Every month when the visa bulletin comes out, someone in the community asks: "For the green card wait, should I be looking at Chart A or Chart B?"
The short answer: you don't get to choose. USCIS decides for you every month. Chart A (Final Action Dates) controls when your green card can be approved; Chart B (Dates for Filing) controls when you can submit your paperwork. Which chart counts for filing the I-485 (the application to adjust status, the form you file to get a green card while you are inside the US) in a given month depends on what USCIS publishes for that month. The guidance for October 2026 is: both family-based and employment-based cases use Chart B.
What is the difference between Chart A and Chart B in the visa bulletin?
| Chart A: Final Action Dates | Chart B: Dates for Filing | |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Final Action Dates | Dates for Filing |
| Decides | When your case can be approved | When you can file your I-485 |
| Usually | Further back (stricter) | Further ahead (looser) |
The State Department publishes both charts together every month in the Visa Bulletin. Chart B is usually ahead of Chart A by some margin, because the State Department sets Chart B at roughly where it expects Chart A to be in 8 to 12 months.
So the normal sequence is: Chart B reaches your date → you file the I-485 → you wait → Chart A reaches your date → approval.
Family-sponsored
(All chargeability areas except those listed)In the live table above, the "Final Action Date" column is Chart A and the "Filing Date" column is Chart B, so you can see at a glance how far apart they are.
Which chart do I use to file the I-485 this month, and who decides?
The State Department publishes two charts every month, but that doesn't mean both can be used for filing. USCIS separately announces each month, on its "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page, whether I-485s filed that month go by Chart A or Chart B.
It looks at three things before deciding: how many visa numbers are left in the fiscal year, how many documentarily qualified applicants the State Department already has on hand, and how many people have historically ended up dropping out.
This decision can change from month to month, and employment-based and family-based cases may each use a different chart.
As of October 19, 2026, the USCIS page gives this guidance for October 2026:
- Family-based: use Chart B (Dates for Filing)
- Employment-based: use Chart B (Dates for Filing)
USCIS's wording: "For all family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for October 2026," and the employment-based line is worded the same way (USCIS page, read October 19, 2026).
Earlier month, kept for comparison: for September 2026, family-based cases used Chart B and employment-based cases used Chart A (USCIS page, as of September 26, 2026).
The same page also spells out an exception: even when Chart B is designated for the month, if a category is "current" (C) on Chart A, or its Chart A cutoff date is actually later than its Chart B date (that is, more generous), applicants in that category may file using Chart A that month instead.
⚠️ It can change every month. Before you file, check the current month's guidance on the USCIS website yourself. Don't just reuse last month's. For November 2026, USCIS's guidance is that both family-based and employment-based filers must use the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) to file Form I-485 (USCIS page, read October 29, 2026).
One email each month when the bulletin lands. Unsubscribe anytime.
What does it mean when employment-based cases use Chart A?
When USCIS says employment-based cases use Chart A, the practical effect is that Chart B means nothing for you: you have to wait until the Final Action Date reaches your priority date before you can file your I-485.
That in itself is a signal. USCIS usually decides this way because the number of known applicants is already enough to use up this fiscal year's visa numbers, so there's no need to open up new filings to "restock" the pipeline.
What does a big gap between Chart A and Chart B tell you?
This is the most overlooked point, and the most useful one: the distance between the two charts is the State Department's own forecast of what's coming.
Charlie Oppenheim, the former chief of the State Department's Visa Control and Reporting Division who ran this system for many years, has explained that the Dates for Filing are usually set where the State Department believes the Final Action Dates will be in 8 to 12 months.
He also gave an example: one year the two charts for India EB-3 (the third employment-based preference, skilled workers) were almost identical, because the State Department already had enough Indian EB-3 applicants, so there was no need to open up new filings.
So:
- The two charts are far apart → the State Department expects this category to move forward a lot
- The two charts are nearly on top of each other → the State Department is telling you that everyone who needs to be in line is already in line, so don't expect big movement any time soon
This is forward-looking information the government publishes for free every month, and it's worth a look before any third-party prediction. To see how much longer your priority date may take at the current pace, read How Long Until My Priority Date Is Current? or run the numbers with the wait time estimator.
What are the three most common misunderstandings about Chart A and Chart B?
"Once Chart B reaches my date, I get my green card." No. Chart B only lets you submit your paperwork. Actual approval waits for Chart A, and there is usually more than a year in between.
"Chart B was updated on the official site, so I can file based on Chart B." The State Department publishes both charts every month, but USCIS may designate Chart A for several months in a row. In that case the Chart B dates keep changing; they just can't be used for filing.
"I can pick whichever chart is better for me." No. USCIS decides whether you can file based only on the chart it designated for that month. If your priority date is not earlier than the cutoff date on the designated chart, your application will be rejected and returned as is, and you'll have to refile once you qualify.
What three things should you confirm, in order, before filing the I-485?
- Which chart applies this month? Check the current month's guidance on the USCIS "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page. Don't rely on last month's.
- Is my priority date earlier than the cutoff date? Look at the column for your category and country of birth, not the "worldwide" column. For the latest dates by category, see the family-based immigration and employment-based immigration pages.
- Are visa numbers still available? If your category is marked "U" (the bulletin's code for unauthorized, meaning no visa numbers are available) for the month, you can't file even if your priority date qualifies.
A tool can do the first two steps for you at once: I-485 Filing Eligibility Check. For month-by-month changes, see our visa bulletin analyses, such as September 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis.
Data sources
- US Department of State Visa Bulletin, original text of both charts for September 2026
- USCIS "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page (the guidance on that page is what counts for each month; this article cites the October 2026 guidance, with September 2026 kept for comparison)
- Public Q&As given by Charlie Oppenheim while he was chief of the State Department's Visa Control and Reporting Division
Updated October 29, 2026: the "which chart to use this month" section now includes USCIS's November 2026 guidance (both family-based and employment-based use Chart B).
Updated October 19, 2026: the "which chart to use this month" section now follows USCIS's October 2026 guidance (both family-based and employment-based use Chart B); September's guidance is kept as an earlier month.
Updated September 26, 2026: revised the "which chart to use this month" section based on USCIS's September 2026 guidance, and added links to the original State Department and USCIS pages.