What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication by the U.S. Department of State that controls when you can take the final step of your green card process.Because U.S. law caps how many immigrant visas are issued each year per category and per country, demand exceeds supply and queues form. The bulletin publishes "cutoff dates" — if your priority date is earlier than the cutoff for your category and country, a visa number is available and you can file your DS-260 (consular processing) or I-485 (adjustment of status).
What is a priority date?
Your priority date is your place in the green card line. For family-sponsored cases it is the date USCIS received the I-130 petition. For most employment-based cases it is the date your PERM labor certification was filed (or the I-140 filing date when no labor certification is required). You will find it printed on your I-797 receipt notice.
Why are India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines slower?
No single country may use more than 7% of the annual visa numbers. Countries with very high demand — India and China for employment categories, Mexico and the Philippines for family categories — hit that ceiling every year, so their queues are years or even decades longer than the "all other countries" line for the same category.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a planning estimate, not a prediction. Cutoff dates can leap forward, freeze, or retrogress depending on demand, country limits, and unused numbers flowing between categories. Treat the result as an order-of-magnitude guide and always confirm against the official monthly bulletin at travel.state.gov before making decisions. For attorney questions, read our guide on how much an immigration lawyer costs.