Do the section letters always mean the same thing?

No. The early sections (the charts and fixed explanations) are stable, but later sections change from month to month depending on what needs to be announced.

Where are predictions in the Visa Bulletin?

When the State Department gives any outlook, it is in these notes. There is no standing forecast section.

Do you send the notes with the alert?

Yes. When a note mentions your category or country, our alert includes it with a link to the official bulletin.

Reading the bulletin

What do the notes at the bottom of the Visa Bulletin mean?

Updated November 12, 2026 · Not legal advice

Below the two charts, each bulletin has lettered sections with notes from the State Department. They are where it explains big moves, warns that a category may retrogress or become unavailable, and announces program expirations, so they are the closest thing to an official outlook.

Kinds of notes to look for (section letters change from month to month)
Note type	What it tells you	Why it matters
Explanation of a move or retrogression	Why a cutoff moved, stood still or went back	Tells you whether the change is expected to last
Warning of future action	That a category may retrogress or become unavailable later in the year	Early sign to file while you still can
Program expiration	That a row (for example, EB-4 certain religious workers) depends on a law that expires	Explains a sudden U
Diversity Visa cutoffs	Rank-number cutoffs by region for the DV program	Separate from family and employment charts
Fixed explanatory text	How the charts and the per-country limit work	Same every month

How to read them in two minutes

Skim the section headings and look for your category label (EB-2, F2A, and so on) or your country.
Read anything that says "retrogression", "unavailable", "corrective action" or "expected".
Compare with last month's notes: a warning that appears for the first time is the most useful signal you will get.

What the notes are not

They are not a promise. The State Department regularly says that movement depends on demand and can change. Treat a note as the agency's current expectation, not a schedule. See where official projections appear.

Quick answers

Do the section letters always mean the same thing?: No. The early sections (the charts and fixed explanations) are stable, but later sections change from month to month depending on what needs to be announced.
Where are predictions in the Visa Bulletin?: When the State Department gives any outlook, it is in these notes. There is no standing forecast section.
Do you send the notes with the alert?: Yes. When a note mentions your category or country, our alert includes it with a link to the official bulletin.

What to do next: get your Visa Bulletin alert

Our alert includes any note that mentions your category or country, so you see warnings the month they first appear.

Free: 1 category, checked daily, email. Pro $5/month: checks every 4 hours, SMS + push, movement history and estimates. Compare plans.

Sources

Checked: November 12, 2026