October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Priority Dates, Filing Charts & What Changed

How the visa bulletin works: preference categories, cutoff dates and annual limits

The State Department visa bulletin applies only to numerically limited immigrant visas: the family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories, plus the Diversity Visa program. Each month it lists cutoff dates for every preference category and country of chargeability. When your priority date is earlier than the listed cutoff date, your place on the waiting list has been reached for that month. The bulletin does not show your exact position in line or estimate when your green card will arrive.

Your priority date generally is the date USCIS received your Form I-130 or Form I-140, or the date a PERM labor certification was filed when one is required. That date stays with the case and is compared each month with the cutoff dates for your category and country.

Why countries have separate columns: Federal law sets a family-sponsored preference worldwide level of at least 226,000 visas a year and an employment-based preference level of at least 140,000. No single country may receive more than 7% of the combined family and employment preference limits, and dependent areas are limited to 2%. High demand from China, India, Mexico and the Philippines is why those countries often have their own, later cutoff dates. Annual visa numbers reset on October 1, which is why the October bulletin opens each new fiscal year and often brings significant movement.

Two charts, two purposes: the Final Action Dates chart shows when a green card or immigrant visa can actually be approved. The Dates for Filing chart shows when applicants may start the next step, such as filing Form I-485 when USCIS allows it, or submitting documents to the National Visa Center. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, including spouses and parents, are not subject to these preference cutoffs.

Which Visa Bulletin chart does USCIS use for adjustment of status in October 2026?

USCIS directs both family-sponsored and employment-based preference applicants to use Dates for Filing for October 2026. This is a separate USCIS decision, confirmed on its monthly adjustment-of-status filing-chart page and its October 2026 “When to File” notice. The State Department’s publication of a filing chart alone does not authorize its use for Form I-485.

Earlier means strictly earlier. If the cutoff is January 15, 2015, a January 14, 2015 priority date is before it; a January 15, 2015 priority date is not. “C” means current. “U” means unavailable. A priority date normally comes from the underlying immigrant petition or, where applicable, labor certification. Country of chargeability is usually the country of birth, with exceptions that may matter for spouses and children. See USCIS’s priority-date guidance and HLG’s priority-date explanation.

For consular cases, Dates for Filing concern document preparation and submission after National Visa Center instructions. They do not promise an interview or visa issuance. See HLG’s NVC and consular processing services.

What changed from September to October 2026?

The new fiscal year begins October 1, so the October visa bulletin opens fiscal year 2027 with a fresh annual supply of visa numbers. That supply does not make every category current. The State Department explains that some employment-based categories for “Rest of World” countries retrogressed to keep issuance within quarterly and annual limits.

Selected Final Action Date changes

These changes concern visa availability for approval. They are separate from October’s permission to file using Dates for Filing.

Selected Dates for Filing changes

Because USCIS has selected this chart for October, these dates are particularly important to applicants preparing Form I-485. Compare the entire category and country entry, not just the direction of movement.

Comparison sources: September 2026 Visa Bulletin and October 2026 Visa Bulletin, as retrieved September 29. September’s published tables include “U” for EB-2 India and EB-5 India unreserved. Restored availability is not expressed as a number of months of advancement.

What the changes mean for India, China and rest of world applicants

India: EB-1’s filing cutoff advances to July 1, 2024. EB-2 and EB-3 filing cutoffs remain January 15, 2015, but USCIS’s switch from September’s employment Final Action chart to October’s filing chart can create a filing opportunity even without a later filing cutoff. EB-2 India’s November 1, 2013 Final Action Date and EB-5 India unreserved’s December 1, 2023 date restore availability after September’s “U” designations. Use these issued dates rather than earlier forecasts.

China, mainland-born: Filing cutoffs move to July 1, 2024 for EB-1, January 1, 2023 for EB-2, April 1, 2024 for EB-3 skilled workers and professionals, and March 1, 2021 for EB-5 unreserved. These filing advances are substantially different from the Final Action positions shown below.

All other countries, Mexico and the Philippines: EB-2’s Final Action Date changes from current to January 1, 2025, while its filing cutoff becomes March 15, 2026. EB-3 skilled workers and professionals in the all-other-countries and Mexico columns retrogress to May 15, 2024 for final action and August 1, 2024 for filing. The Philippines has its own EB-3 dates.

Family cases: F2A Final Action Dates advance to September 22, 2026 for all countries except Mexico, and March 22, 2026 for Mexico; F2A filing remains current everywhere. Several Mexico and Philippines family categories also advance. India F4 moves to December 15, 2006 for final action and February 1, 2007 for filing.

October 2026 Visa Bulletin predictions: what to expect in November and beyond

How the key categories moved over the last 12 months

The table below tracks Final Action Dates, the chart that controls approval, from the start of fiscal year 2026 through October 2026. “C” means current; “U” means unavailable.

Source: U.S. Department of State monthly Visa Bulletins, Final Action Dates charts, October 2025 through October 2026.

What the 12-month pattern tells us

• Late-year unavailability is a real risk for India. EB-2 India and EB-5 India unreserved both advanced early in fiscal year 2026, then became unavailable from July through September once annual numbers ran out. October restores both, but EB-2 India’s November 1, 2013 date is about eight and a half months behind its April 2026 position.
• “Rest of world” employment cases reversed course. EB-2 for all other countries was current from April through September 2026 and now has a January 1, 2025 cutoff. EB-3 skilled workers moved back nearly four months to May 15, 2024.
• Family categories surged after mid-2026. F2A jumped from February 1, 2024 in April to September 22, 2026 in October. F2B and F4 also moved years forward. The State Department has linked recent advances to administrative actions restricting visa processing for certain nationalities, which leaves more numbers for applicants from other countries. HLG explains that pause in its guide to the immigrant visa pause affecting 75 countries.
• China moved steadily but slowly. EB-1, EB-3 and EB-5 China advanced roughly six to twelve months over the year, while EB-2 China moved only six months.

HLG’s outlook by category

The following is HLG’s professional opinion based on the published bulletins and the factors above. It is not a forecast from the State Department or USCIS, and actual movement may differ.

• EB-2 and EB-3, all other countries: We expect the January 1, 2025 (EB-2) and May 15, 2024 (EB-3) cutoffs to hold or move modestly in the near term while the State Department measures demand, with further retrogression possible if demand stays high. Eligible applicants who can file under October’s Dates for Filing chart should consider doing so now.
• EB-2 India: Expect slow, incremental movement during the first half of the fiscal year. Based on fiscal year 2026, applicants should plan for the possibility that the category becomes unavailable again late in the fiscal year.
• EB-1 India and China: Gradual advances are possible over the year, but EB-1 India retrogressed in mid-2026 after spring gains, so short-term reversals are possible.
• EB-5 India unreserved: The December 1, 2023 cutoff is a significant reopening. Given the July–September unavailability in 2026, investors with qualifying priority dates should act promptly. The rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure set-asides remain current for every country.
• F2A and other family categories: Recent advances depend heavily on policy. If processing restrictions remain in place, further forward movement is plausible; if they are lifted, or demand catches up, the State Department could hold dates or retrogress them. Families with current dates should file promptly rather than wait.
• EB-4 religious workers (SR): The SR category is authorized only through December 11, 2026. Unless Congress extends it again, the December or January bulletin may show SR as unavailable.

HLG reviews each new bulletin when it is released and updates this outlook on the Visa Bulletin Updates page. If timing matters for your case, a consultation can map out a filing plan for both favorable and unfavorable movement.

October 2026 employment-based Visa Bulletin charts

These tables cover EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5. “All other countries” means all chargeability areas except the separately listed countries. Dates appear as month, day and four-digit year to avoid confusion with the government’s day-month-year format. All dates below come from the official October PDF.

Employment-based Final Action Dates — approval availability

Employment-based Dates for Filing — USCIS permits this chart in October

EB-4 (employment-based fourth preference) and religious workers: The filing cutoff is January 1, 2025 across all countries, while the Final Action Date remains December 15, 2022. The October bulletin reports that the Certain Religious Workers (SR) category has been extended through December 11, 2026. Continued availability after the end of that extension depends on the applicable authorization. Religious workers waiting in this backlog often hold R-1 status; see our R-1 religious worker visa page for the January 2026 five-year rule change.

EB-5: The rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure set-aside categories are current in both charts for every listed country. In the EB-5 unreserved category, India has a December 1, 2023 Final Action Date and a May 1, 2024 filing date, while China has December 1, 2016 and March 1, 2021. Investments in a rural or high unemployment area, and infrastructure projects, draw from the set-asides, which remain current. Current visa availability does not establish petition eligibility or the suitability of an investment; see HLG’s EB-5 investor green card services. For the wider employment-based framework, visit HLG’s work green card services.

October 2026 family-sponsored Visa Bulletin charts

F1 covers unmarried sons and daughters age 21 or older of U.S. citizens; F2A covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents; F2B covers unmarried sons and daughters age 21 or older of permanent residents; F3 covers married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens; and F4 (the family fourth preference) covers siblings of U.S. citizens who are at least 21. Child Status Protection Act rules may affect whether someone qualifies as a child.

Family-sponsored Final Action Dates — approval availability

F2A allocation note: The bulletin permits per-country-exempt F2A numbers for all countries for priority dates earlier than March 22, 2026. For countries other than Mexico, per-country-subject F2A numbers cover priority dates from March 22, 2026 through dates earlier than September 22, 2026. All F2A numbers for Mexico are exempt from the per-country limit.

Family-sponsored Dates for Filing — USCIS permits this chart in October

Immediate relatives are different. Spouses of U.S. citizens, qualifying unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens, and parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 generally do not wait for a family-preference cutoff. They still must meet the requirements for their immigration route. See USCIS’s explanation of numerically unlimited immediate-relative visas.

Can I file in October? Three practical examples

These are hypothetical examples, not HLG case results. Each assumes the stated category and chargeability are correct and the applicant otherwise qualifies for adjustment of status.

EB-2 India with a June 1, 2014 priority date

June 1, 2014 is earlier than the January 15, 2015 filing cutoff, so the priority date supports filing in October under USCIS’s selected chart. It is later than the November 1, 2013 Final Action Date, so it does not support approval in October on that chart. Filing and approval are separate steps.

EB-3 in the all-other-countries column with a July 1, 2024 priority date

July 1, 2024 is earlier than the August 1, 2024 filing cutoff, so the priority date supports an October filing. It is later than the May 15, 2024 Final Action cutoff, so approval must wait for visa availability. This illustrates how a filing opportunity can coexist with retrogression.

F2A Mexico with an August 1, 2026 priority date

F2A is current on the filing chart, so the priority date itself does not prevent an October filing. Mexico’s March 22, 2026 Final Action cutoff still prevents approval based on that priority date in October. An overstay, unauthorized employment or another eligibility issue requires separate analysis; a current filing chart does not cure it.

What should applicants do now?

1. Check the underlying case. Gather your I-130 or I-140 notices, any labor certification records, and your priority date. Confirm the preference category and country of chargeability for every applicant.
2. Use the October filing chart for October submissions. Compare your exact date with the correct entry and check the official sources again immediately before filing. Identify any category change, duplicate petition or cross-chargeability question.
3. Review adjustment eligibility separately. Entry history, status, employment, prior proceedings and inadmissibility may affect whether you can file inside the United States. HLG’s adjustment-of-status resources explain related issues.
4. Prepare the supporting record. Review passports, I-94s, birth and marriage records, translations, prior immigration decisions and the current requirements for the specific filing. A visa cutoff does not replace a complete application checklist.
5. Schedule the medical examination and budget for fees. USCIS generally requires Form I-693, completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon, to be submitted with Form I-485. The I-485 filing fee is $1,440 for most applicants, with a lower fee for certain children under 14 filing with a parent. Confirm current amounts on the USCIS fee schedule immediately before filing.
6. Review a child’s age promptly. Do not assume that a current Dates for Filing entry automatically protects a child from aging out. CSPA calculations, visa availability and the requirement to seek permanent residence can require individual analysis. Consult the current USCIS CSPA guidance.
7. Plan employment and travel separately. A favorable bulletin date is not work or travel authorization. Review the applicable EAD requirements, nonimmigrant status and advance-parole rules before changing jobs or leaving the United States. USCIS cautions that departure without advance parole generally abandons a pending I-485, subject to applicable exceptions; see USCIS guidance for pending applicants.
8. If processing abroad, follow NVC instructions. Keep civil and financial documents current and distinguish documentarily qualified status from an interview appointment. Read HLG’s NVC scheduling guide.

October 2026 Visa Bulletin questions and answers

Get help with your October filing decision

Herman Legal Group serves immigration clients nationwide, with offices in Cleveland and Worthington serving the Columbus area. A consultation can address which chart applies, whether you can file from inside the United States, which relatives may qualify, and what to prepare next. Bring petition and receipt notices, passports, I-94 records and relevant USCIS or consular correspondence.

Book a Confidential Consultation Call 216-696-6170

Compare past bulletins and each new monthly bulletin as it is released on Visa Bulletin Updates, or explore Richard’s Immigration Resource Center.