October 2026 Visa Bulletin — Not Yet Published
Source: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin · archive retrieved 2026-09-24
The Department of State has not yet published the October 2026 Visa Bulletin as of 2026-09-24. The operative cutoffs right now are the September 2026 bulletin, reproduced in full below. This page switches to the October 2026 data automatically once that bulletin is added to the archive.
The Visa Bulletin is published monthly, and each edition governs immigrant visa issuance and adjustment-of-status approvals for the month it covers. The table below shows the cutoffs currently in force — the September 2026 bulletin, the latest one released. All values are the official Final Action Dates published by the U.S. Department of State, reproduced verbatim; nothing here is projected or modeled.
Employment-based Final Action Dates currently in force
| Category | All Chargeability Areas | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | Current (C) | Jul 1, 2023 | Oct 15, 2022 | Current (C) | Current (C) |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | Current (C) | Sep 1, 2021 | Unavailable (U) | Current (C) | Current (C) |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | Sep 1, 2024 | Jan 1, 2022 | Jan 1, 2014 | Sep 1, 2024 | Aug 1, 2023 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Apr 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | Jan 1, 2014 | Apr 1, 2022 | Dec 1, 2021 |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | Current (C) | Dec 1, 2016 | Unavailable (U) | Current (C) | Current (C) |
Family-sponsored Final Action Dates currently in force
| Category | All Chargeability Areas | China (mainland-born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 1, 2008 | May 1, 2013 |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | Aug 22, 2026 | Aug 22, 2026 | Aug 22, 2026 | Aug 22, 2025 | Aug 22, 2026 |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | Aug 22, 2019 | Aug 22, 2019 | Aug 22, 2019 | Feb 15, 2009 | Jun 1, 2013 |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | Oct 22, 2014 | Oct 22, 2014 | Oct 22, 2014 | Jul 1, 2001 | Feb 22, 2006 |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | Oct 22, 2011 | Oct 22, 2011 | Nov 1, 2006 | Apr 8, 2001 | Aug 22, 2007 |
What typically changes when a new bulletin lands
- Fiscal-year resets. The federal fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30. Categories marked Unavailable late in a fiscal year commonly reopen in the October bulletin as annual limits reset.
- Fiscal-year-end surges. September is the last month of the fiscal year, and the Department often advances cutoffs sharply to use up remaining numbers, particularly in the family-sponsored categories that had been moving slowly all year.
- Retrogression warnings. Each bulletin carries forward-looking notes. When the Department warns of heavy demand in a category, that category can retrogress or go Unavailable with little notice.
- The two-chart question. USCIS announces monthly whether adjustment-of-status applicants should use Final Action Dates or the earlier Dates for Filing chart, and it often assigns a different chart to employment-based and family-based filers.
Track the bulletin
- Current Visa Bulletin — always the latest published month
- Visa Bulletin Archive 2010–2026 — every month on record
- September 2026 bulletin — the month currently in force
- Visa Bulletin Calculator — test your priority date against the live cutoffs
- Visa Figures Archive — chart cutoff movement month by month
Frequently asked questions
Has the October 2026 Visa Bulletin been published?
Not yet, as of the last archive check on 2026-09-24. The most recent published bulletin is September 2026, whose cutoffs are shown on this page and remain the operative dates until October 2026 is released.
When is the next Visa Bulletin released?
The Department of State publishes one bulletin per month, before the start of the month it covers. Because the bulletin is posted without a long lead time, the reliable way to know it is out is to check the official Visa Bulletin index at travel.state.gov, or this page, which updates as soon as the new month is added to the Visafig archive.
Why does the October bulletin matter more than other months?
October 1 is the first day of the federal fiscal year, which is when the annual visa-number limits reset. Categories that went Unavailable at the end of a fiscal year frequently reopen in October, and cutoffs that had been frozen often move — sometimes forward substantially, sometimes backward if demand is heavy.
Should I file now or wait for the next bulletin?
Filing is governed by the chart USCIS designates for that month, not by the next bulletin. If your priority date is Current under the chart USCIS has authorized, waiting generally costs you place in line. Confirm the current month's chart on uscis.gov before deciding.