The October 2026 Visa Bulletin — the first bulletin of the new fiscal year — brought a sharp setback for EB-2 and EB-3 (both lost current status) alongside notable forward movement in the family-based F1–F4 categories.
In short
- As of October 1, EB-2 is no longer current under Final Action Dates — filing an NIW petition or an adjustment of status application is not possible
- EB-3 for the rest of the world and Mexico retrogressed from current to a cutoff date of August 1, 2024
- EB-4 jumped 24 months forward, to January 1, 2025, and EB-5 China advanced a full 4 years, to March 1, 2024
- F2A is forecast to lose current status as soon as November or December, so filing a spousal petition shouldn’t be delayed
- EB-1 remains current for now, but the situation could change after May 2027 — self-petitioners should prepare ahead of time
A New Fiscal Year and Two Visa Bulletin Charts
The October bulletin came out later than usual: the State Department waited for the start of the new fiscal year, which begins October 1, before publishing the October 2026 data.
For filing inside the United States, USCIS is using the Dates for Filing chart in October — for both family-sponsored petitions and employment-based categories. That means an applicant adjusting status inside the U.S. follows the filing dates, not the Final Action Dates — the bulletin’s second chart, which determines when a visa can actually be issued.
In October, USCIS uses Dates for Filing for applications filed inside the U.S. — for both family and employment categories. Final Action Dates only determine when a visa can actually be issued.
EB-1 and EB-2: Who Stays Current and Who Loses Access
Under Final Action Dates, EB-1 for India advanced 3.6 months, and the category remains current for every country except China — meaning applicants can file without waiting in line. Under Dates for Filing, EB-1 will move forward another 7 months, to July 1, with every country except China staying current as well. For anyone who made it into the September bulletin while EB-1 was still open, that was the last window to file a self-petitioned EB-1A on favorable terms.
EB-2 moved the opposite direction. Under Final Action Dates, the category for India went from unavailable (no visas at all) to a cutoff date of November 1, 2013 — but then regressed, so real access for Indian applicants never actually opened. China advanced only one month, to October 1, 2021. For every other country, including Mexico and the Philippines, the category — current only a short time ago — moved to a cutoff date of January 1, 2025. The bottom line: as of October 1, EB-2 is no longer current under Final Action Dates, which means approval of an EB-2 green card, including the National Interest Waiver (NIW) and the advanced-degree/exceptional-ability category, is currently unavailable.
as of October 1, EB-2 is no longer current under Final Action Dates, which means approval of an EB-2 green card, including the National Interest Waiver (NIW) and the advanced-degree/exceptional-ability category, is currently unavailable
Under Dates for Filing, EB-2 for China will move forward a full year, to January 1, 2023, while the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines shift from current to a cutoff date of March 15, 2026. Even though the wait under these filing dates is short, current status for EB-2 is gone entirely in October: filing an EB-2 NIW petition or an adjustment of status application is not possible this month.
As of October 1, EB-2 lost current status under Final Action Dates. Filing an EB-2 NIW petition or an adjustment of status application is not possible this month — this applies to both the standard category and NIW.
The September bulletin, with EB-1 still open, was the last chance to file a self-petitioned EB-1A on favorable terms — that window is gone in October.
EB-3, EB-4, and EB-5: Regression in Some Categories, a Jump Forward in Others
Under Dates for Filing, EB-3 for China advanced one week, to January 8, 2022, and for the Philippines two weeks, to August 15. But for the rest of the world and Mexico, the date moved backward three months — from September 1 back to May 15. In the EB-3 “other workers” subcategory, China jumped forward 5 months, to October 2019, the Philippines advanced one month, to January 1, 2022, while the rest of the world and Mexico saw the same three-month retrogression, from April 1 back to January 1.
Under Final Action Dates, the regression is sharper. EB-3 for the rest of the world and Mexico moved from current to a cutoff date of August 1, 2024 — the category is no longer open without a line. At the same time, China in this same category leapt forward 26 months, to April 1, 2024. EB-3 “other workers” advanced a full year, to October 2020, while for the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines the cutoff date moved back two months — from August 1 to June 1, 2022. For the main EB-3 category (rest of the world and Mexico), the retrogression came to 3 months and 17 days.
EB-4 and EB-5 are moving the opposite direction. EB-4 advanced 24 months, to January 1, 2025 — a long-awaited move for applicants in the religious-worker category. EB-5 for China jumped 4 years forward, to March 1, 2024: for anyone already lawfully in the U.S. with Chinese citizenship, this meaningfully improves their place in line. EB-5 for India, meanwhile, moved from unavailable to a cutoff date of December 1, 2023 — the wait is still roughly three years, but that’s already an improvement and better than most other categories except China. Every other country under EB-5 besides India remains current.
| Category | Movement |
|---|---|
| EB-3 (Final Action, rest of world/Mexico) | retrogressed 3 months, from September 1 to May 15 |
| EB-3 “other workers” | retrogressed 3 months and 17 days |
| EB-4 | advanced 24 months, to January 1, 2025 |
| EB-4 religious workers | advanced 2 years |
| EB-5 China | advanced 4 years, to March 1, 2024 |
This divergence isn’t random: according to the bulletin’s compilers, EB-4 and EB-5 ended up with a surplus of unused visa numbers from the prior year, partly due to resumed embassy processing and the reallocation of quotas between family and employment categories. That’s why these categories leap forward at the very moment EB-3 is retrogressing due to visa shortages.
EB-4 and EB-5 ended up with a surplus of unused visa numbers from the prior year, partly due to resumed embassy processing and the reallocation of quotas between family and employment categories
EB-4 and EB-5 Jump Forward While EB-3 Retrogresses
Divergent movement across categories in the October bulletin, under Final Action Dates
- EB-3 (rest of world/Mexico)Final Action Dates
- EB-3 “other workers” (rest of world/Mexico/Philippines)Final Action Dates
- EB-4Final Action Dates
- EB-5 ChinaFinal Action Dates
- EB-5 IndiaFinal Action Dates
While EB-3 retrogresses due to visa shortages, EB-4 and EB-5 picked up a surplus of unused visas from the prior year — hence the 24-month and 4-year jumps.
Family Categories F1–F4: Country Dates and Final Action Dates
Under Final Action Dates, F2A — for spouses and minor children of green card holders — advanced just one month for all countries, to September 22, 2026. Under Dates for Filing, however, F2A has already been declared current for every country except Mexico: an applicant can file for a spouse without waiting in line, as long as they are lawfully present in the U.S. For Mexico, F2A under Dates for Filing advanced 7 months, to March 2026.
The remaining family categories showed the following movement under Final Action Dates:
| Category | Country | Advance | New Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 (unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens) | Mexico | 8 months | September 8, 2008 |
| F1 | Philippines | 6 months | November 1, 2013 |
| F2B (unmarried sons/daughters age 21+) | — | 15 months | May 15, 2010 |
| F2B | Philippines | 4 months | October 1, 2013 |
| F3 (married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens) | Philippines | 5 months | July 22, 2006 |
| F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) | Mexico | 2 weeks | April 22, 2001 |
| F4 | Philippines | 8 months | May 15, 2008 |
| F4 | India | 1.4 months | December 15 |
Under Dates for Filing inside the U.S., the movement was more pronounced. F2B for Mexico advanced 10 months, to March 22, 2011, and for the Philippines a full year, to October 2014. F3 for Mexico gained 16 months, reaching December 1, 2002, and for the Philippines 2.7 months, to October 22, 2006. F4 for the Philippines advanced a year, to March 22, 2009, and for India 1.66 months, to February 1, 2007.
Month over month, F1 and F4 advanced the most under Final Action Dates — 8 months each — while F2B posted the biggest jump, a year and 3 months. Under Dates for Filing inside the U.S., F2B advanced 10 months and 7 days or a full year, depending on which calculation applies, F3 advanced a year and 4 months, and F4 advanced a year for those lawfully present in the U.S.
Family Categories F1–F4: Movement Under Final Action Dates
| Category and Country | Advance | New Date |
|---|---|---|
| F1, Mexico | 8 months | September 8, 2008 |
| F1, Philippines | 6 months | November 1, 2013 |
| F2B (all countries) | 15 months | May 15, 2010 |
| F2B, Philippines | 4 months | October 1, 2013 |
| F3, Philippines | 5 months | July 22, 2006 |
| F4, Mexico | 2 weeks | April 22, 2001 |
| F4, Philippines | 8 months | May 15, 2008 |
| F4, India | 1.4 months | December 15 |
Data reflects Final Action Dates from the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.
What to Do If Your Category Isn’t Current: Filing I-140 and Looking Ahead
Even if a category didn’t become current in October, filing an I-140 petition is still possible — and worth doing — whether for a self-petition or a family case that’s getting closer to current. Until the priority date arrives, the applicant will need to maintain their current status — student or work — because filing for adjustment of status isn’t possible while the category remains unavailable.
filing for adjustment of status isn’t possible while the category remains unavailable
For EB-2 NIW, no quick move to current is expected, but that’s not a reason to wait: filing the petition now and waiting for the date to arrive is still the better move, especially since that date isn’t far off.
According to the forecast, F2A — spouses and minor children of green card holders — is expected to lose current status as soon as November or December. So anyone married to a green card holder has good reason not to delay filing while the category is still open.
EB-1 remains current for now, but according to the forecast, the situation could change after May 2027. For anyone preparing a self-petition under EB-1, that forecast is a reason to account for timing in advance and not put off preparing documents for too long.
It’s worth filing an I-140 petition even if the category isn’t current yet — this applies to both self-petitions and family cases. The wait can happen while the process is already underway.
F2A is forecast to lose current status as soon as November or December. Spouses of green card holders should file while the category is still open.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dates for Filing and how is it different from Final Action Dates
Dates for Filing is the chart USCIS uses to accept adjustment of status applications filed inside the U.S. in October 2026. Final Action Dates is the bulletin’s second chart, determining when a visa can actually be issued. An applicant adjusting status in the U.S. follows the filing dates, not the Final Action Dates.
Can I file an I-140 petition if my category isn’t current yet
Yes, filing an I-140 petition is possible and worth doing even if the category didn’t become current in October — this applies to self-petitions as well as family cases that are getting closer to current.
Is it worth filing an EB-2 NIW petition if the category is unavailable
Yes, no quick move to current is expected for EB-2 NIW, but that’s not a reason to delay filing: the petition is still worth filing now, while waiting for the priority date, especially since it isn’t far off.
Can I file for adjustment of status under EB-2 if I’m already in the U.S.
No, as of October 1 filing for adjustment of status under EB-2, including NIW and the advanced-degree/exceptional-ability category, is not possible: the category is no longer current under Final Action Dates, regardless of the applicant’s location.
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