Two chart types
Final Action Dates are the cutoffs used to show when visa numbers may be available for final action. Dates for Filing show when applicants may be able to begin submitting documents, subject to the chart accepted for that month and the relevant agency process.
USCIS announces which chart adjustment-of-status applicants may use in a given month. Do not infer permission to file from the Department of State chart alone.
Categories and chargeability
Family- and employment-based preference categories have different queues and rules. A country of chargeability is generally associated with place of birth, subject to exceptions. The bulletin lists certain countries separately; ROW is shorthand for all other listed chargeability areas.
How to read a cutoff
Compare a priority date to the date shown for the correct category, chart, and chargeability area. A cutoff marked C means current; U means unavailable. A comparison is only one part of the process and does not confirm eligibility.
Questions people ask
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The U.S. Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin to show immigrant visa availability dates by preference category and chargeability area.
What do the letters C and U mean?
C means current in the relevant chart. U means unavailable. Read the notes and instructions in the official bulletin for the exact context.
What does ROW mean?
ROW is a common shorthand for all chargeability areas except those separately listed in the bulletin. It is not a country name.
Continue reading
- Priority dates: what they are and where to find one
- Browse the bulletin archive
- What a cutoff does not say about wait time
Official source: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin. Not legal advice.