Not legal advice
What retrogression means
Retrogression is when a Visa Bulletin category or country's cutoff date moves earlier than it was the month before, instead of staying the same or moving later.
What moved, and what didn't
A retrogressed cutoff date means fewer priority dates qualify as current this month than did last month. It does not change your own priority date, and it does not remove you from the line — it changes where the line's current front edge is. This page's movement section lists exactly which categories and countries advanced or retrogressed since last month, sourced from the State Department's own month-over-month chart.
Questions attorneys ask
If a category retrogresses, do I lose my place in line?
No. Your priority date does not change. Retrogression means the cutoff date moved earlier than yours for now, not that your place in line was lost — the same priority date typically becomes current again in a later month.
Why does retrogression happen?
The State Department sets each month's cutoff to keep annual visa usage within the numbers Congress allots per category and per-country cap. When applications in a category run ahead of that year's supply, the cutoff moves earlier (retrogresses) to slow demand; it can advance again once supply catches up, often at the start of the next fiscal year in October.
See this month's movement ·How to read the Visa Bulletin ·Priority date vs. cutoff date