How are Visa Bulletin cutoff dates determined?

By comparing demand with the numbers available under annual, per-country and quarterly limits each month.

Why did my category stop moving?

Usually because enough demand appeared to use the numbers available for that period.

Does USCIS set the dates?

No, the State Department does. USCIS only chooses which chart I-485 filers use each month.

History, predictions & alerts

How does the State Department decide the Visa Bulletin cutoff dates?

Updated November 12, 2026 · Not legal advice

Each month the State Department compares reported demand (applicants who are documentarily qualified abroad and adjustment cases at USCIS) with the visa numbers still available under the annual category limits, the 7% per-country limit and the quarterly limits. It sets the cutoff at the priority date where demand fits the numbers it can use that month.

The limits that shape every cutoff
Limit	Rule	Source
Annual category limits	Fixed shares for F1 to F4 and EB-1 to EB-5	INA 203
Family preference total	At least 226,000 a year	INA 201(c)
Employment total	140,000 plus family numbers unused the year before	INA 201(d)
Per-country	7% of family + employment preference numbers per country (2% per dependent area)	INA 202(a)(2)
Quarterly	No more than 27% of the annual limit in each of the first three quarters	INA 201(a)

Why dates move in steps

The 27% quarterly limit stops the year's numbers being used up early, so movement is spread out.
Demand is only visible once applicants are documentarily qualified or file I-485s, so dates often move forward to "generate demand" and stop (or retrogress) when it appears.
Unused numbers late in the year can be redistributed, including lifting the per-country limit for a quarter.

Why no one can promise a date

The inputs (how many people file, how fast USCIS and consulates process, family numbers unused last year) change every month. That is why even the State Department's notes speak in expectations, not promises. Use history as context, and set an alert for the actual move.

Quick answers

How are Visa Bulletin cutoff dates determined?: By comparing demand with the numbers available under annual, per-country and quarterly limits each month.
Why did my category stop moving?: Usually because enough demand appeared to use the numbers available for that period.
Does USCIS set the dates?: No, the State Department does. USCIS only chooses which chart I-485 filers use each month.

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Sources

Checked: November 12, 2026