The Visa Bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. State Department and determines visa availability for employment-based and family-based immigration. Understanding how the bulletin works is critical for planning your immigration timeline.
The Visa Bulletin reports the current visa availability status. It shows which priority dates are "current" (meaning visas are immediately available) and which are pending (meaning you must wait for your priority date to become current).
The State Department publishes the bulletin online at travel.state.gov/visa-bulletin. Each category shows the current priority date. If your priority date is earlier than or equal to the bulletin date, you can file I-485 (green card application).