The Visa Bulletin is the monthly State Department chart that tells family-based green card applicants whether their turn has come. The August 2026 edition is out, and for spouses and minor children of permanent residents it carries a change worth reading carefully.
What happened
The US Department of State published the Visa Bulletin for August 2026 (Bulletin No. 17, Volume XI). Most countries — Brazil among them — have no separate queue and fall under the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column. In the family categories, that column reads:
| Family category | Final Action Date | Dates for Filing |
|---|---|---|
| F1 — unmarried adult children of citizens | Dec 15, 2018 | Jun 15, 2019 |
| F2A — spouses and minor children of residents | Jul 22, 2026 | Current |
| F2B — unmarried adult children of residents | Jan 1, 2018 | Jan 1, 2019 |
| F3 — married children of citizens | May 15, 2012 | Mar 1, 2013 |
| F4 — siblings of adult citizens | Sep 1, 2009 | Jun 22, 2010 |
The bulletin publishes two different charts, and mixing them up is the most common mistake. The Final Action Date is when a green card can actually be approved and issued. The Date for Filing is when you may submit the adjustment of status application, even if approval comes later. They are separate things.
What changes for you
August's headline is F2A — spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents. On the Dates for Filing chart, F2A shows as “Current”: in practice, no filing queue in that column. On the Final Action Dates chart, F2A sits at July 22, 2026 — essentially caught up.
That matters because F2A is the most common category among immigrant families: a spouse who already holds a green card petitioning for their husband, wife or minor child. When F2A runs this current, the visa queue stops being the bottleneck — what tends to drive the timeline instead is how well the paperwork is put together and how long USCIS takes to process it.
The other categories remain long: F1 (unmarried adult children of citizens) in December 2018, F2B (unmarried adult children of residents) in January 2018, F3 (married children of citizens) in May 2012 and F4 (siblings of citizens) in September 2009. If yours is one of those, the date that matters is your priority date — the date USCIS received your I-130, printed on your receipt notice (Form I-797). Compare that date with the chart: if your priority date is earlier than the cutoff, your turn has arrived in that column.
One detail that confuses people every month: applicants adjusting status inside the US cannot always use the Dates for Filing chart. USCIS decides, month by month, which of the two charts applies to adjustment of status filings, and publishes that on its official “When to File” page. Check there before assuming anything.
In practice
- Find your priority date on the I-130 receipt notice (Form I-797). That date — not the date you entered the US — is what you compare against the bulletin.
- Check the USCIS “When to File” page for which chart (Final Action or Dates for Filing) applies to adjustment of status this month. The two do not always apply at the same time.
- The bulletin changes every month. A category can advance, stall, or even retrogress. Following it month to month is what gives you predictability.
At Prime, we organize the family petition documentation so it arrives complete and in the required format. Where your queue stands and when your turn comes, though, is what the official bulletin says — and that is where you should always confirm it.
Sources
- Visa Bulletin for August 2026 — U.S. Department of State
- When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application — USCIS
Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.