What is a priority date?

For a family petition, the priority date is the date USCIS received the Form I-130. It is printed on the receipt notice (Form I-797C) and marks your place in line for a category that has an annual numerical limit.

Do spouses of US citizens need to watch the Visa Bulletin?

Generally no. Spouses of US citizens are immediate relatives, a category with no annual numerical limit, so a visa number is available as soon as the case is ready. Spouses of lawful permanent residents fall in the F2A preference category, which is listed in the Visa Bulletin.

What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?

Final Action Dates show when a visa can actually be issued or adjustment of status approved. Dates for Filing show when applicants may submit their documents to the National Visa Center, or in some months file adjustment of status if USCIS says that chart may be used.

What does a C or U in the chart mean?

C means current: visa numbers are available for everyone in that category and country. U means unavailable: no visa numbers are being issued in that category for that month.

Guide · Updated July 2026

How to Read the Visa Bulletin as a Couple

The Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin every month. For spouses of green card holders (category F2A) and for fiancé(e) and spouse cases that touch a preference category, it is the document that tells you whether your place in line has been reached. This guide explains the charts, the vocabulary, and what actually applies to you.

The short version

Your priority date is the day USCIS received your I-130. It is on your receipt notice.
F2A is the category for spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents. It is numerically limited, so it appears in the bulletin.
Immediate relatives — spouses of US citizens — are not numerically limited and generally do not wait on the bulletin at all.
Two charts: Final Action Dates (when a visa can be issued) and Dates for Filing (when you may submit paperwork).
The bulletin can move forward, stand still, or retrogress — go backwards — from one month to the next.

Reading the bulletin, step by step

1. Find your category

Family-sponsored categories run F1 through F4. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of a lawful permanent resident are F2A. If your petitioner is a US citizen and you are their spouse, you are an immediate relative (IR-1/CR-1) and the preference chart does not gate your case.

2. Find your chargeability country

The columns are by country of chargeability — usually the beneficiary's country of birth, not citizenship. Most countries fall under the first column ("All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed"); Mexico, India, China-mainland born, and the Philippines have separate columns because of per-country limits.

3. Compare your priority date to the cell

Read across your category row to your country column. If the date shown is later than your priority date, your date is "current" for that chart. If it is earlier, you are still waiting. C means current for everyone in that cell; U means unavailable that month.

4. Use the right chart for your stage

Consular cases at the National Visa Center are usually invited to submit documents based on Dates for Filing, then scheduled for interview when Final Action Dates reach them. For adjustment of status inside the US, USCIS states each month which chart applicants may use.

5. Check again next month

Movement is not guaranteed and is not linear. A category can advance several months, hold still, or retrogress if demand exceeds supply. Plans that assume steady forward movement tend to break.

Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing

Final Action Dates (Chart A) control when an immigrant visa can actually be issued or an adjustment application approved. Dates for Filing (Chart B) sit ahead of Chart A and control when you are allowed to send in the paperwork — the DS-260 and civil documents at NVC, or the I-485 package when USCIS authorizes that chart. Being current on Chart B is permission to prepare, not approval.

What F2A means for a separated couple

The clock starts at filing. Your priority date is fixed on the day USCIS receives the I-130, even though the wait is felt much later.
If the petitioner naturalizes, an F2A spouse case generally converts to the immediate relative category, which removes the numerical wait. This is a common turning point worth tracking deliberately.
Retrogression is real. F2A has been current for long stretches and has also had backlogs. Do not treat a current month as a permanent state.
The bulletin is only one queue. USCIS petition processing, NVC document review, and embassy interview scheduling each have their own timelines on top of it.

Where to read the official bulletin

The authoritative source is the Department of State's Visa Bulletin page on travel.state.gov. For adjustment of status, USCIS publishes which chart may be used each month on its visa-bulletin page. Always confirm your own month and category against those pages rather than a summary — including this one.

How Togetherward helps

Togetherward is a shared, private workspace for internationally separated couples. It keeps your priority date, receipt notices, and stage evidence in one place, tracks where your case sits against published official data, and gives both partners the same view while you wait. It does not file for you and it is not a law firm.

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Not legal advice.

This guide explains how the monthly Visa Bulletin published by the US Department of State is structured. Cut-off dates change every month and this page does not reproduce them. It is not legal advice and Togetherward is not a law firm. Confirm your category and dates against travel.state.gov and USCIS, and consult a licensed immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation.