Visa Bulletin
Oct2026
Visa Bulletin
Last updated(Visa Bulletin published monthly)
Priority Dates
October 2026In effect October 1–31, 2026. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
Summary
Changed from September 2026: Employment-based filers may now use Dates for Filing.
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based | |||||
| EB-1First Preference | C | 01JUL24↑ | 01JUL24↑ | C | C |
| EB-2Second Preference | 15MAR26↓ | 01JAN23↑ | 15JAN15 | 15MAR26↓ | 15MAR26↓ |
| EB-3Third Preference | 01AUG24↓ | 01APR24↑ | 15JAN15 | 01AUG24↓ | 01JAN24 |
| EB-3Other Workers | 01JUN22↓ | 01OCT20↑ | 15JAN15 | 01JUN22↓ | 01JUN22↓ |
| EB-4Fourth Preference | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ |
| EB-4Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ | 01JAN25↑ |
| EB-5Unreserved | C | 01MAR21↑ | 01MAY24 | C | C |
| EB-5Set-aside (Rural) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure) | C | C | C | C | C |
| Family-Sponsored | |||||
| F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters | 01FEB20 | 01FEB20 | 01FEB20 | 01DEC08 | 22APR15 |
| F2ASpouses/Children | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+) | 01SEP19 | 01SEP19 | 01SEP19 | 22MAR11↑ | 01OCT14↑ |
| F3Married Sons/Daughters | 01NOV14 | 01NOV14 | 01NOV14 | 01DEC02↑ | 22OCT06↑ |
| F4Brothers/Sisters | 01NOV11 | 01NOV11 | 01FEB07↑ | 30APR01 | 22MAR09↑ |
Dates for Filing controls when you can submit your I-485 adjustment of status application if you are filing inside the U.S. Each month, USCIS decides whether AOS applicants may use this chart or must use Final Action Dates instead. When designated, Dates for Filing is typically more generous and lets you file earlier, lock in your priority date, and receive an EAD and advance parole while waiting for final approval. Why are there two charts?
Movement by Month
October 2026Summary
30 of the 75 cut-offs on the Dates for Filing chart moved between September 2026 and October 2026: 22 advanced, 8 retrogressed.
- EB-1 India advanced 7mo 3d to 01JUL24
- EB-2 all other areas retrogressed
- EB-3 all other areas retrogressed
Employment-Based
7 changedEB-1
All Areas—
China
7mo 3d
India
7mo 3d
Mexico—
Philippines—
EB-2
All Areas
Retrogressed
China
1y
India—
Mexico
Retrogressed
Philippines
Retrogressed
EB-3
All Areas
Retrogressed
China
2y 2mo
India—
Mexico
Retrogressed
Philippines—
EB-3
All Areas
2mo 1d
China
1y
India—
Mexico
2mo 1d
Philippines
2mo 1d
EB-4
All Areas
2y
China
2y
India
2y
Mexico
2y
Philippines
2y
EB-4
All Areas
2y
China
2y
India
2y
Mexico
2y
Philippines
2y
EB-5
All Areas—
China
4y
India—
Mexico—
Philippines—
Family-Sponsored
3 changedF2B
All Areas—
China—
India—
Mexico
10mo 11d
Philippines
1y
F3
All Areas—
China—
India—
Mexico
1y 4mo
Philippines
2mo 15d
F4
All Areas—
China—
India
1mo 18d
Mexico—
Philippines
1y
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First Preference
–
7mo 3d
7mo 3d
–
–
EB-2Second Preference
C → Mar '26
1y
–
C → Mar '26
C → Mar '26
EB-3Third Preference
C → Aug '24
2y 2mo
–
C → Aug '24
–
EB-3Other Workers
Retro 2mo 1d
1y
–
Retro 2mo 1d
Retro 2mo 1d
EB-4Fourth Preference
2y
2y
2y
2y
2y
EB-4Certain Religious Workers
2y
2y
2y
2y
2y
EB-5Unreserved
–
4y
–
–
–
Biggest advance this monthChina · advanced 4y
Family-Sponsored
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)
–
–
–
10mo 11d
1y
F3Married Sons/Daughters
–
–
–
1y 4mo
2mo 15d
F4Brothers/Sisters
–
–
1mo 18d
–
1y
Movement by Year
October 2025 – October 2026Category
Category
EB-2
Second Preference
Avg pace (24 mo)
31 days
Longest stall
20 mo
Retrogressions
3
Oct '26+No change
Oct '26+No change
Nov '25Oct '26
How the Visa Bulletin Works
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly U.S. Department of State update that shows when you can move forward in the green card process.
Because a limited number of green cards are issued each year, not everyone can apply at once.
Key terms
- Priority dates
- : your place in line, set when your petition was filed. If it’s earlier than the listed cutoff, you’re eligible to move ahead.
- Final Action Dates
- : the chart showing when a green card can actually be approved.
- Dates for Filing
- : the chart showing when you may submit your application, in months USCIS authorizes its use.
- Current (“C”)
- : no backlog: you can move ahead regardless of your priority date. A category “becoming current” means the wait has cleared.
- Retrogression
- : a cutoff date moves backward, so some applicants who were eligible must wait again.
- Unavailable (“U”)
- : no green cards are available in that category this month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visa Bulletin
FAQ
Common questions about priority dates and what to do when your date is current.
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that tells applicants for family- and employment-based green cards whether their priority date is current - i.e., whether they can move forward with the next step of the immigration process.
Final Action Dates control when USCIS or DOS can actually approve a green card. Dates for Filing is usually earlier and controls when you can submit your I-485 or get documentarily qualified at the NVC. Filing under Dates for Filing doesn’t mean approval - it parks your application so you can get an EAD and advance parole while waiting for the Final Action date to become current.
It depends on where you’re filing. Consular processing abroad always uses Final Action Dates. For Adjustment of Status inside the U.S., USCIS decides each month whether family and employment AOS filers may use the more generous Dates for Filing chart. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the current month’s determination. If your category is “C” (current) on Final Action or the Final Action cutoff is later than the Dates for Filing cutoff, you can use Final Action regardless.
Find your preference category (EB-2, F2A, etc.) in the left column, then find your country of chargeability. The cell is either a date (your priority date must be earlier than this to act), “C” (current - no wait), or “U” (unavailable - no visas in this category).
For employment-based cases, it’s usually the date your PERM labor certification (or I-140 if PERM wasn’t required) was filed. For family cases, it’s the date your I-130 petition was filed. It determines your place in the queue.
Typically between the 8th and 15th of each month, for the following month. The State Department posts it on travel.state.gov. We update this page within minutes of each release.
Per-country annual limits cap how many green cards can be issued to nationals of any single country each year. High-demand categories from India and China often stall or retrogress because demand vastly exceeds those limits.
If you’re in the U.S., you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application. If you’re abroad, the National Visa Center will schedule a consular interview. Either way, act quickly - dates can retrogress in future months.
Data ingested from travel.state.gov