Visa Bulletin Tracker

Other Workers — China (mainland-born)

preference · Final Action Dates 1 May 2019 · Dates for Filing not published · August 2026 bulletin

In the August 2026 Visa Bulletin, Other Workers for China (mainland-born) has a Final Action Dates cut-off of 1 May 2019 and no Dates for Filing chart published this bulletin. The Final Action cut-off has been advancing, so the page shows its measured pace and what that pace would imply for a given priority date — as an estimate, never a prediction. This page carries the full published history State printed for this combination: 255 Final Action Dates bulletins back to January 2005, and 130 Dates for Filing bulletins back to October 2015 — every cut-off, every month it moved, and the exact text State printed in each cell. It reports what was published; it is not legal advice.

Source bulletin August 2026 U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs — Visa Bulletin. A work of the U.S. Government, in the public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Every figure below is the one State printed, kept with its exact source text.

The August 2026 cut-offs

State publishes two charts for Other Workers, and they are not interchangeable. Both are shown here as printed. China (mainland-born) has its own column because demand from applicants chargeable there exceeds the per-country limit, so its cut-offs are usually further behind than the "all other countries" column.

This is not legal advice This page republishes cut-off dates exactly as the State Department published them. It cannot tell you what will happen to your case, and being current in a chart is not the same as a visa being issued. Cut-off dates routinely stall, and they can move backward without warning. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Final Action Dates

The chart that decides whether a visa can be issued. State has published a Final Action Dates figure for Other Workers / China (mainland-born) in 255 bulletins since January 2005.

Final Action Dates: when would a priority date be reached?

The cut-off to compare against The Final Action Dates cut-off in the August 2026 bulletin is 1 May 2019. A priority date earlier than that has been reached.

The date your petition was filed — it is printed on your I-797 receipt notice. Nothing is sent anywhere: this runs entirely in your browser.

Enter a priority date to compare it against the August 2026 cut-off of 1 May 2019.

Any estimate here is an estimate Estimate only. It projects the cut-off forward at its average pace over the trailing published bulletins and assumes that pace holds. It is not a prediction and not a guarantee: cut-off dates routinely stall, and they can move BACKWARD (retrogress) without warning. Not legal advice.

How fast has this cut-off actually moved?
Measured movement of the Final Action Dates cut-off over its trailing published bulletins. This describes what already happened. It is not a forecast, and it is not what any estimate on this page is computed from.
Window Bulletins used Total movement Average per month
Last 3 bulletins May 2026 – August 2026 3 of 3 carried a measurable move 89 days forward about 29.7 days forward
Last 6 bulletins February 2026 – August 2026 6 of 6 carried a measurable move 144 days forward about 24 days forward
Last 12 bulletins August 2025 – August 2026 12 of 12 carried a measurable move 730 days forward about 60.8 days forward

This table describes what already happened; it is not a forecast and it is not what any estimate on this page is computed from. A pace can be zero, or negative when the cut-off has been moving backward, and some windows have nothing measurable in them at all — a category that spent the window Current or Unavailable has no distance to average. A category State has stopped moving can also keep showing a pace from a window that closed years ago, which describes that window and nothing since.

Final Action Dates — the full published history January 2005 – August 2026 · 255 published bulletins · cut-offs from 1 January 1999 to 1 May 2019
Final Action Dates: Other Workers, China (mainland-born), January 2005 – August 2026 Final Action Dates for Other Workers, China (mainland-born), January 2005 – August 2026. 236 of 255 published bulletins carry a dated cut-off, ranging from 1 January 1999 to 1 May 2019. Current (no backlog) in 2 months. Unavailable (no visas issued) in 17 months. 8 retrogressions (the cut-off moving backward) are marked. 3 breaks in the line where months are missing; the line is never drawn across them. C Current — no backlog: January 2005 to February 2005 (2 bulletins) 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 No bulletin in the public record: March 2009. The line is not drawn across it. No bulletin in the public record: September 2009 to November 2009. The line is not drawn across it. No bulletin in the public record: October 2012. The line is not drawn across it. Retrogressed June 2005: 1 July 2001 back to 1 January 1999 (912 days backward) Retrogressed May 2006: 1 October 2001 back to 1 October 2000 (365 days backward) Retrogressed February 2009: 15 March 2003 back to 1 October 2002 (165 days backward) Retrogressed April 2009: 1 October 2002 back to 1 March 2001 (579 days backward) Retrogressed June 2014: 1 October 2012 back to 1 January 2003 (3,561 days backward) Retrogressed August 2015: 1 January 2006 back to 1 January 2004 (731 days backward) Retrogressed July 2016: 22 April 2007 back to 1 January 2004 (1,207 days backward) Retrogressed August 2017: 15 July 2006 back to 1 January 2004 (926 days backward) U Unavailable — no visas issued: July 2005 to September 2005 (3 bulletins) Unavailable — no visas issued: June 2006 to September 2006 (4 bulletins) Unavailable — no visas issued: May 2007 Unavailable — no visas issued: July 2007 to September 2007 (3 bulletins) Unavailable — no visas issued: August 2008 to September 2008 (2 bulletins) Unavailable — no visas issued: May 2009 to August 2009 (4 bulletins) 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Every published cut-off is on the line above; the table below lists every month it moved.

  • Published cut-off date
  • Retrogression — the cut-off moved backward (8)
  • C — Current: no backlog. Not a date, so it is not on the line
  • U — Unavailable: no visas issued. Not a date either
  • No bulletin in the public record — the line stops rather than crossing it
Final Action Dates — the 24 most recent of 130 bulletins in which this cut-off changed, newest first. Months in which it held steady are not listed: it held in 125 of the published bulletins. Direction is shown by the ↑ / ↓ glyph and the word, never by colour alone.
Bulletin From To What changed
August 20261 April 20191 May 2019Advanced30 days
June 20261 February 20191 April 2019Advanced59 days
April 20268 December 20181 February 2019Advanced55 days
January 20268 December 20178 December 2018Advanced365 days
December 20251 December 20178 December 2017Advanced7 days
October 20251 May 20171 December 2017Advanced214 days
July 20251 April 20171 May 2017Advanced30 days
April 20251 January 20171 April 2017Advanced90 days
January 20241 January 20161 January 2017Advanced366 days
October 20231 September 20151 January 2016Advanced122 days
June 202315 April 20151 September 2015Advanced139 days
May 20231 October 201415 April 2015Advanced196 days
April 20231 July 20141 October 2014Advanced92 days
March 202322 December 20131 July 2014Advanced191 days
January 202322 June 201322 December 2013Advanced183 days
December 20221 December 201222 June 2013Advanced203 days
November 20221 September 20121 December 2012Advanced91 days
October 20221 June 20121 September 2012Advanced92 days
April 20221 May 20121 June 2012Advanced31 days
March 20221 April 20121 May 2012Advanced30 days
February 20221 March 20121 April 2012Advanced31 days
December 20211 March 20101 March 2012Advanced731 days
November 20211 February 20101 March 2010Advanced28 days
September 20211 January 20101 February 2010Advanced31 days
Show the earlier 106 changes — back to January 2005
The remaining 106 bulletins in which the Final Action Dates cut-off changed, newest first, back to January 2005. 3 of these span more than one month, because State published no bulletin for the months named in the row — the change is real, but it did not happen in a single month, and is not shown as if it did.
Bulletin From To What changed
August 20211 December 20091 January 2010Advanced31 days
July 20211 October 20091 December 2009Advanced61 days
June 20211 August 20091 October 2009Advanced61 days
May 20211 June 20091 August 2009Advanced61 days
April 20211 May 20091 June 2009Advanced31 days
March 20211 April 20091 May 2009Advanced30 days
February 20211 March 20091 April 2009Advanced31 days
January 202115 February 20091 March 2009Advanced14 days
December 20201 January 200915 February 2009Advanced45 days
November 20201 December 20081 January 2009Advanced31 days
October 20201 August 20081 December 2008Advanced122 days
August 202022 July 20081 August 2008Advanced10 days
July 202015 July 200822 July 2008Advanced7 days
May 20201 July 200815 July 2008Advanced14 days
April 20201 June 20081 July 2008Advanced30 days
March 20201 May 20081 June 2008Advanced31 days
February 20201 April 20081 May 2008Advanced30 days
January 20201 March 20081 April 2008Advanced31 days
December 20191 February 20081 March 2008Advanced29 days
November 20191 January 20081 February 2008Advanced31 days
October 201922 November 20071 January 2008Advanced40 days
July 20191 September 200722 November 2007Advanced82 days
May 201922 August 20071 September 2007Advanced10 days
April 201915 August 200722 August 2007Advanced7 days
March 20191 August 200715 August 2007Advanced14 days
February 20191 July 20071 August 2007Advanced31 days
January 20191 June 20071 July 2007Advanced30 days
December 20181 May 20071 June 2007Advanced31 days
May 20181 April 20071 May 2007Advanced30 days
April 20181 March 20071 April 2007Advanced31 days
March 20181 February 20071 March 2007Advanced28 days
February 201822 December 20061 February 2007Advanced41 days
January 20181 July 200622 December 2006Advanced174 days
December 20171 April 20061 July 2006Advanced91 days
November 20171 January 20061 April 2006Advanced90 days
October 20171 January 20041 January 2006Advanced731 days
August 201715 July 20061 January 2004Retrogressed926 days
June 20178 March 200615 July 2006Advanced129 days
May 20171 March 20068 March 2006Advanced7 days
April 20171 February 20061 March 2006Advanced28 days
March 20171 December 20051 February 2006Advanced62 days
January 20171 November 20051 December 2005Advanced30 days
December 20161 September 20051 November 2005Advanced61 days
November 20161 January 20051 September 2005Advanced243 days
October 20161 January 20041 January 2005Advanced366 days
July 201622 April 20071 January 2004Retrogressed1,207 days
May 20161 March 200722 April 2007Advanced52 days
April 20161 February 20071 March 2007Advanced28 days
March 201622 December 20061 February 2007Advanced41 days
February 20161 December 200622 December 2006Advanced21 days
January 20161 August 20061 December 2006Advanced122 days
December 20151 April 20061 August 2006Advanced122 days
November 20151 January 20061 April 2006Advanced90 days
October 20151 January 20041 January 2006Advanced731 days
August 20151 January 20061 January 2004Retrogressed731 days
June 201515 November 20051 January 2006Advanced47 days
May 201515 August 200515 November 2005Advanced92 days
February 201522 July 200515 August 2005Advanced24 days
August 20141 January 200322 July 2005Advanced933 days
June 20141 October 20121 January 2003Retrogressed3,561 days
April 20141 September 20121 October 2012Advanced30 days
March 20141 June 20121 September 2012Advanced92 days
February 20141 April 20121 June 2012Advanced61 days
January 20141 October 20111 April 2012Advanced183 days
December 20131 October 20101 October 2011Advanced365 days
November 201322 September 20041 October 2010Advanced2,200 days
October 201315 June 200422 September 2004Advanced99 days
September 201322 March 200415 June 2004Advanced85 days
July 201322 October 200322 March 2004Advanced152 days
June 20131 September 200322 October 2003Advanced51 days
May 20131 August 20031 September 2003Advanced31 days
April 20131 July 20031 August 2003Advanced31 days
November 2012 over 2 months, from the September 2012 bulletin — no bulletin was published for October 201222 June 20031 July 2003Advanced9 days
September 201215 June 200322 June 2003Advanced7 days
July 201222 April 200315 June 2003Advanced54 days
December 20101 April 200322 April 2003Advanced21 days
November 201022 March 20031 April 2003Advanced10 days
September 201015 May 200222 March 2003Advanced311 days
August 20101 June 200115 May 2002Advanced348 days
December 2009 over 4 months, from the August 2009 bulletin — no bulletin was published for September 2009, October 2009, November 2009Unavailable1 June 2001Became available again
May 20091 March 2001UnavailableBecame Unavailable
April 2009 over 2 months, from the February 2009 bulletin — no bulletin was published for March 20091 October 20021 March 2001Retrogressed579 days
February 200915 March 20031 October 2002Retrogressed165 days
January 200915 January 200315 March 2003Advanced59 days
November 20081 January 200315 January 2003Advanced14 days
October 2008Unavailable1 January 2003Became available again
August 20081 January 2003UnavailableBecame Unavailable
May 20081 March 20021 January 2003Advanced306 days
April 20081 January 20021 March 2002Advanced59 days
March 20081 October 20011 January 2002Advanced92 days
October 2007Unavailable1 October 2001Became available again
July 20071 October 2001UnavailableBecame Unavailable
June 2007Unavailable1 October 2001Became available again
May 20071 October 2001UnavailableBecame Unavailable
December 20061 May 20011 October 2001Advanced153 days
November 20061 January 20011 May 2001Advanced120 days
October 2006Unavailable1 January 2001Became available again
June 20061 October 2000UnavailableBecame Unavailable
May 20061 October 20011 October 2000Retrogressed365 days
February 20061 April 20011 October 2001Advanced183 days
January 20061 October 20001 April 2001Advanced182 days
October 2005Unavailable1 October 2000Became available again
July 20051 January 1999UnavailableBecame Unavailable
June 20051 July 20011 January 1999Retrogressed912 days
March 2005Current1 July 2001Retrogressed from Current
January 2005not publishedCurrentFirst published

Dates for Filing

State did not publish a Dates for Filing figure for Other Workers / China (mainland-born) in the August 2026 bulletin — this month's source ( preference) carries only one of the two charts. This chart's published history will return once a bulletin carrying it is available again.

How to read this page

What a priority date is

A priority date is the date that fixes your place in the queue for an immigrant visa number. For most family-sponsored categories it is the date the petition was filed; for employment-based categories that require labour certification, it is the date that certification was filed. It is printed on the I-797 receipt or approval notice. Your priority date does not move — the cut-off moves toward it.

Congress caps how many immigrant visas may be issued each year, both in total per category and per country of chargeability. When more people want a category than the cap allows, a queue forms, and State publishes a cut-off date each month: the priority date it has reached. If your priority date is earlier than the cut-off, your turn has come in that chart.

Chargeability, and why some countries have their own column

Chargeability is normally your country of birth — not your citizenship or where you live. A country gets its own column in the bulletin only when demand from applicants chargeable to it exceeds the per-country limit; in the August 2026 bulletin those are China (mainland-born), India, Mexico and the Philippines. Everyone else is counted together in the column State prints as "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed", which is not a global average and not a worldwide figure.

The two charts are not interchangeable

Final Action Dates is when a visa can actually be issued or a green card approved. Dates for Filing is when the application may be submitted; it is usually the earlier and more optimistic of the two, and being past it does not mean a visa can be issued. Which chart U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will accept for adjustment-of-status filings is announced by USCIS each month and is not decided by State or by this site. The Dates for Filing chart was introduced in October 2015 and does not exist for any earlier bulletin.

What Current and Unavailable mean

Current (printed C) means there is no backlog at all: every priority date in the category is being acted on. Unavailable (printed U) means no visas are being issued in the category at all that month — usually because the annual limit has been reached. Neither is a date, and neither can be compared to one, so this site never plots them on a date axis and never projects from them.

Retrogression: the cut-off can move backward

A cut-off is not a promise and does not only move forward. When more people apply than the annual limit allows — often after a period of rapid advancement draws in filings — State pulls the cut-off back to an earlier date. This is called retrogression, and it can undo years of progress in a single bulletin. It has happened 359 times across the whole published record this site holds. The largest on record is F3 for Mexico in August 2006, which moved back 12.79 years in one month. Retrogressions on this page are marked on the chart with a ▼ mark and listed in the movement tables with a ↓ glyph — never by colour alone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Other Workers priority date cut-off for China (mainland-born) in the August 2026 Visa Bulletin?
The Final Action Dates cut-off is 1 May 2019. State printed that cell as "01MAY19". A priority date earlier than 1 May 2019 has been reached in the Final Action Dates chart. The Dates for Filing chart is not part of this bulletin's published source this month (see Source and method, below); this page will show it again once a bulletin carrying it is available.
What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for Other Workers?
They answer different questions and they are not interchangeable. Final Action Dates is when a visa can actually be issued or a green card approved. Dates for Filing is when the application may be submitted — it is usually the earlier and more optimistic of the two, and being past it does not mean a visa can be issued. This month's source publishes only the Final Action Dates chart for this combination, so only that figure is shown above. Which chart U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accepts for adjustment-of-status filings is announced by USCIS each month and is not decided by this site. The Dates for Filing chart did not exist before October 2015.
What is a priority date?
A priority date is the date that fixes your place in the queue for a visa number. For most family-sponsored and employment-based categories it is the date the petition was filed with the government (for employment categories requiring labour certification, it is the date that certification was filed). It is printed on the I-797 receipt or approval notice. The Visa Bulletin publishes a cut-off date each month for each category and country of chargeability; if your priority date is earlier than the cut-off, your turn has come in that chart. Your priority date never changes on its own — the cut-off moves toward it.
Has the Other Workers Final Action Dates cut-off for China (mainland-born) ever moved backward?
Yes. Moving backward is called retrogression, and it happens when more people apply in a category than the annual limit allows, forcing State to pull the cut-off back to an earlier date. The Final Action Dates chart for this combination has retrogressed 15 times in the published record. The largest was in June 2014, when the cut-off moved back from 1 October 2012 to 1 January 2003 — 3,561 days, or about 9.8 years, in a single bulletin.
When will a priority date in Other Workers become current for China (mainland-born)?
Nobody can tell you that, and this site does not claim to. What can be measured is the pace: over the trailing published bulletins the Final Action Dates cut-off has advanced by an average of about 60.8 days per bulletin. The tool on this page projects the published cut-off of 1 May 2019 forward at that pace to estimate which bulletin would reach a given priority date. That is an estimate and assumes the pace holds. It is not a prediction and not a guarantee: cut-off dates routinely stall, and they can move backward without warning. This is not legal advice.
Where does this Other Workers history come from, and how far back does it go?
Every figure is the one the U.S. Department of State printed in its monthly Visa Bulletin, kept alongside the exact cell text it came from. This page carries 255 Final Action Dates bulletins back to January 2005. The Dates for Filing chart is not part of this bulletin's published source this month. The Visa Bulletin is a work of the U.S. Government and is in the public domain (17 U.S.C. section 105). 5 months are absent from the public record in that span (March 2009, September 2009, October 2009, November 2009, October 2012); they are shown as a break in the chart and are never filled in from a neighbouring month.

Source and method

Every figure on this page is read from the U.S. Department of State's monthly Visa Bulletin — the August 2026 edition for the current cut-offs, and each bulletin's own edition for the history. The Visa Bulletin is a work of the U.S. Government prepared by federal employees in the course of their duties, and is therefore in the public domain under 17 U.S.C. §105. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of State or any government agency.

This page carries 255 published cut-off cells and 130 recorded changes across the chart published for it this bulletin. Each cell is stored with the exact text State printed for it (the 01MAY19 shown above is the source's own), so every figure here is traceable back to the bulletin it came from.

5 months in the December 2001 to August 2026 span are absent from the public record — March 2009, September 2009, October 2009, November 2009, October 2012. They are recorded as gaps and shown as breaks in the charts above, never filled in from a neighbouring month.

Data version visa-bulletin-derived-v1 · 292 bulletins, December 2001 to August 2026 · Next monthly bulletin. The State Department publishes one bulletin per month, typically mid-month for the following month; past bulletins are immutable once published.

Every category in the August 2026 bulletin →