Visa Bulletin October 2026 Explained: Final Action and Filing Dates by Country

I have been tracking these bulletins for years, and I will be honest with you: the October 2026 edition is one of the more confusing ones I have seen. It is the first bulletin of the new fiscal year, which always brings changes, but this month mixes genuine good news for some categories with frustrating retrogression for others.

If you have been waiting months to file your I-485, the answer to “can I file now?” depends entirely on which chart USCIS decided to use, and this month they switched charts. This guide breaks down exactly what moved, what it means, and what you should do next.

Jump to: What Changed | Family Dates | Employment Dates | Final Action vs. Filing | Glossary | FAQ

Key takeaways

• USCIS confirmed that the Dates for Filing chart applies for both family-based and employment-based adjustment of status applications in October 2026.
• EB-2 India is available again with a final action date of November 1, 2013, after being unavailable in July, August, and September.
• EB-2: The rest of the world retrogressed from current to January 1, 2025, meaning applicants from most countries now face a cutoff where there was none before.
• F2A remains current across all chargeability areas, including Mexico and the Philippines.
• F1 moved forward to February 1, 2020, and F3 advanced to November 1, 2014, for most countries.
• The Religious Workers (SR) category is extended through December 11, 2026, and its filing date advanced roughly 24 months to January 1, 2025.

What actually changed in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?

October is always a reset month because it is the start of a new fiscal year. The State Department gets a fresh allocation of visa numbers, and that generally means movement. This year, the movement went in two directions at once, which is what makes it tricky to summarize.

The biggest positive change is EB-2 India. That category was unavailable for the final three months of fiscal year 2026, which meant nobody in that category could be approved. With the new fiscal year, it reopened on November 1, 2013. If your priority date is before that, you are back in the game. EB-1 India also moved forward about three and a half months to February 1, 2023. China’s EB-2 and EB-3 both saw modest gains as well.

The negative side is concentrated in the Rest of the World categories. EB-2 for applicants not from China, India, Mexico, or the Philippines was current in September, meaning there was no backlog at all. In October, it retrogressed to January 1, 2025. That is a real change for a lot of people who assumed they had no wait. EB-3 Rest of World also moved back three and a half months to May 15, 2024.

The State Department explained this as necessary to keep visa issuance within quarterly and annual limits. It is a supply management decision, not a policy change. But that distinction does not help anyone whose priority date suddenly stopped being current.

Family-sponsored preference dates for October 2026

Family-based categories saw forward movement in several preference classes. F2A, which covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders, remains current across every chargeability area. That means there is no cutoff date at all for this category.

Final Action Dates (Family-Sponsored)

These are the dates that control when a green card can actually be approved or a visa issued.

Dates for Filing (Family-Sponsored)

USCIS has confirmed that family-based applicants may use this chart in October 2026. These dates are generally more favorable than final action dates.

One notable detail: the F4 Dates for the Filing chart show India on February 1, 2007, which is actually later than the Final Action Date of December 15, 2006. When the Final Action Date is earlier than the Filing Date, applicants in that category may file using the Final Action Date instead.

Employment-based preference dates for October 2026

The employment-based charts are where the October 2026 bulletin gets interesting and where the retrogression is concentrated. I am going to walk through this category by category because the changes are not uniform across countries or preference levels.

EB-1 (Priority Workers)

EB-1 remains Current for all countries except China and India. China is unchanged at July 1, 2023. India advanced about three and a half months to February 1, 2023. The dates for the filing chart show both China and India on July 1, 2024.

The practical effect: if you are EB-1 from China or India and your priority date is before July 2024, you can file your I-485 in October. But final approval still depends on the final action date, which is earlier.

EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders / Exceptional Ability)

This is the category with the biggest news. EB-2 India returned after three months of being unavailable, with a final action date of November 1, 2013. China advanced one month to October 1, 2021.

For the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines, EB-2 retrogressed from current to January 1, 2025. That means applicants from those areas whose priority dates are on or after January 1, 2025, cannot be approved for adjustment of status or issued an immigrant visa this month.

The dates for the filing chart for EB-2 show the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines on March 15, 2026. China is at January 1, 2023, and India is unchanged at January 15, 2015.

EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals)

EB-3: The rest of the world and Mexico retrogressed to May 15, 2024. China advanced one week to January 8, 2022. India is unchanged at January 1, 2014. The Philippines advanced two weeks to August 15, 2023.

On the Dates for Filing chart, the Rest of the World and Mexico are at August 1, 2024; China is at April 1, 2024; India is at January 15, 2015; and the Philippines is at January 1, 2024.

EB-5 (Investors, Unreserved)

EB-5 India also returned from Unavailable, with a Final Action Date of December 1, 2023. China is unchanged at December 1, 2016. All other countries remain current.

The set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) remain current for all countries.

Religious Workers (SR)

The Religious Workers category was extended through December 11, 2026, by legislation signed in September. The final action date remains December 15, 2022, for all countries. The dates for filing advanced roughly 24 months to January 1, 2025.

What does “Final Action vs. Dates for Filing” actually mean?

This is the question I get most from people who are new to the visa bulletin, and it is the one that causes the most confusion. The bulletin has two charts, and they do different jobs.

Final Action Dates

The final action date is the cutoff for when a green card can actually be approved or an immigrant visa issued. If your priority date is earlier than the final action date for your category and country, you are in line for final action. If it is later, you wait.

Dates for Filing

The Dates for Filing chart is more generous. It indicates when you can submit your adjustment of status application (Form I-485) or send your documents to the National Visa Center, even if the green card itself is not yet available. This is often the first step, not the last.

Why USCIS switches between them

USCIS decides each month which chart governs filing eligibility for adjustment of status. If there are more visas available than expected demand, they use the Dates for Filing chart, which lets more people file. If demand is high, they use the Final Action Dates chart, which is more restrictive.

For October 2026, USCIS designated the Dates for Filing chart for both family-based and employment-based filings . That is good news for filing eligibility, even though some Final Action Dates retrogressed. It means you can submit your application now and get in the queue, even if approval comes later.

Key terms glossary for reading the Visa Bulletin

The government bulletin assumes you already know the vocabulary. I have been doing this long enough to forget that is not obvious, so here is the plain-English version.

Priority Date

Your priority date is your place in line. For family-based petitions, it is the date USCIS received your I-130. For employment-based petitions requiring labor certification, it is the date the PERM was filed. For categories that do not require PERM, it is the I-140 filing date . You can find it on your Form I-797 receipt notice .

“C” (Current)

Current means there is no cutoff date for that category and country. All qualified applicants in that category can proceed, regardless of priority date .

“U” (Unauthorized)

U means numbers are not authorized for issuance. The category is effectively closed for the month. This happened to EB-2 India for July, August, and September 2026 before it reopened in October .

Oversubscribed

A category is oversubscribed when demand exceeds the available visa numbers. When that happens, a cutoff date is set, and only applicants with priority dates earlier than that date can proceed .

Retrogression

Retrogression means the cutoff date moves backward instead of forward. This happens when demand spikes or when visa numbers are being managed to stay within annual limits. EB-2 Rest of World retrogressed from Current to January 1, 2025 in October 2026 .

Chargeability

Your chargeability is generally your country of birth, not your citizenship. It determines which column you look at in the bulletin. There is an exception called cross-chargeability that can let you use your spouse’s country of birth if it is more favorable .

What should you do based on the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?

The answer depends on where you fall in the charts. Here is how I would think through it.

If your priority date is current under the Dates for Filing chart

File your I-485 now if you are in the United States and otherwise eligible. USCIS has confirmed the Dates for Filing chart applies this month, and that window can close in future months. Filing also opens eligibility for EAD and advance parole, which gives you work and travel authorization while you wait for final approval .

If you are EB-2 from India and your priority date is before November 1, 2013

Your category is available again. If you have been waiting for this to reopen, this is the month to check with your attorney and confirm your eligibility. The date could move, but the category being open at all is a change from the last three months .

If you are EB-2 from Rest of World with a priority date after January 1, 2025

You are affected by the retrogression. You cannot be approved this month. Check the Dates for Filing chart, which is set at March 15, 2026, to see if you can at least file. If you can file, doing so locks in your place in the queue and gets you EAD eligibility .

If you are F2A

You are in the best position of anyone on this bulletin. F2A is Current on both charts, which means no cutoff date at all. If you have an approved I-130 and you are in the United States, you can file your I-485 immediately .

Frequently asked questions

Plan your trip: resources we trust

Immigration planning is not the same as travel planning, but the same principle applies: use the official source first, then use a trusted secondary source to interpret it. For visa and immigration questions, the Department of State and USCIS are the only authoritative sources. For trip planning that follows your visa approval, these platforms are the ones I use.

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