Visa bulletin for October 2026, explained
The U.S. visa bulletin, explained by category and country. Pick your category and country:
- F2A MexicoFinal action: March 22, 2026 Advanced 7 months
- EB-2 IndiaFinal action: November 1, 2013 Available again
- EB-3 IndiaFinal action: January 1, 2014 No change
- EB-1 IndiaFinal action: February 1, 2023 Advanced 4 months
- EB-2 China (mainland-born)Final action: October 1, 2021 Advanced 1 month
- F4 PhilippinesFinal action: May 15, 2008 Advanced 9 months
- F2B MexicoFinal action: May 15, 2010 Advanced 1 year, 3 months
- F1 MexicoFinal action: September 8, 2008 Advanced 8 months
- F4 IndiaFinal action: December 15, 2006 Advanced 1 month
- EB-3 (all countries)Final action: May 15, 2024 Retrogressed 4 months
- F2A (all countries)Final action: September 22, 2026 Advanced 1 month
- EB-2 (all countries)Final action: January 1, 2025 No longer current
Source: Visa Bulletin for October 2026 (U.S. Department of State). Read from the official PDF of this bulletin. · Checked October 14, 2026. Always confirm with the official bulletin and USCIS. Independent site. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS or any government agency.
October 2026: final action dates
Dates are written as in the bulletin (22AUG25 = August 22, 2025). C = current, U = unavailable. ▲ moved forward and ▼ moved back since the previous bulletin; no symbol = no change.
| Category | All countries | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 22JAN20 | 22JAN20 | 22JAN20 | 08SEP08Advanced 8 months | 01NOV13Advanced 6 months |
| F2A | 22SEP26Advanced 1 month | 22SEP26Advanced 1 month | 22SEP26Advanced 1 month | 22MAR26Advanced 7 months | 22SEP26Advanced 1 month |
| F2B | 22AUG19 | 22AUG19 | 22AUG19 | 15MAY10Advanced 1 year, 3 months | 01OCT13Advanced 4 months |
| F3 | 22OCT14 | 22OCT14 | 22OCT14 | 01JUL01 | 22JUL06Advanced 5 months |
| F4 | 22OCT11 | 22OCT11 | 15DEC06Advanced 1 month | 22APR01Advanced 14 days | 15MAY08Advanced 9 months |
Scroll sideways to see every country →
| Category | All countries | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01JUL23 | 01FEB23Advanced 4 months | C | C |
| EB-2 | 01JAN25No longer current | 01OCT21Advanced 1 month | 01NOV13Available again | 01JAN25No longer current | 01JAN25No longer current |
| EB-3 | 15MAY24Retrogressed 4 months | 08JAN22Advanced 7 days | 01JAN14 | 15MAY24Retrogressed 4 months | 15AUG23Advanced 14 days |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01JAN22Retrogressed 3 months | 01OCT19Advanced 5 months | 01JAN14 | 01JAN22Retrogressed 3 months | 01JAN22Advanced 1 month |
| EB-4 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 |
| EB-4 Certain Religious Workers | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 | 15DEC22 |
| EB-5 | C | 01DEC16 | 01DEC23Available again | C | C |
| EB-5 set-aside: rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 set-aside: high unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 set-aside: infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Scroll sideways to see every country →
Full October 2026 bulletin, with dates for filing and every change · All bulletins
Every category
- F1unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
- F2Aspouses and children of green card holders
- F2Bunmarried adult sons and daughters of green card holders
- F3married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
- F4brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens
- EB-1priority workers
- EB-2advanced degrees and exceptional ability
- EB-3skilled workers and professionals
- EB-3 Other WorkersEB-3 Other Workers (unskilled)
- EB-4certain special immigrants
- EB-5immigrant investors (unreserved)
How to read the visa bulletin
Each month the U.S. Department of State publishes the visa bulletin: for every family and employment category, and for the countries with the most demand, it gives a cutoff date. Your place in line is your priority date, the date your petition (or labor certification) was filed. When your priority date is earlier than the cutoff, a visa number can be used for you.
There are two charts. Final action dates say when the visa or green card can actually be approved. Dates for filing say when you can start the paperwork. Mexico, Philippines, India, China (mainland-born) have their own dates in some categories because no country can receive more than 7% of the visas in a year.