Visa Bulletin movement tracker

Every month the State Department moves — or doesn’t move — the green-card cut-off dates. This page diffs one bulletin against the one before it, so you can see at a glance whether your category advanced, held, or retrogressed, without comparing two PDFs side by side. Check the date stamp under the tables: it names the two editions being compared, which are not always the two most recent.

In the November 2026 bulletin (vs October 2026), across the Final Action charts: 29 cut-off dates advanced, 25 held, 0 retrogressed, and 21 stayed current ("C").

Family-Sponsored — Final Action

CategoryAll countriesChinaIndiaMéxicoPhilippines
F122JAN21 ▲366d22JAN21 ▲366d22JAN21 ▲366d22SEP08 ▲14d01NOV13 =
F2A22OCT26 ▲30d22OCT26 ▲30d22OCT26 ▲30d22APR26 ▲31d22OCT26 ▲30d
F2B22AUG20 ▲366d22AUG20 ▲366d22AUG20 ▲366d15MAY10 =01OCT13 =
F322OCT15 ▲365d22OCT15 ▲365d22OCT15 ▲365d15JUL01 ▲14d22JUL06 =
F422OCT12 ▲366d22OCT12 ▲366d15DEC06 =22APR01 =15MAY08 =

Employment-Based — Final Action

CategoryAll countriesChinaIndiaMéxicoPhilippines
1stC01AUG23 ▲31d01FEB23 =CC
2nd01APR25 ▲90d01OCT21 =01NOV13 =01APR25 ▲90d01APR25 ▲90d
3rd15JUN24 ▲31d22JAN22 ▲14d22JAN14 ▲21d15JUN24 ▲31d15AUG23 =
Other Workers01JUN22 ▲151d01OCT19 =22JAN14 ▲21d01JUN22 ▲151d01JAN22 =
4th15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =
Certain Religious Workers15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =15DEC22 =
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU)C01DEC16 =01DEC23 =CC
5th Set Aside: Rural (20%, including NR, RR)CCCCC
5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%, including NH, RH)CCCCC
5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%, including RI)CCCCC

Family-Sponsored — Dates for Filing

CategoryAll countriesChinaIndiaMéxicoPhilippines
F101FEB21 ▲366d01FEB21 ▲366d01FEB21 ▲366d01DEC08 =22APR15 =
F2ACCCCC
F2B01SEP20 ▲366d01SEP20 ▲366d01SEP20 ▲366d22MAR11 =01OCT14 =
F301NOV15 ▲365d01NOV15 ▲365d01NOV15 ▲365d01DEC02 =22OCT06 =
F401NOV12 ▲366d01NOV12 ▲366d01FEB07 =30APR01 =22MAR09 =

Employment-Based — Dates for Filing

CategoryAll countriesChinaIndiaMéxicoPhilippines
1stC01JUL24 =01JUL24 =CC
2nd15MAR26 =01JAN23 =15JAN15 =15MAR26 =15MAR26 =
3rd01AUG24 =01APR24 =15JAN15 =01AUG24 =01JAN24 =
Other Workers01JUL22 ▲30d01OCT20 =15JAN15 =01JUL22 ▲30d01JUN22 =
4th01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =
Certain Religious Workers01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =01JAN25 =
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5)C01MAR21 =01MAY24 =CC
5th Set Aside: (Rural: NR, RR - 20%)CCCCC
5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment: NH, RH - 10%)CCCCC
5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure: RI - 2%)CCCCC

▲ = cut-off date advanced (the line moved forward); = no change; ▼ = retrogression (the line got longer); C = current. Figures computed automatically from the State Department Visa Bulletin (2026-10-23). Official bulletin

How to read the movement

  • ▲ advanced: the cut-off date moved forward — people with earlier priority dates than the new cut-off can now move ahead. A category advancing 30-90 days per month is healthy movement; your real wait is usually longer than simple math suggests because demand bunches up.
  • = held: no change. Common for oversubscribed categories — Mexico family categories regularly hold for months at a time.
  • ▼ retrogressed: the date moved backward. If you already filed your I-485 while current, your case simply waits — it is not lost. If you hadn’t filed yet, you must wait for the date to come back to you.
  • C current: no backlog — a visa number is available regardless of priority date.

What to do with this information

  • Find your category and country on your I-797 approval notice (the priority date) and in the current full bulletin.
  • Filing window opening? If your date just became current on the chart USCIS designates, that is your month to file the I-485 adjustment package.
  • Long-haul categories: the I-130 guide explains the rules that protect your place in line across years of waiting — CSPA for aging-out children, INA 204(l) survivor protection, and retrogression mechanics.