October 2026 Visa Bulletin explained
Data updated 2026-10-16 · Source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin For October 2026
USCIS states that for the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, both family- and employment-based adjustment-of-status applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart. Consular processing always follows the Final Action Dates chart. Official source (USCIS)
Employment-based Final Action Dates
| Category | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 First Preference | C (Current) | 2023-07-01 | 2023-02-01 | C (Current) | C (Current) |
| EB-2 Second Preference | 2025-01-01 | 2021-10-01 | 2013-11-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 |
| EB-3 Skilled / Professionals | 2024-05-15 | 2022-01-08 | 2014-01-01 | 2024-05-15 | 2023-08-15 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 2022-01-01 | 2019-10-01 | 2014-01-01 | 2022-01-01 | 2022-01-01 |
| EB-4 Special Immigrants | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 |
| EB-5 Investors | C (Current) | 2016-12-01 | 2023-12-01 | C (Current) | C (Current) |
Final Action cut-offs versus September 2026: advance (green, right) and retrogression (red, left). Only categories with both months collected.
| Category | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 First Preference | No change | No change | Advanced 109 d |
| EB-2 Second Preference | Went from Current to a cut-off date | Advanced 30 d | Recovered from Unavailable |
| EB-3 Skilled / Professionals | Retrogressed 109 d | Advanced 7 d | No change |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Retrogressed 90 d | Advanced 153 d | No change |
| EB-4 Special Immigrants | No change | No change | No change |
| EB-5 Investors | No change | No change | Recovered from Unavailable |
Employment-based Dates for Filing
| Category | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 First Preference | C (Current) | 2024-07-01 | 2024-07-01 | C (Current) | C (Current) |
| EB-2 Second Preference | 2026-03-15 | 2023-01-01 | 2015-01-15 | 2026-03-15 | 2026-03-15 |
| EB-3 Skilled / Professionals | 2024-08-01 | 2024-04-01 | 2015-01-15 | 2024-08-01 | 2024-01-01 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 2022-06-01 | 2020-10-01 | 2015-01-15 | 2022-06-01 | 2022-06-01 |
| EB-4 Special Immigrants | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 |
| EB-5 Investors | C (Current) | 2021-03-01 | 2024-05-01 | C (Current) | C (Current) |
Verification status
Verified
Both the Final Action and Dates for Filing tables were read directly from the official travel.state.gov bulletin page on 2026-10-16 (U.S. Department of State, bulletin dated September 4, 2026) and transcribed cell by cell. The USCIS chart designation was verified on the USCIS site the same day.
Official source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin For October 2026
- Priority-date decoder — enter your priority date for a three-state answer and a movement range
- H-1B odds — H-1B odds range, with numerator and denominator
- Method — how the two charts differ and how we compute
- H-1B fees