# How to Read the Visa Bulletin: A Complete Guide for EB-5

> A walkthrough of the Visa Bulletin's Chart A and Chart B, the four EB-5 rows (unreserved, rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure), chargeability, what "C" and "U" mean, how USCIS picks the chart each month, and how it interacts with concurrent filing.

- URL: https://eb5policy.com/guides/how-to-read-visa-bulletin/
- Language: en
- Category: guides
- Published: 2026-08-21
- Tags: visa bulletin, backlog, concurrent filing, set-aside

The Visa Bulletin, published monthly by the U.S. Department of State, is the only official source for determining when an EB-5 applicant may file for adjustment of status and when a case may be finally approved. This article does not discuss any specific month's dates; it explains the structure of the bulletin and how to read it. For current data, consult the State Department website and the monthly USCIS announcement.

## The two charts

The employment-based section contains two charts with different functions:

| Chart | Name | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chart A | Final Action Dates | Determines whether a visa number is actually available. Cases with a priority date earlier than the cutoff can be finally approved, whether as an I-485 or an immigrant visa at a consulate. |
| Chart B | Dates for Filing | Determines whether an applicant may file. Applicants with a priority date earlier than the cutoff may submit an I-485, or submit documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) in consular processing. |

Chart B cutoffs are normally later than or equal to Chart A cutoffs. Chart B exists so that applicants in the queue can file early and be ready for approval when a number becomes available.

## The four EB-5 rows

Since the RIA, the fifth preference is split into four rows:

| Row | Category | Share of visas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5th Unreserved | Unreserved (codes such as C5, T5, I5, R5) | 68% |
| 5th Set-Aside: Rural | Rural set-aside | 20% |
| 5th Set-Aside: High Unemployment | High-unemployment set-aside | 10% |
| 5th Set-Aside: Infrastructure | Infrastructure set-aside | 2% |

Which row applies depends on the category of the project underlying the I-526E. Petitions filed before the RIA all fall in the unreserved row. Unused set-aside visas carry over to the same category the following year and then into the unreserved pool, so the set-aside rows and the unreserved row can move differently for extended periods.

## Country columns: chargeability by place of birth

The columns reflect "chargeability." They normally include "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" plus separately listed countries such as China-mainland born and India. Key rules:

- Chargeability is determined by **place of birth**, not nationality or passport.
- No single country may use more than 7 percent of the worldwide employment-based quota in a year. Countries whose demand exceeds that limit are listed separately and show cutoff dates.
- Cross-chargeability: if the spouse was born in a country with a shorter backlog, the principal may in qualifying cases be charged to the spouse's country of birth. This is a common relief for applicants born in mainland China, and eligibility should be confirmed by counsel.

## Three things a cell can contain

| Entry | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| C (Current) | All priority dates in that category and country are available; there is no backlog. |
| A date | A cutoff. Applicants whose priority date is **earlier than** that date are eligible; those on or after it are not yet. |
| U (Unavailable) | No visas are available this month for that category and country, regardless of priority date. This is common near the end of a fiscal year when the allocation is exhausted. |

Cutoff dates can advance, hold, or move backward (retrogression). Retrogression usually happens when demand exceeds the projection; applicants who were current temporarily lose availability until the date advances again.

## How USCIS decides which chart applies

The State Department publishes the bulletin, but USCIS sets the rule for accepting I-485 applications inside the United States. After each bulletin is released, USCIS announces on its "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" page whether employment-based I-485 applications will be accepted that month under Chart A or Chart B.

- If USCIS designates Chart B, applicants with a priority date earlier than the Chart B cutoff may file I-485.
- If USCIS designates Chart A, Chart A controls filing.
- Whichever chart governs filing, **final approval always follows Chart A**.

Consular processing is managed directly by the State Department. The NVC invites applicants to submit documents based on Chart B, and interview scheduling follows Chart A.

## Using the bulletin with concurrent filing

The RIA allows applicants in lawful U.S. status to file I-485 together with I-526E when a visa number is available, along with I-765 (work authorization) and I-131 (advance parole). Practical points:

1. The priority date is the I-526E filing date. At the moment of concurrent filing, no I-526E has yet been filed, so the row for the chosen project and the applicant's country column must show "C" in the chart USCIS has designated for that month.
2. If the row shows a date rather than "C," the I-526E must be filed first, and the I-485 follows once the priority date becomes current.
3. The set-aside rows (rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure) are separate from the unreserved row. An applicant born in mainland China who selects a set-aside project should read the corresponding set-aside row, not the unreserved row.
4. Once an I-485 is accepted, it remains pending even if Chart A later retrogresses, and work authorization and advance parole can continue to be renewed.

Concurrent filing eligibility changes monthly and should be checked with counsel against the current month's chart before signing.

## Where to find it

- The State Department publishes the bulletin monthly, usually in the middle of the preceding month, in the Visa Bulletin section of travel.state.gov.
- The USCIS page "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin" states which chart applies each month.
- This site's news section tracks monthly changes and provides a [sample walkthrough](/news/october-2026-visa-bulletin/).

## Common misreadings

- **Treating Chart B as the approval date.** Chart B only governs filing; approval depends on Chart A.
- **Confusing nationality with chargeability.** Chargeability follows place of birth; naturalizing elsewhere does not change it.
- **Reading the wrong row.** Set-aside applicants should read their set-aside row; pre-RIA applicants fall in the unreserved row regardless of project type.
- **Treating "U" as permanent.** "U" usually signals that the fiscal year's allocation is exhausted; availability generally resumes when the new fiscal year begins on October 1.

## Key takeaways

- Chart A (Final Action Dates) governs final approval; Chart B (Dates for Filing) governs filing.
- EB-5 has four rows: unreserved, rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure, holding 68, 20, 10, and 2 percent of visas respectively.
- Chargeability follows place of birth, with a 7 percent per-country cap; a spouse's place of birth may be used when cross-chargeability applies.
- "C" means no backlog, a date is a cutoff, and "U" means no visas that month.
- USCIS announces monthly which chart governs I-485 filing; concurrent filing requires "C" in the relevant row and column of that chart.