Reading the bulletin
What do "C" and "U" mean in the Visa Bulletin?
Updated · Not legal advice
"C" means the category is current for that country: every qualified applicant can move ahead regardless of priority date. "U" means unavailable: no visa numbers can be used in that category and country this month, whatever your priority date.
| Cell shows | Meaning | What you can do this month |
|---|---|---|
| C | Current: visas immediately available to qualified applicants | Final Action chart: approval or visa issuance can proceed. Dates for Filing chart: you can file / submit documents. |
| A date, e.g. 01JAN20 | Cutoff date: only priority dates earlier than this date can move | Compare your priority date. Earlier = you can move; the same day or later = wait. |
| U | Unavailable: no numbers this month | Nobody in that row and column can be approved or issued a visa until numbers return. |
Where C and U appear
Each chart is a grid: rows are the preference categories (F1 to F4, EB-1 to EB-5 and their sub-rows) and columns are chargeability areas (All Chargeability Areas, China-mainland born, India, Mexico, Philippines). Any cell can hold C, U or a date, and the same row can be C in one column and a date in another.
The Final Action chart and the Dates for Filing chart are separate. A row can be a date in Final Action and C in Dates for Filing in the same month. Check the chart that applies to your step.
When "U" usually shows up
The notes printed under the charts usually explain why a row is U and whether the State Department expects it to return. See what the notes mean.
- Late in the fiscal year (summer, especially September) when a category has used its annual numbers. The State Department may mark it U until October brings new numbers.
- Rows whose legal authority has lapsed and is waiting for Congress, such as the non-minister religious workers row in EB-4 (printed as "Certain Religious Workers").
- Any row where demand has already exhausted the numbers allowed under the per-country or annual limits for the rest of the year.
"C" does not mean instant approval
Current only removes the wait for a visa number. Your petition still has to be approved, your I-485 or immigrant visa application still has to be adjudicated, and an officer has to request the visa number. A category can also be C one month and a date (or U) the next: that is retrogression.
Quick answers
- What does C mean in the Visa Bulletin?
- Current. USCIS describes it as visas being "currently (immediately) available" to qualified applicants in that category and country.
- What does U mean?
- Unavailable. No visa numbers can be used in that row and column this month, so no approvals or visa issuances happen there until numbers return.
- If my category is C, can I file the I-485 right away?
- If the chart USCIS designates for that month shows C (or a date later than your priority date) and you are otherwise eligible, yes. Check which chart USCIS uses.
- Can a C category become a date again?
- Yes. When demand grows, the State Department can impose a cutoff date the next month. That is why people set an alert instead of assuming it stays current.
What to do next: get your Visa Bulletin alert
We read every new bulletin and email you when your cell changes, including C to a date, a date to U, or U back to C.
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Sources
- USCIS: Visa Availability and Priority Dates
- U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin (current, upcoming and archive)
- USCIS: Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
Checked: November 12, 2026