Scroll down this page to see the October 2026 Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates and Filing Dates Charts.
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USCIS announced on its Visa Bulletin page that the agency will accept both family-based and employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing chart in October.
EB-1: China will remain at July 1, 2023. India will move forward 3 1/2 months to February 1, 2023. All other countries will remain current.
EB-2: China will move forward by 1 month to October 1, 2021. India will become available again moving ahead to November 1, 2013. All other countries will retrogress 1 year and 9 months to January 1, 2025.
EB-3: Professionals and Skilled Workers: China will move forward by 1 week to January 8, 2022. India will remain frozen at January 1, 2014. Philippines will move forward by 2 weeks to August 15, 2023. All other countries will retrogress 3 1/2 months to May 15, 2024.
- EB-1 Priority Workers
- EB-2 Advanced Degree Professionals
- EB-3 Professionals & Other Workers
- EB-4 Religious Workers
- EB-4 Special Immigrant Juveniles
- EB-5 Investors
- F-1 Unmarried Adult Sons & Daughters of US Citizens
- F-2A Spouses & Children of LPRs
- F-2B Unmarried Adult Sons & Daughters of LPRs
- F-3 Married Sons & Daughters of US citizens
- F-4 Brothers & Sisters of US Citizens
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EMPLOYMENT-BASED CATEGORIES
The employment-based (EB) categories in the Visa Bulletin are as follows:
An applicant’s priority date is the day that the government receives the employer’s PERM application. If a PERM application is not required, the priority date is the date the government receives an EB visa petition (Form I-140 or Form I-526).
Watch our EB videos to see various methods of shortening your waiting time for a green card.
State Department Visa Bulletin October 2026 – EMPLOYMENT-BASED FINAL ACTION DATE CHART
| Category | World | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Current | 7-01-23 | 2-01-23 | Current | Current |
| 2nd | 1-01-25 | 10-01-21 | 11-01-13 | 1-01-25 | 1-01-25 |
| 3rd | 5-15-24 | 1-08-22 | 1-01-14 | 5-15-24 | 8-15-23 |
| Unskilled | 1-01-22 | 10-01-19 | 1-01-14 | 1-01-22 | 1-01-22 |
| 4th | 12-15-22 | 12-15-22 | 12-15-22 | 12-15-22 | 12-15-22 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | 12-01-16 | 12-01-23 | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Set Aside | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
State Department Visa Bulletin October 2026 – EMPLOYMENT-BASED FILING DATE CHART
| Category | World | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Current | 7-01-24 | 7-01-24 | Current | Current |
| 2nd | 3-15-26 | 1-01-23 | 1-15-15 | 3-15-26 | 3-15-26 |
| 3rd | 8-01-24 | 4-01-24 | 1-15-15 | 8-01-24 | 1-01-24 |
| Unskilled | 6-01-22 | 10-01-20 | 1-15-15 | 6-01-22 | 6-01-22 |
| 4th | 1-01-25 | 1-01-25 | 1-01-25 | 1-01-25 | 1-01-25 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | 3-01-21 | 5-01-24 | Current | Current |
| EB-5 Set Aside | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
FAMILY-BASED CATEGORIES
F-1: Priority dates will remain frozen for all countries except for Mexico and the Philippines. Mexico will advance by over 8 months to September 8, 2008 while the Philippines will move forward by 6 months to November 1, 2013.
F-2A: Mexico will advance by 7 months to March 22, 2026. All other countries will move forward by 1 month to September 22, 2026.
F-2B: Mexico will jump ahead 15 months to May 15, 2010. The Philippines will advance 4 months to October 1, 2013. All other countries will remain frozen at August 22, 2019.
F-3: The Philippines will move forward 5 months to July 22, 2006. All other countries will remain frozen.
F-4: India will advance 6 weeks to December 15, 2006. Mexico will move forward by 2 weeks to April 22, 2001. The Philippines will jump ahead by almost 9 months to May 15, 2008. All other countries will remain frozen at October 22, 2011.
The family-based categories in the visa bulletin are as follows:
An applicant’s priority date is the day that the government receives the I-130 Petition. Watch our family-based video to see various methods of shortening your waiting time for a green card.
The word “Current” in the Visa Bulletin indicates that no backlog presently exists in a particular category. Alternately, “U” or the word “Unavailable” indicates that it is not possible to apply for permanent residence in that category.
State Department Visa Bulletin October 2026 – FAMILY-BASED FINAL ACTION DATE CHART
| Category | World | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1-22-20 | 1-22-20 | 1-22-20 | 9-08-08 | 11-01-13 |
| 2A | 9-22-26 | 9-22-26 | 9-22-26 | 3-22-26 | 9-22-26 |
| 2B | 8-22-19 | 8-22-19 | 8-22-19 | 5-15-10 | 10-01-13 |
| 3rd | 10-22-14 | 10-22-14 | 10-22-14 | 7-01-01 | 7-22-06 |
| 4th | 10-22-11 | 10-22-11 | 12-15-06 | 4-22-01 | 5-15-08 |
B. FAMILY-SPONSORED FILING DATE CHART – The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a time frame justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions.
The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa.
State Department Visa Bulletin October 2026 – FAMILY-BASED FILING DATE CHART
| Category | World | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2-01-20 | 2-01-20 | 2-01-20 | 12-01-08 | 4-22-15 |
| 2A | Current | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| 2B | 9-01-19 | 9-01-19 | 9-01-19 | 3-22-11 | 10-01-14 |
| 3rd | 11-01-14 | 11-01-14 | 11-01-14 | 12-01-02 | 10-22-06 |
| 4th | 11-01-11 | 11-01-11 | 2-01-07 | 4-30-01 | 3-22-09 |
We link to the State Department Visa Bulletin.
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