, 2025, so the gap is two months. But EB-2 worldwide was current from April to September 2026 before falling back, so the tool shows no pace at all.
Why a gap is not a countdown
In the 2026 bulletins, F2A worldwide jumped from February 1, 2024 to September 22, 2026. EB-2 India was unavailable for three months, then reopened at November 1, 2013. EB-3 worldwide fell back to May 15, 2024. Demand, annual limits, and State Department decisions drive these moves, and none of them are in the numbers. A pace taken from nine months is arithmetic, not a forecast.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using the Dates for Filing chart as if it meant a visa is available. That chart is only for filing, and USCIS says which chart adjustment applicants may use each month.
- Choosing citizenship instead of the chargeability area.
- Reading the bulletin's day-month-year code backwards. 22SEP26 is September 22, 2026.
- Treating "current" as an approval. It means a visa number can be allocated for that date.
What this does not cover
Dates for Filing, cross-chargeability, derivative applicants, or interview scheduling. The cutoffs are the October 2026 bulletin; a newer bulletin supersedes them.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for October 2026 — Final Action Dates used here. This site's verified snapshot is dated September 29, 2026.
- U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin index — Monthly bulletins, including the 2026 months in the movement series.
- USCIS: Visa Bulletin for Adjustment of Status filings — Which chart USCIS designates each month (updated October 1, 2026).
Retrieved October 2026. The cutoffs come from this site's snapshot of the bulletin, verified September 29, 2026. The State Department site blocks automated checks, so confirm any date against the live bulletin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my priority date is current?
Your priority date is current when it is earlier than the cutoff date for your category and country on the Visa Bulletin chart that applies to you. A C in the table means current for everyone and a U means unavailable.
How do I calculate how long my green card priority date will take?
Nobody can calculate it exactly. You can measure the gap between your priority date and the cutoff and look at how the cutoff has moved, but cutoffs advance in jumps, stall, and retrogress.
What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?
Final Action Dates show when a visa number can be allocated. Dates for Filing show when you may submit your application, and USCIS says each month which chart adjustment applicants may use.
Where do I find my priority date?
It is on your approved petition notice, or on the labor certification notice for many employment cases. Use the date exactly as it is printed.
Which country do I choose for chargeability?
It is usually your country of birth, not your citizenship. The bulletin lists All Chargeability Areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines separately.
Can a priority date become unavailable again?
Yes. In 2026 the EB-2 India cutoff was marked unavailable for three bulletins, and EB-2 worldwide went from current back to January 1, 2025 in October.
Why does the calculator not show an estimate for some categories?
It only shows a pace when the series advanced steadily without going current, becoming unavailable or retrogressing. In other cases a straight-line figure would mislead, so only the gap is shown.
Not legal or tax advice
This page compares a date you enter with published Visa Bulletin cutoffs. It does not predict when a visa will become available, and it is not legal advice. Check the live bulletin and an immigration attorney before acting.