VISA BULLETIN · OCTOBER 2026

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Priority Dates & Charts

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State is the current published bulletin. It has two charts for each group: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. For October 2026, USCIS says to use the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment of status filings.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026. Checked against the official PDF on Oct 22, 2026. Visa Current is independent of all government agencies.

Employment-based dates Family-sponsored dates Check your priority date

October 2026 Visa Bulletin at a glance

• Published by: U.S. Department of State, official October 2026 bulletin (also available from the Visa Bulletin index).
• Final Action Dates: show the cutoff dates used to determine visa-number availability for final action in preference categories. A priority date must generally be earlier than the published cutoff date for a visa number to be available in an oversubscribed category. Meeting the cutoff does not establish eligibility or guarantee approval.
• Dates for Filing: show when applicants may be able to submit required documents to the National Visa Center, or file an adjustment of status application when USCIS authorizes use of that chart for the relevant month and category.
• “C” (Current): no cutoff; numbers are available for all qualified applicants in that category. “U” (Unavailable): no numbers are available that month.
• USCIS chart for October 2026: Dates for Filing for family-sponsored and for employment-based categories, per the USCIS adjustment of status filing charts page.

October 2026 employment-based priority dates

Employment-based cutoff dates by preference category and country of chargeability, exactly as published. A priority date earlier than the date shown is within the cutoff for that chart.

Category notes: the October 2026 Bulletin contains additional conditions and announcements, including the temporary extension of the Certain Religious Workers category through December 11, 2026. The cutoff tables are a summary, not a substitute for the complete official Bulletin.

October 2026 family-sponsored priority dates

Family-sponsored cutoff dates by preference category and country of chargeability, exactly as published.

Important F2A note: the October 2026 Bulletin includes separate rules for F2A visa numbers that are exempt from or subject to per-country limits. The State Department explains how the March 22, 2026 and September 22, 2026 dates apply to different chargeability groups. Consult the official Bulletin’s F2A note before interpreting this row for an individual case.

Column headings shortened; the official headings are: All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed, China – mainland born, India, Mexico, Philippines. Category notes, the Diversity Visa section and other details are in the full official bulletin.

Which Visa Bulletin chart does USCIS use in October 2026?

For people adjusting status inside the United States, USCIS chooses each month which of the two charts applies. For October 2026, the USCIS filing charts page says to use the Dates for Filing chart for all family-sponsored preference categories and for all employment-based preference categories.

USCIS also states that when a category is current on the Final Action Dates chart, or its Final Action date is later than its Dates for Filing date, applicants in that category may use the Final Action Dates chart that month. People applying through a U.S. consulate abroad follow Department of State and National Visa Center instructions instead.

New to the two charts? Understand the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.

Whether you can file depends on your full circumstances, not only the chart. Visa Current does not decide eligibility; check the official instructions or a qualified immigration attorney.

Check your priority date against the published charts

Not sure where to start? Follow our guide to checking your priority date against the Visa Bulletin.

1. Find your priority date on your approval or receipt notice (for example, an I-130 or I-140 notice).
2. Identify your preference category (such as F2A or EB-2) and your country of chargeability, which is usually your country of birth.
3. Use the chart that applies to you this month (see above) and find the row for your category and the column for your country.
4. If your priority date is earlier than the date shown, or the cell says “C”, you are within that month’s cutoff. If it says “U”, no numbers are available.

Visa Current’s workspace includes a priority-date checker that uses the October 2026 Bulletin and the chart USCIS says applies this month. A free account includes five bulletin checks each month.

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What changed from September 2026 to October 2026?

Computed directly from the official September 2026 and October 2026 bulletins, cell by cell. These are past movements, not forecasts.

Final Action Dates: 21 cutoffs moved forward or became current, 7 moved backwards or became unavailable, and 47 did not change. For example, EB-3 for all other countries moved from Sep 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.

Dates for Filing: 22 cutoffs moved forward or became current, 8 moved backwards or became unavailable, and 45 did not change.

Notable Final Action Date changes

• EB-2 · Advanced degree / exceptional ability, All other countries: Retrogressed from current to Jan 1, 2025
• EB-2 · Advanced degree / exceptional ability, India: Available again at Nov 1, 2013
• EB-3 · Skilled workers and professionals, All other countries: Retrogressed 109 days (Sep 1, 2024 → May 15, 2024)
• EB-1 · Priority workers, India: Advanced 109 days (Oct 15, 2022 → Feb 1, 2023)
• EB-3 · Other workers, All other countries: Retrogressed 90 days (Apr 1, 2022 → Jan 1, 2022)
• F2A · Spouses and children of permanent residents, All other countries: Advanced 31 days (Aug 22, 2026 → Sep 22, 2026)
• F2A · Spouses and children of permanent residents, Mexico: Advanced 212 days (Aug 22, 2025 → Mar 22, 2026)
• F2B · Unmarried sons and daughters (21+) of permanent residents, Mexico: Advanced 454 days (Feb 15, 2009 → May 15, 2010)

Day counts describe how far the published cutoff date moved, not changes in processing times. Moves between a date, “C” and “U” are status changes, so they have no day count.

How to use Visa Current for ongoing preparation

Visa Current is a preparation workspace for people going through the U.S. immigration process. It does not file anything for you and does not look up your case with USCIS.

• Bulletin checks: compare your priority date with the October 2026 Visa Bulletin charts in your workspace.
• Form roadmaps: step-by-step stages for common forms, with links to official instructions.
• Case check-ins: record the status you see on USCIS and count down to the date you can make an inquiry.
• Practice and preparation: civics flashcards (2025 and 2008 tests) and interview practice, plus a watch list and preparation drafts.

Free includes five bulletin checks a month, one tracked case and the first stage of each form roadmap. Essential ($20/month) adds unlimited bulletin checks, a saved Bulletin Watch, full form roadmaps, case check-in history with email reminders and ongoing preparation drafts. The published dates on this page are free to read for everyone.

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Official sources, updates and limitations

• U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for October 2026
• U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for September 2026 (used for the changes above)
• USCIS: Adjustment of status filing charts from the Visa Bulletin
• More official tools: Visa Current official resources directory

We update this page when the Department of State publishes a new bulletin and USCIS names its chart for that month. Dates were checked against the official October 2026 PDF on Oct 22, 2026. If anything here differs from the official bulletin, the official bulletin is correct.

Visa Current is an independent service, not a government agency or law firm. This page is information, not legal advice. A published cutoff date does not guarantee approval, a decision date or eligibility.