Employers: How to Read the Visa Bulletin
Updated October 29, 2026
The EB-3 Visa Process, Step by Step: Part 7 of 9
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly chart from the U.S. Department of State. It shows which workers can move forward to get their green card.
That depends on three things: their priority date, their green card category and their country of birth.
For employers sponsoring EB-3 visa workers, the Visa Bulletin decides when a sponsored worker can get the green card.
That’s also when the worker can start work. It comes into play after Form I-140 is approved.
This guide shows employers how to read the Visa Bulletin for employers, step by step.
You’ll learn where to find the EB-3 visa Other Workers row and how to compare a worker’s priority date. It also covers what the two charts mean, why dates move and where to check each month.
Key facts about the Visa Bulletin for employers
- It’s published every month by the State Department. Each bulletin covers one month (U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin).
- It exists because green cards are limited. The EB-3 visa Other Workers category has 10,000 green cards a year, and more workers qualify than there are green cards.
- Each country has its own limit too. No single country can use more than 7% of the family and employment green cards each year (8 U.S.C. 1152).
- The worker’s country of birth decides their column. That’s called chargeability, and it’s based on where the worker was born, not their citizenship.
- There are two charts. Final action dates control when the green card can be approved, and dates for filing control when the final paperwork can start.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is the State Department’s monthly list of cutoff dates for each green card category and country. It works like a “now serving” sign: workers whose priority date is earlier than the cutoff for their category and country can move forward.
The priority date is the date the Department of Labor received the worker’s PERM application, covered in Part 5.
The earlier the date, the sooner the worker reaches the front of the line.
Why is there a wait after the I-140?
The wait exists because demand is higher than supply.
Each green card category has a yearly limit, and the Other Workers category, the one EB3.work handles, is limited to 10,000 green cards a year.
For fiscal year 2027, that number is reduced by about 150 under a separate law (Visa Bulletin, November 2026).
On top of the category limit, no single country can use more than 7% of the family and employment green cards in a year (8 U.S.C. 1152).
Countries with high demand reach that limit sooner, which is why the bulletin lists separate dates for some countries.
So even after the I-140 is approved, workers line up by priority date.
For most workers, this wait is the longest part of the EB-3 visa process.
How do employers read the Visa Bulletin, step by step?
Reading the Visa Bulletin takes four steps.
You need two pieces of information first: the worker’s priority date and their country of birth.
- Find the employment-based section. Each bulletin has a family-sponsored section and an employment-based section. Scroll to the employment-based charts.
- Pick the “Other Workers” row. The row labeled “3rd” is for EB-3 visa skilled workers and professionals, which EB3.work doesn’t handle.
For entry-level jobs, use the row labeled “Other Workers.” - Pick the column for the worker’s country of birth. The bulletin has a column called “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” plus separate columns for China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines.
Use the worker’s country of birth, not their citizenship or where they live now. - Compare the date with the worker’s priority date. If the worker’s priority date is earlier than the date shown, it’s current.
If the chart shows “C,” every priority date in that row and column is current.
What does the employment-based chart look like?
Here’s a simplified version of the employment-based chart, with made-up dates. This is an example only, not the current bulletin.
| Employment-based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN13 | 01MAR23 | 01JUL22 |
| Other Workers | 01JAN21 | 01JUN18 | 01JAN13 | 01JAN21 | 01SEP20 |
Dates are written day, month, year. For example, 01JAN21 means January 1, 2021. The real bulletin’s employment-based tables also have rows for the other employment categories.
What is a worked example?
This example uses the made-up chart above, not real dates. Say an employer sponsored two workers for the same job, with the same priority date of March 15, 2020.
- A worker born in Mexico looks at the Other Workers row, Mexico column: 01JAN21.
Their priority date, March 15, 2020, is earlier than January 1, 2021, so it’s current, and the green card can be approved. - A worker born in China looks at the same row, China column: 01JUN18. Their priority date is later than June 1, 2018, so it’s not current yet, and they keep waiting.
Same employer, same job, same priority date, but different waits, because of each worker’s country of birth.
For the real EB-3 visa Other Workers dates this month, see the EB-3 visa processing times page.
What’s the difference between final action dates and dates for filing?
Each bulletin has two charts for every category.
The final action date chart controls when a green card can actually be approved.
The dates for filing chart shows when a worker can start the final green card paperwork, often a little earlier.
For workers already in the U.S., U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces each month which of the two charts they can use to file for adjustment of status (USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin).
For workers outside the U.S., the National Visa Center uses the dates for filing chart to invite them to submit their documents.
Either way, the green card itself can’t be approved until the final action date is reached.
What do “C” and “U” mean?
“C” means current: every priority date in that category and country can move forward.
“U” means unauthorized: no green cards are available in that category and country that month, so no one can move forward until the dates return.
What is chargeability?
Chargeability is the country a worker’s green card is counted against.
It’s generally the worker’s country of birth, not their citizenship or where they live now (8 U.S.C. 1152).
The law has a few exceptions, for example for a spouse born in a different country, which the immigration attorney checks for each worker.
Why do Visa Bulletin dates move?
The State Department sets each month’s dates based on how many green cards are left in the category and how many people are waiting.
When more green cards are available than expected, dates move forward.
When demand is higher than expected, dates can stay the same for months or even move back, which is called retrogression.
The government’s fiscal year starts on October 1, when a new yearly supply of green cards becomes available, so dates often change around then.
No one can predict exactly when a date will move or by how much, and this guide doesn’t try to.
How do I check the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is published on the State Department’s travel.state.gov website, once a month, before the month it covers.
Each month, check three things:
- The final action date for EB-3 visa Other Workers in each sponsored worker’s country column.
- The dates for filing for the same row and column.
- The USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page, to see which chart USCIS accepts that month for workers in the U.S.
The EB-3 visa processing times page lists the current Other Workers dates each month, and the immigration attorney on the case can tell you where each worker stands.
What does the employer do during the wait?
The employer’s main job during the wait is to keep the case ready.
The job offer stays open, the employer stays able to pay the offered wage, and the worker stays informed.
What if the job or the company changes during the wait?
Talk to the immigration attorney before making any change to the sponsored job, the worksite or the company.
Some changes can be handled, for example when another company buys the business and continues the sponsorship as a successor in interest.
Others can affect the worker’s case, so it’s important to get advice first.
What the employer does at this step
- Keep the sponsored job open, with the same duties, wage and worksite.
- Stay able to pay the offered wage, and keep your tax returns organized.
- Keep a list of each sponsored worker’s priority date and country of birth.
- Check the Other Workers dates each month, or ask EB3.work for an update.
- Keep workers informed about where their case stands.
- Talk to the immigration attorney before changing the job, the worksite or the company.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read the Visa Bulletin as an employer?
Find the employment-based chart, use the “Other Workers” row and pick the column for the worker’s country of birth.
If the worker’s priority date is earlier than the date shown, or the chart shows “C,” the priority date is current.Why is there a wait after the I-140 is approved?
Because green cards are limited.
The Other Workers category has 10,000 a year, no country can use more than 7% of family and employment green cards a year, and more workers qualify than there are green cards.
Workers wait in line by priority date.Why do two workers sponsored on the same day wait different amounts of time?
Because of chargeability.
Each worker’s wait is based on their country of birth, and some countries, such as China, India and the Philippines, have their own dates in the bulletin.Can the employer speed up the Visa Bulletin wait?
No. Premium processing speeds up only the I-140 decision, and nothing the employer does changes the worker’s place in line.
The wait depends on the worker’s priority date, country of birth and how the dates move.Why did the Visa Bulletin date move backward?
When demand in a category is higher than expected, the State Department can move dates back to stay within the yearly limits.
This is called retrogression, and no one can predict when the dates will move again.When does the worker start work?
With EB3.work, the worker starts work for the employer once the green card is approved.
The Visa Bulletin decides when that can happen, followed by the final green card step, covered in Part 8.
Where this fits: This is Part 7 of The EB-3 Visa Process, Step by Step. Previous: Part 6, The I-140 Filing. Next: Part 8, Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing.
Start from the beginning: Part 1, What Is the EB-3 Visa?
The full series:
