Visa Bulletin History
Explore how family-sponsored Visa Bulletin cutoff dates have changed over time. Select a visa category, country, and chart to view monthly movement and identify periods of advancement, no movement, or retrogression.
See How Cutoff Dates Moved
Select a category, chargeability area, and chart to view monthly cutoff-date history.
| Bulletin month | Cutoff date | Monthly movement |
|---|
📈 View Monthly Movement
See how the published cutoff date changed from one Visa Bulletin to the next.
🌎 Compare Chargeability Areas
Review history for the worldwide column, China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.
📅 Final Action or Filing Dates
Switch between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.
What the History Chart Shows
✅ Monthly Visa Bulletin cutoff dates
✅ Forward movement
✅ Months with no movement
✅ Retrogression or backward movement
✅ Final Action Dates
✅ Dates for Filing
✅ Family-sponsored categories F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4
✅ Country and chargeability-area differences
Forward Movement
When a cutoff date moves to a later calendar date, more applicants may fall before the published cutoff.
Retrogression
A cutoff date can move backward when demand exceeds the available immigrant visa numbers. Historical movement does not guarantee future movement.
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📊 Visa Bulletin Calculator
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does past Visa Bulletin movement predict future movement?
No. Past movement shows only what happened historically. Future movement depends on visa demand, annual limits, unused numbers, and government allocation decisions.
What does retrogression mean?
Retrogression occurs when a cutoff date moves backward to an earlier date.
What does “Current” mean?
Current means that the chart does not impose a priority-date cutoff for that category and chargeability area during that month.
Why do some countries have different dates?
Certain countries may have separate cutoff dates because of per-country visa limits and demand.
How often is the history updated?
Add the newest bulletin data once each month after the Department of State publishes it.
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