The Visa Bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. State Department and shows which priority dates can advance to the final Green Card stage. For most non-India, non-China applicants, EB-2 and EB-3 are usually 'current' or have a short queue.
The two charts: Final Action vs. Filing Date
Final Action Dates (Chart A): when USCIS can actually APPROVE your I-485 and grant the Green Card. The definitive chart.
Dates for Filing (Chart B): when you can FILE the I-485, even without immediate approval. USCIS picks each month which chart to accept — if it accepts B, you gain time (you can request EAD and advance parole while waiting).
Categories and countries
EB-2: professionals with a master's, or bachelor's + 5 years of experience. EB-3: professionals with a bachelor's, or skilled workers.
Charts list rows by country of chargeability — usually the country of birth. 'All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed' is the column that applies to most of the world. India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines have their own columns due to high volume.
How to tell if your date is current
If your country's column shows 'C' (current), there is no wait — any priority date can file. If it shows a date, only priority dates BEFORE that date can file.
For applicants in the rest-of-world bucket on EB-2/EB-3, the category is mostly 'C' or near-current, so the bottleneck is usually PERM and I-140, not the Visa Bulletin.