October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Key Changes and What They Mean

The start of a new fiscal year often brings significant shifts in the U.S. immigration landscape, and the October 2026 Visa Bulletin is no exception. As fiscal year 2027 begins, the U.S. Department of State has released updated dates that impact various employment-based and family-sponsored visa categories. This bulletin marks a reset for many categories, reopening some that were previously unavailable and adjusting others to manage the annual visa limits. Understanding these changes is crucial for individuals navigating the green card application process.

Employment-Based Visa Bulletin: October 2026 Final Action Dates

The Final Action Dates chart indicates when a visa number can be issued or a green card approved. For October 2026, several categories saw movement. Notably, EB-2 India, which had been unavailable, has reopened with a Final Action date of November 1, 2013. Similarly, EB-5 Unreserved India is now available with a date of December 1, 2023. These reopenings offer new possibilities for applicants from India in these categories.

However, not all categories saw positive movement. The EB-2 category for the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines has retrogressed from “Current” to January 1, 2025. This means applicants in these regions will need to wait longer for their visa numbers to become available. The EB-3 Professional/Skilled category for the rest of the world and Mexico has also moved backward, from September 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024. The “Other Workers” category for these same regions has also seen a retrogression, moving from April 1, 2022, to January 1, 2022.

Other employment-based categories show more modest changes. EB-2 China has advanced by 30 days to October 1, 2021. EB-3 Professional/Skilled China has seen a slight advance of 7 days to January 8, 2022. For India, EB-1 has advanced by 109 days to February 1, 2023, while EB-3 remains at January 1, 2014. EB-5 Set-Aside categories continue to be listed as Current.

Employment-Based Visa Bulletin: October 2026 Dates for Filing

The Dates for Filing chart determines when an applicant can submit their adjustment of status application (Form I-485). For October 2026, USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment of status applications. This is a change from September, when many employment-based filers had to use the Final Action dates.

For EB-1 China and India, the Filing date has advanced significantly by 213 days to July 1, 2024. EB-2 India remains at January 15, 2015, and EB-2 China has advanced by a full year to January 1, 2023. For EB-3 Professional/Skilled China, the Filing date has jumped by 814 days to April 1, 2024, while EB-3 India and Philippines remain at their previous dates.

The EB-2 category for the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines has retrogressed on the Filing chart from Current to March 15, 2026. Similarly, EB-3 Professional/Skilled for the rest of the world and Mexico has moved from Current to August 1, 2024. The “Other Workers” category for the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines has moved back by 61 days to June 1, 2022.

Family-Sponsored Visa Bulletin: October 2026 Final Action Dates

The October 2026 bulletin shows that family-sponsored categories for the rest of the world, China, and India have largely held steady from September. For example, F1 remains at January 22, 2020, and F2B at August 22, 2019. However, significant advances have occurred for Mexico and the Philippines in several categories.

F2B Mexico has seen a substantial jump of 454 days, moving to May 15, 2010. F4 Philippines has advanced by 267 days to May 15, 2008. F2A for all countries except Mexico has moved forward by 31 days to September 22, 2026. For Mexico, F2A has advanced by 212 days to March 22, 2026. This makes F2A the closest family category to being current across most regions.

Family-Sponsored Visa Bulletin: October 2026 Dates for Filing

For October 2026, USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for family-sponsored adjustment of status applications. F2A remains Current for all countries. Other family categories for the rest of the world, China, and India have generally held their September dates.

However, Mexico and the Philippines show notable advances on the Filing chart. F2B Mexico has moved forward by 311 days to March 22, 2011. F3 Mexico has advanced by 504 days to December 1, 2002. F4 Philippines has advanced by 365 days to March 22, 2009. These movements indicate progress for applicants in these specific family categories.

Diversity Visas: No Updates in October 2026 Bulletin

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin does not contain any information regarding Diversity Visas (DV). This is because the registration period for the DV-2027 lottery never opened. The DV-2026 program concluded on September 30, 2026. As a result, there are no DV-2027 selectees to schedule, and therefore no cut-off dates are published for this month. Applicants should only use the official dvprogram.state.gov website for any future DV lottery registrations.

Key Actions for Applicants This Month

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin brings several important actions for applicants. For EB-2 and EB-5 India applicants, the reopening of categories means they can now pursue their green card applications. The use of the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based cases in October allows many India applicants with earlier priority dates to file their I-485 applications.

For EB-2 and EB-3 applicants in the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines, the retrogression means they must adjust their expectations and plan based on the new, later dates for both filing and final action. Applicants who have already filed their I-485 will remain pending and will be processed when their priority date becomes current again.

Family-sponsored applicants whose priority dates were reached in September will find those dates largely unchanged for the rest of the world, China, and India. However, those in Mexico and the Philippines should check the updated dates for potential progress. For F2A applicants, the dates have advanced, bringing more individuals closer to visa availability.

Finally, all applicants filing for adjustment of status should confirm which chart (Final Action or Dates for Filing) USCIS has designated for their category for October 2026, as this decision can significantly impact when an application can be submitted.

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