greencardline

Learn /

EXPLAINER · EVERY RULE QUOTED FROM AN OFFICIAL SOURCE · CHECKED OCTOBER 17, 2026

Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing

The two charts in each month's Visa Bulletin, what each date means, and how USCIS says which one to use for filing an I-485.

Each month the State Department (DOS) publishes the Visa Bulletin, which shows two charts for the family and employment preference categories: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing Applications.[1]

Both charts list dates in day-month-year form, so 22JAN20 means January 22, 2020.[2]

Final Action Dates

A date in this chart means the category is "oversubscribed": more people want visas than the law allows that year.[3]

The final action date is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the limits.[4]

Visa numbers can only be issued to applicants whose priority date is earlier than that date.[5]

Dates for Filing

The second chart is about getting an application under way. It shows when applicants can start the paperwork.[6]

For applicants abroad, a priority date earlier than this date means they may gather and submit documents to the National Visa Center once it sends them instructions.[7]

A "C" in this chart means the category is current, so applications may be filed whatever the priority date.[8]

Which chart USCIS says to use for an I-485

Form I-485 is the application to adjust status, that is, to apply for a green card from inside the United States. USCIS accepts I-485s from preference applicants according to the Visa Bulletin.[9]

USCIS's default rule is the Final Action Dates chart, unless its filing-charts page says otherwise.[10]

  • USCIS allows the Dates for Filing chart only when it finds more visas available for the fiscal year than known applicants.[11]
  • Even in a Dates for Filing month, applicants in a category may use the Final Action Dates chart if that chart shows "current" or a later date.[12]
  • USCIS says it expects to name one of the two charts each month, within a week of the bulletin.[13]
  • The bulletin itself sends readers to USCIS for this decision.[14]
  • If DOS changes a chart after publishing it, USCIS says it will review the change.[15]

See it in the data

Past Final Action Dates, and Dates for Filing for the months that have them, are on the Visa Bulletin history pages.

What a priority date is, and where to find it, is explained in Priority date.

This page explains general rules in plain English. It is not legal advice and does not tell you what applies to your case. Each numbered source below is the official page the sentence comes from; read it before relying on anything here.

Sources

  1. USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “The monthly DOS Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant visas according to the: Application Final Action Dates chart (consistent with previous Visa Bulletins) and Dates for Filing Applications chart indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.”
  2. U.S. Department of State, The Visa Bulletin. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “The Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing published within the Visa Bulletins on this site are listed in the DAY-MONTH-YEAR (dd-mmm-yy) format.”
  3. USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “If the demand for immigrant visas is more than the supply for a particular category and country of chargeability, DOS considers the category and country “oversubscribed” and must impose a cut-off date to keep the allocation of visas within the statutory limits.”
  4. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “The final action date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits.”
  5. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “Numbers are authorized for issuance only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the final action date listed below.”
  6. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process.”
  7. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions.”
  8. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.”
  9. USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “We will accept Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status , from family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment of status preference applicants according to the monthly Visa Bulletin”
  10. USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “Unless otherwise indicated on our Adjustment of Status Filing Charts for Visa Bulletin webpage, you must use the “Application Final Action Dates” for determining when you can file a Form I-485 with USCIS.”
  11. USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “If USCIS determines there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, we will state on this page that you may use the Dates for Filing chart.”
  12. USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “However, if a particular immigrant visa category is “current” on the Final Action Dates chart or the cutoff date on the Final Action Dates chart is later than the date on the Dates for Filing chart, applicants in that immigrant visa category may file using the Final Action Dates chart during that month.”
  13. USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “We anticipate designating one of the two charts each month and linking to the relevant chart below within one week of DOS’s publication of the Visa Bulletin”
  14. U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Last checked October 17, 2026.
    “Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used”
  15. USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. Last checked October 18, 2026.
    “If DOS makes any changes to either chart in the Visa Bulletin after publishing it, we will review those changes and determine if any further action is necessary.”

Next: Country of chargeability →