May 2026 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the May 2026 Visa Bulletin. There is little to no forward movement for most employment-based categories. All cutoff dates listed below refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified.

Filing Charts for May 2026

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that for May 2026 all employment-based preference categories must use Chart A to determine filing eligibility. All family-sponsored preference categories can still file based on the dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B). Applicants should verify their eligibility on the USCIS website before filing.

Visa Bulletin Summary

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category

In the EB1 category, both China and India’s cutoff date remain at 01.Apr.2023. The EB1 category remains current for all other countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category

In the EB2 category, India’s cutoff date remains at 15.Jul.2014. EB2 China still has a cutoff date of 01.Sep.2021. The EB2 cutoff date for all other countries is current for April 2026.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category

EB3 India’s cutoff date remains at 15.Nov.2013. China’s EB3 cutoff date remains at 15.Jun.2021. The EB3 cutoff date for all other countries of chargeability also remains at 01.Jun.2024.

EB3 Other Workers

In the EB3 Other Workers category, India’s cutoff date aligns with the standard EB3 cutoff of 15.Nov.2013. For China, the cutoff date remains at 01.Feb.2019. The EB3 other workers category advances substantially to a cutoff date of 01.Feb.2022 for all other countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category

In the EB4 category, the cutoff date remains at 15.Jul.2022. This cutoff date also applies to the EB4 program for certain religious workers, which has been renewed through midnight of 30.Sep.2026. After that, if the program is not renewed by Congress, it will become unavailable.

Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category

The EB5 unreserved category for India remains at 01.May.2022. Meanwhile, China’s unreserved cutoff date moves to 22.Sep.2016. The EB5 category remains current for all other chargeability areas and for the three EB5 set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) across all countries.

Conclusion

We will continue to monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to the free MurthyBulletin to receive weekly updates on the latest in U.S. immigration.

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