Intro
The Visa Bulletin can look confusing the first time you see it. Many EB-3 workers feel overwhelmed by the charts, dates, and country of chargeability columns.
If you are trying to learn how to read the EB 3 Visa Bulletin in 2026 for your country, you are not alone. Understanding the Visa Bulletin is one of the most important parts of understanding your immigration timeline because it shows when an immigrant visa number is available for your category and priority date.
The U.S. Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin every month to summarize the availability of immigrant visa numbers for both family-sponsored and employment-based categories under the annual numerical limits in U.S. law.
If you are inside the United States and plan to apply for a green card through adjustment of status, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also tells applicants which Visa Bulletin chart to use each month.
USCIS publishes an “Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin” page that explains whether you must use the Dates for Filing chart or the Final Action Dates chart for your employment-based category in that month.
The EB 3 Employment-Based Third Preference category, which includes Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers, is allocated a fixed percentage of the worldwide employment-based immigrant visa limit each year.
Because of these numerical limits and the per country caps, the EB-3 process can often take 36 months or more, so learning how to read the Visa Bulletin helps you track your priority date, follow your progress, and know what to expect next in your green card process.
What Is the EB 3 Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State. It shows when immigrant visa numbers are available for each family sponsored and employment based category, based on annual worldwide limits and per country limits.
The EB 3 Employment Third Preference category includes Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers). Most applicants on eb3.work are in the “Unskilled workers (Other workers)” group, which the State Department defines as people who can fill jobs that require less than two years of training or experience, and that are not temporary or seasonal.
This group has its own numerical limit each year. In the March 2026 Visa Bulletin, the Department of State explains that EB 3 as a whole receives 28.6 percent of the worldwide employment based limit, and that “not more than 10,000 may be provided to ‘Other Workers’” within that total.
The bulletin also notes that the Employment Third Preference Other Workers annual limit can be reduced to offset visas used under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), although for Fiscal Year 2026, the reduction is limited to approximately 150 visas.
Because EB 3 Other Workers has a fixed annual cap and demand is high, many applicants must wait in a priority date line before they can move forward to green card approval.
Why Your Country Matters in the EB 3 Process
Your country of chargeability plays a big role in how long you wait in the EB 3 line. Country of chargeability is usually your country of birth, and it determines which column in the Visa Bulletin you must follow for your category.
Some countries have many more applicants than others. Because of this higher demand, the Visa Bulletin separates certain countries into their own columns so that the State Department can apply the per country limits that are required by U.S. immigration law.
In the March 2026 Visa Bulletin, the employment based charts show separate columns for
“All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed”, “CHINA mainland born”, “INDIA”, “MEXICO”, and “PHILIPPINES.” All other countries are grouped together under the first column, which is labeled All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.
If your country is not listed separately in its own column, you must use the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column for EB 3 and EB 3 Other Workers. This is sometimes called “Rest of World” in informal commentary, but in the official chart the heading is exactly “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.
For example, applicants from Brazil, Kenya, Jamaica, or South Africa all use the All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed column for EB 3 in the March 2026 Visa Bulletin.
What Is a Priority Date?
Your priority date is your place in line for a green card. It is the key date that U.S. immigration agencies use to decide when it is your turn to move forward.
For most EB-3 employment-based applicants who need labor certification, the priority date is the day the employer filed the PERM labor certification with the U.S. Department of Labor. USCIS explains that the priority date is used together with the Visa Bulletin to determine when an immigrant visa number is available in your category and for your country.
You can usually find your priority date on your Form I 797, Notice of Action, which is the USCIS receipt or approval notice for your immigrant petition. This notice confirms that your case was received and it lists the priority date that you should compare with the Visa Bulletin. USCIS provides an official overview of visa availability and priority dates.
You can also review this simple glossary entry that explains “Priority Date: Understanding Your Place in the Visa Queue”.
The earlier your priority date is, the closer you are to the front of the line, and the sooner your date can become current in the Visa Bulletin so you can move to the next step.
The Two Charts You Must Understand
Final Action Dates
The Final Action Dates chart shows when a green card can actually be approved for your category and country of chargeability. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed in this chart, a visa number is available, and your case can move forward for final approval, if you have already filed all required steps.
If you see the letter “C” in the Final Action Dates chart, it means current. This means immigrant visa numbers are available right away for all qualified applicants in that category and country, regardless of their priority dates.
If you see “U,” it means unavailable, and no visas can be issued in that category and country at that time.
These definitions come from the official Visa Bulletin guidance, which explains how Final Action Dates are used to control when immigrant visa numbers can be issued each month.
Dates for Filing
The Dates for Filing chart shows the earliest time you may be allowed to submit your final green card paperwork, even if your case cannot be approved yet. It is used to decide when applicants can file applications, not when visas can be issued.
This chart is especially helpful for applicants inside the United States who are applying through adjustment of status, because it can allow you to file Form I 485 and related applications earlier than the Final Action Dates chart would allow. Your priority date must still be earlier than the date listed in the Dates for Filing chart for your category and country.
Each month, USCIS decides which chart employment based applicants must use for adjustment of status filings. For March 2026, USCIS states that for all employment based preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin.
This is why it is important to check both the Visa Bulletin for the actual dates and the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts update to know which chart applies to you in that month.
Step-by-Step: How to Read the EB-3 Visa Bulletin for Your Country
Step 1: Find your priority date
Check your I 140 approval notice (Form I 797, Notice of Action) or other official USCIS documents to find your priority date. This date is your place in line and is what you will compare against the Visa Bulletin charts.
Step 2: Open the latest Visa Bulletin
Always use the most recent Visa Bulletin, because the dates for EB 3 and other categories are updated every month and can move forward, backward, or stay the same.
Step 3: Go to the Employment Based section
On the Visa Bulletin page, scroll past the family sponsored charts and go to the Employment Based Preferences section. For EB 3, you will use the employment based tables labeled with “Employment Based Preference Cases.
Step 4: Find the EB 3 row that matches your case
In the employment based table, look for the row labeled “3rd” under “Employment Based”, which is the Third Preference (EB 3) category. In that row you will see a separate line or notation for “Other Workers” (sometimes written as “Other Workers” or “Other Workers (EW)”), which is the subcategory most EB3.Work applicants fall under, not the Skilled Workers or Professionals lines.
Step 5: Find your country column
In the same chart, move across to the country of chargeability columns. If you are from India, China (mainland born), Mexico, or the Philippines, you must use your specific country column.
If your country is not listed separately, use the column labeled “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” which applies to all other countries.
Step 6: Compare your priority date to the cutoff date
Once you have the correct row and country column, compare the cutoff date in the chart with your priority date. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed, your case is current for that chart, and a visa number is considered available for you in that category and country.
If your priority date is later than the cutoff date, your priority date is not yet current and you must wait until a future Visa Bulletin shows a later date than your own.
Step 7: Check which chart USCIS is using
This step matters if you are applying inside the United States through adjustment of status. Each month, USCIS posts an update that tells you whether employment based applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart from the Visa Bulletin for I 485 filings.
For March 2026, USCIS states that for all employment based preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin.
Step 8: Repeat this every month
The Visa Bulletin changes every month, and cutoff dates can move forward, stay the same, or move backward (“retrogress”) depending on demand and the annual visa limits.
Because of this, you should check the newest Visa Bulletin and the USCIS chart guidance every month to see whether your priority date has become current or if there have been any backward movements that affect your timing.
Real 2026 Example: How to Read the March 2026 EB 3 Other Workers Chart
Here is a simple example using the March 2026 Visa Bulletin.
For EB 3 Other Workers in the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column:
- In the Final Action Dates chart, the cutoff date is November 1, 2021.
- In the Dates for Filing chart, the cutoff date is June 22, 2022.
If you are from a country like Brazil or Kenya, you use the All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed column for EB 3 Other Workers.
- If your priority date is May 1, 2022 and USCIS is using the Dates for Filing chart for that month, you may be able to file, because May 1, 2022 is earlier than June 22, 2022 in the Dates for Filing chart.
- If your priority date is December 1, 2022, you must wait, because December 1, 2022 is later than June 22, 2022, so your date is not yet current in either chart.
This is how you use the March 2026 EB 3 Other Workers chart to track your progress and see how close you are to being able to file or receive final approval.
What “Current,” “Retrogression,” and “Not Current Yet” Mean
“Current” means immigrant visas are available right away. In the Visa Bulletin, you will see the letter “C” in the chart when a category is current, and any qualified applicant with a priority date in that category and country can move forward without a waiting line.
“Not current yet” means your priority date has not reached the cutoff date shown in the chart. Your priority date is later than the date listed, so you must continue waiting until a future Visa Bulletin shows a later date than your own.
“Retrogression” means the cutoff date in the Visa Bulletin moves backward instead of forward. This happens when demand for a visa category is higher than the number of visas available, so the State Department moves the date back to slow down new approvals and stay within the annual limits.
In September 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced that it had issued all available immigrant visas in the Employment Based Third Preference (EB 3) category and the “Other Workers” (EW) subcategory for Fiscal Year 2025. The notice explains that the Immigration and Nationality Act limits EB 3 to 28.6 percent of the worldwide employment based limit, and that up to 10,000 of those visas may be used for EW.
Once all of those EB 3 and EW visas were used, embassies and consulates could not issue more in these categories until the new fiscal year began on October 1, 2025, when the annual limits reset and new visas became available again.
This example shows how high demand and fixed annual limits can cause movements in the Visa Bulletin, including retrogression or categories becoming temporarily unavailable, even when many applicants are still waiting in line.
Common Mistakes People Make When Reading the Visa Bulletin
- Using the wrong chart for the month
Many applicants look only at the Visa Bulletin and do not check the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page to see whether they must use Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing for that month. - Reading the general EB 3 row instead of “Other Workers.”
EB 3 has separate lines for Skilled Workers and Professionals, and for Other Workers (EW), and EB 3 Other Workers often have different and sometimes more backlogged dates. - Choosing the wrong country column
Some applicants use the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column when they were actually born in India, China (mainland born), Mexico, or the Philippines, which each have their own column and often different cutoff dates. - Comparing dates the wrong way
People sometimes think they are current if their priority date is after the cutoff date, but you are only current when your priority date is earlier than or equal to the date shown in the chart. - Assuming the bulletin will not change next month
Some applicants assume dates will always move forward, but the Visa Bulletin can move forward, stay the same, or move backward (retrogress) from month to month, depending on demand and annual limits.
Why So Many People Are Watching the EB-3 Bulletin Closely in 2026
Many workers are watching the EB 3 Visa Bulletin very closely in 2026 because U.S. labor demand remains strong and long term hiring needs are not fully met by the local workforce.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce explains that America is experiencing a worker shortage crisis, with job openings outpacing the number of available workers in many parts of the country and across multiple industries.
Their America Works Data Center shows that even if every unemployed person in the United States found a job, there would still be millions of open positions, which means employers continue to search for additional workforce solutions in 2026.
This ongoing gap between open jobs and available workers is one reason the EB 3 employment based immigrant category, including EB 3 Other Workers, continues to attract attention from workers worldwide.
Many applicants see EB 3 as a path that aligns their long term goals with persistent U.S. labor needs, and they follow the Visa Bulletin month by month to understand when immigrant visa numbers may become available for their category and country.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which country column to use on the EB 3 Visa Bulletin?
Use your country of birth as your country of chargeability. If your country is not listed in its own column, use “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.”
What if my country is not listed separately?
If you do not see your country named in its own column, you will use the general column labeled “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” for EB 3 and EB 3 Other Workers.
What is the difference between EB 3 and EB 3 Other Workers on the bulletin?
The EB 3 category includes Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers. The “Other Workers” line is a separate subcategory for jobs that require less than two years of training or experience and it often has different, and sometimes longer, wait times than the general EB 3 Skilled or Professional lines.
What does “C” mean on the Visa Bulletin?
The letter “C” means current. When a category is current, immigrant visas are available immediately for all qualified applicants in that category and country, regardless of priority date.
What happens if my priority date is later than the cutoff date?
If your priority date is later than the cutoff date listed for your category and country, your date is not current yet and you must wait until a future Visa Bulletin shows a date that is later than or equal to your own.
Do I use Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing?
This depends on what USCIS decides for that month. Check the USCIS “Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin” page each month to see whether employment based applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart.
Can the Visa Bulletin move backward?
Yes. The cutoff dates can move backward. This is called retrogression and it happens when demand for visas in a category is higher than the available annual numbers, so the State Department moves the dates back to stay within the legal limits.
How often is the Visa Bulletin updated?
The Visa Bulletin is updated every month by the U.S. Department of State. Each new bulletin can move dates forward, keep them the same, or move them backward based on usage and demand.
Final Thoughts
The Visa Bulletin may seem complex at first, but it becomes easier once you understand the basics of categories, charts, and cutoff dates.When you know your priority date, your EB 3 or EB 3 Other Workers category, and the correct country of chargeability column, you can follow your progress with much more confidence. Keep checking the latest Visa Bulletin and the monthly USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts update so you always know which chart applies and where you stand in the line.
