Annual Numerical Limits for Green Cards Explained
Published 2026-08-08 · Sources: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin, USCIS
Photo: Luca Bravo via UnsplashEvery green card issued by the United States draws from a fixed annual supply. The Visa Bulletin’s cutoff dates exist for one reason: demand in many categories exceeds the number of visas Congress allows each year. This guide to annual numerical limits immigration explains the three main annual pools — employment, family, and diversity — and the per-country cap that shapes who waits and who does not.
The three annual pools
The statutory ceilings that frame the system are:
| Category | Annual Limit |
|---|---|
| Employment-based (EB) | ~140,000 (plus unused family numbers) |
| Family-based (FB) | ~226,000 |
| Diversity Visa (DV) | 55,000 |
The employment-based total is not strictly 140,000. When family-based categories do not use their full ~226,000, a portion of those unused numbers can spill over and enlarge the employment pool for that fiscal year. Diversity visas are allocated by a separate lottery and are not part of the preference-category counts.
How the employment allocation works
Within the employment-based ~140,000 base, the law divides numbers among the preferences: EB-1 (priority workers), EB-2 (advanced degrees/professionals), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), EB-4 (special immigrants), and EB-5 (investors). Each preference has its own share, and each is also subject to the per-country cap. When one preference underuses its numbers, those can shift to other preferences, which is part of why cutoff movement varies by category from month to month.
The per-country cap
The per-country limit restricts any single country to about 7% of the worldwide total in each category. Because the worldwide totals are themselves capped, a country’s practical annual share is small — far smaller than demand from the largest sending countries. This single rule explains most of the long waits seen in the bulletin: India and China in employment, and Mexico and the Philippines in family, routinely exceed their 7% shares, so their cutoffs fall years behind the All Areas dates.
Why cutoffs move the way they do
A cutoff date is simply the boundary between “numbers still available” and “numbers used up.” At the start of a fiscal year, fresh allocations open and dates often advance. As the year progresses and a country or category burns through its share, the date can slow, hold, or retrogress to “U.” The August 2026 bulletin shows this in sharp relief: All Areas EB2 is Current, while India EB2 is U and China EB2 is 01SEP21 — the same worldwide pool, very different country results, all because of the 7% ceiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the annual green-card numerical limits?
The employment-based (EB) limit is about 140,000 visas per year (plus unused family numbers), the family-based (FB) limit is about 226,000 per year, and the Diversity Visa program provides about 55,000 per year.
What is the per-country cap?
No single country may receive more than about 7% of the worldwide total in any category. This is what creates the long backlogs for high-demand countries such as India and China in employment, and Mexico and the Philippines in family.
Can the employment limit exceed 140,000?
Yes. Unused family-based numbers from the same fiscal year can spill over and add to the employment-based total, so the effective EB supply can be larger than the 140,000 base in some years.
Why do cutoffs exist at all?
Cutoffs exist because demand in many categories and countries exceeds the annual supply. The Visa Bulletin sets dates so that only cases with available numbers proceed, keeping issuance within the statutory limits.