Visa Bulletin October 2026: What Changed for EB-2, EB-3, H-1B, and Students
EB-2 and EB-3 retrogressed, PERM approvals got faster, and as of October 23 USCIS changes how filing deadlines are calculated. Full October 2026 breakdown.
VisaProAdviserVisas, migration and life abroad

Covers US immigration — from temporary protected status and work permits to green cards and visa refusals. Looks past loud political statements to what actually changes in the rules and from which date it applies: a pause and a new policy are not the same thing, and the difference matters. Readers get a sense of order here — which deadlines are real and which aren't yet. Explains why automatic TPS extension doesn't mean automatic legal status, and how re-parole works in practice. Separately, why leaving the US even with advance parole can be risky, and how the public charge rule actually affects green card decisions. It doesn't handle filing paperwork or coach interviews — just the rules and their shifts.
EB-2 and EB-3 retrogressed, PERM approvals got faster, and as of October 23 USCIS changes how filing deadlines are calculated. Full October 2026 breakdown.
DV2027 is off — the category vanished from the Visa Bulletin. Full timeline of Medania v. Trump and what it means for DV lottery winners waiting on visas.
O-1A needs 3 of 8 criteria, O-1B needs 3 of 6. Learn about sponsors vs. agents, skipping PERM, and 15-day premium processing for the O-1 visa in 2026.
I-130 now takes 16–20 months to process, I-485 about a year or two. Here's how USCIS checks marriage bona fides and assesses public charge in 2026.
Starting September 15, 2026, new I-539 and I-765 editions apply with no grace period, and DV lottery winners must get their Green Card by September 30. Full breakdown.
Starting September 18, 2026, USCIS drops its fixed benefits list for the public charge test and weighs an applicant's full circumstances instead.