October 2026 Visa Bulletin

UPDATE: October 2026 Adjustment of Status: Dates for Filing for Family and Employment Categories

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin marks the start of fiscal year 2027, with renewed visa availability for EB2 India and unreserved EB5 India, while several employment-based cutoff dates for countries other than China and India move backward. Unless otherwise specified, the cutoff dates below refer to the final action chart (Chart A). USCIS has not yet indicated whether adjustment-of-status applicants may use Chart A or the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) for October 2026.

Visa Bulletin Summary

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category

The EB1 cutoff date for India advances to 01.Feb.2023. China’s cutoff date remains 01.Jul.2023. EB1 remains current for all other countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category

EB2 India is again available, with a final action cutoff date of 01.Nov.2013, following its unavailability in September. China’s cutoff date advances to 01.Oct.2021. The category retrogresses from current to 01.Jan.2025 for all other countries of chargeability, including Mexico and the Philippines.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category

For EB3 skilled workers and professionals, the cutoff date retrogresses to 15.May.2024 for all countries of chargeability except China, India, and the Philippines. China’s date advances to 08.Jan.2022, India’s remains at 01.Jan.2014, and the Philippines’ advances to 15.Aug.2023.

EB3 Other Workers

The EB3 other workers cutoff date retrogresses to 01.Jan.2022 for all countries except China, India, and the Philippines. China’s date advances to 01.Oct.2019, India’s remains at 01.Jan.2014, and the Philippines’ advances to 01.Jan.2022.

Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category

The EB4 cutoff date remains 15.Dec.2022 for all countries of chargeability. The supplied bulletin states that Congress extended the certain religious workers program through 11.Dec.2026; that category is assigned the same October final action date as the other EB4 categories. The extension should be independently confirmed before publication.

Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category

The EB5 unreserved category for India is again available, with a final action cutoff date of 01.Dec.2023. China’s unreserved cutoff date remains 01.Dec.2016. Unreserved EB5 is current for all other countries of chargeability. The rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside categories remain current for all countries.

Family-Based, Second-Preference (FB2A and FB2B) Category

The FB2A final action cutoff date advances to 22.Sep.2026 for all countries except Mexico, which advances to 22.Mar.2026. In the FB2B category, the cutoff date remains 22.Aug.2019 for all countries except Mexico and the Philippines. Mexico advances to 15.May.2010, and the Philippines advances to 01.Oct.2013. The October Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) lists FB2A as current for all countries, but that does not mean immigrant visas are immediately available under the final action chart.

Adjustment-of-Status Filing Chart

The October bulletin’s Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) is distinct from its final action chart. USCIS decides which chart adjustment-of-status applicants may use each month. As of September 29, 2026, USCIS has not indicated which chart applicants may use for October 2026, so readers should check USCIS’s Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin before filing Form I-485. A priority date generally must be earlier than the applicable listed cutoff date.

Conclusion

We will continue to monitor monthly visa bulletin movement and USCIS filing-chart announcements. Subscribe to the free MurthyBulletin for updates on U.S. immigration.

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