October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-1 and EB-2 Dates Explained

The October 2026 visa bulletin opens FY2027 with EB-2 retrogression for Rest of World, India reopening and EB-1 still current. See what it means for you now.

IMMIGRATION INSIGHTS

10/4/20267 min read

Wall calendar used to track priority dates in the October 2026 visa bulletin
Wall calendar used to track priority dates in the October 2026 visa bulletin

The October 2026 visa bulletin opens fiscal year 2027, and it brings the change many EB-2 filers had been bracing for. After months of being current, EB-2 for Rest of World now has a final action date of January 1, 2025. EB-2 India is back on the chart after a month as "unavailable," EB-1 stays current for most countries, and USCIS is accepting employment-based adjustment of status filings under the more generous Dates for Filing chart this month.

Below is what moved, what it means for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW petitioners, and what to do if your priority date now sits on the wrong side of a cutoff.

Key takeaways

  • EB-2 Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines retrogressed from Current to a final action date of January 1, 2025, with a Dates for Filing cutoff of March 15, 2026.

  • EB-2 India reopened with a final action date of November 1, 2013, after being unavailable in September.

  • EB-1 remains current for Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines. EB-1 India advanced to February 1, 2023.

  • USCIS is accepting employment-based I-485 filings based on the Dates for Filing chart for October 2026.

EB-1 and EB-2 dates in the October 2026 visa bulletin

The State Department's October 2026 bulletin publishes two charts for each category. The Final Action Dates chart controls when a green card can actually be approved. The Dates for Filing chart controls when an adjustment of status application can be submitted, if USCIS chooses to honor it that month.

Final Action Dates (when a green card can be approved)

  • EB-1: Rest of World Current; China July 1, 2023; India February 1, 2023; Mexico Current; Philippines Current.

  • EB-2: Rest of World January 1, 2025; China October 1, 2021; India November 1, 2013; Mexico January 1, 2025; Philippines January 1, 2025.

Dates for Filing (when an I-485 can be submitted)

  • EB-1: Rest of World Current; China July 1, 2024; India July 1, 2024; Mexico Current; Philippines Current.

  • EB-2: Rest of World March 15, 2026; China January 1, 2023; India January 15, 2015; Mexico March 15, 2026; Philippines March 15, 2026.

For comparison, the September 2026 bulletin showed EB-2 Rest of World as current on both charts and EB-2 India as unavailable. We walked through that bulletin in EB-2 India Is Unavailable Until October.

How the October 2026 visa bulletin moved from September

  • EB-2 Rest of World: Current to January 1, 2025 (final action) and Current to March 15, 2026 (filing).

  • EB-2 India: Unavailable to November 1, 2013 (final action). The filing date stayed at January 15, 2015.

  • EB-2 China: September 1, 2021 to October 1, 2021 (final action) and January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023 (filing).

  • EB-1 India: October 15, 2022 to February 1, 2023 (final action) and December 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024 (filing).

  • EB-1 China: final action unchanged at July 1, 2023, with the filing date advancing to July 1, 2024.

EB-3 moved as well. EB-3 Rest of World retrogressed to a final action date of May 15, 2024, with a Dates for Filing cutoff of August 1, 2024.

Why EB-2 retrogressed for Rest of World

The employment-based system has a fixed number of immigrant visas each fiscal year. Those numbers are divided among the five preference categories, and no single country can use more than 7 percent of the total. When demand in a category outruns the numbers available, the State Department imposes a cutoff date so that issuances stay within the annual limit.

That is what happened here. In the bulletin itself, the State Department explained that the Rest of World retrogressions were necessary to keep visa issuances within the FY2027 quarterly and annual limits.

EB-2 demand has grown quickly, and NIW is a large part of the reason. USCIS received roughly 22,000 NIW petitions in FY2022 and more than 66,000 in FY2025. Every approved petition, along with the spouse and children who immigrate with the petitioner, draws on the same pool of EB-2 numbers.

A cutoff date is a rationing tool, not a forecast. Dates can advance, hold or move backward from month to month as the State Department measures actual demand.

What the October 2026 visa bulletin means for your case

Your place in line is your priority date. For EB-1A and EB-2 NIW self-petitions, the priority date is the date USCIS receives your properly filed Form I-140. Your date is "current" when it is earlier than the cutoff listed for your category and country of chargeability. Chargeability is generally based on your country of birth, not your citizenship.

If you are in the US and adjusting status

Because USCIS is honoring the Dates for Filing chart in October, EB-2 Rest of World applicants fall into three groups:

  • Priority date before January 1, 2025: you can file Form I-485 now, and your case can be approved once USCIS finishes processing it.

  • Priority date from January 1, 2025 through March 14, 2026: you can file Form I-485 this month if you are otherwise eligible. While it is pending you can apply for work and travel authorization, but final approval has to wait until the final action date reaches your priority date.

  • Priority date on or after March 15, 2026: you cannot file an EB-2 I-485 this month and will need to wait for the filing date to advance.

One practical consequence: a new NIW petition filed in October 2026 gets an October 2026 priority date. That is later than the March 15, 2026 filing cutoff, so concurrent filing of the I-140 and I-485 in EB-2 Rest of World is not available this month.

USCIS decides which chart to honor every month and posts the decision on its adjustment of status filing charts page. If you are eligible to file under the Dates for Filing chart now, do not assume the window will still be open next month.

If you are outside the US (consular processing)

For applicants abroad, the National Visa Center collects documents and the State Department schedules immigrant visa interviews once the priority date is current under the Final Action Dates chart. After a worldwide pause on immigrant visa interviews in August 2026, the State Department instructed embassies and consulates on September 10, 2026 to resume immigrant visa processing. We explain each stage in Filing an EB-2 NIW From Outside the US.

EB-1 versus EB-2: the gap matters again

For Rest of World applicants, EB-1 is current while EB-2 now carries a cutoff. That makes the choice of category more consequential than it has been for most of the past year. An approved EB-1A petition lets a Rest of World applicant move straight to the green card stage. An approved NIW with a 2025 or 2026 priority date may now involve a wait.

The tradeoff is the standard. EB-1A requires sustained national or international acclaim, and approval rates have fallen sharply. USCIS data shows EB-1A approvals at roughly 32 percent of decisions in the third quarter of FY2026, compared with about 55 percent for NIW. We break down those numbers in NIW and EB-1A Approval Rates in 2026.

There is also a useful rule on priority date retention. If you hold an approved I-140 and later receive approval of a second I-140 in a different category, you can generally keep the earlier priority date, unless the first approval was revoked for reasons such as fraud or material error. For people who genuinely qualify for both categories, filing both EB-1A and NIW can protect a place in line while preserving the chance at the faster category. Our comparison of EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1 covers how the standards differ.

What to do after the October 2026 visa bulletin

  1. Confirm your chargeability and priority date. Check the receipt notice for your I-140 and confirm which country you are charged to.

  2. File now if the Dates for Filing chart opens the door for you. Applicants whose priority dates fall before March 15, 2026 in EB-2 Rest of World should prepare and file while USCIS is honoring that chart.

  3. If you have not filed your I-140 yet, focus on quality. Your filing date sets your priority date, but a fast filing that gets denied does not hold a place in line. Since August 5, 2026, USCIS policy allows officers to deny a petition that lacks required evidence without first issuing a request for evidence, so the initial filing has to stand on its own.

  4. Plan around processing times. Regular I-140 processing for NIW now runs around 30 months. See NIW Processing Time in 2026 for when premium processing is worth the fee.

  5. Check the bulletin every month. The November bulletin could advance, hold or retrogress these dates further.

If you are weighing EB-1A against NIW, or trying to decide whether to file now or strengthen your record first, a 1-hour profile consultation with HoatPen will give you a clear read on where your profile stands and which category fits it. The $100 fee is credited toward your writing package if you move forward.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EB-2 final action date in the October 2026 visa bulletin?

The EB-2 final action date is January 1, 2025 for Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines, October 1, 2021 for China, and November 1, 2013 for India.

Which chart does USCIS use for employment-based I-485 filings in October 2026?

USCIS is accepting employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Dates for Filing chart for October 2026. USCIS reviews this choice every month, so confirm the current chart before you file.

Is EB-1 current in the October 2026 visa bulletin?

Yes, for Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines. EB-1 China has a final action date of July 1, 2023, and EB-1 India has a final action date of February 1, 2023.

Does EB-2 retrogression affect a pending I-140?

No. USCIS adjudicates the I-140 regardless of visa availability. The visa bulletin controls when you can file for or receive the green card itself, not whether the petition is approved.

Will EB-2 Rest of World become current again?

No one can say with confidence. Cutoff dates respond to demand and to the number of visas used, and they can move in either direction during the fiscal year. Check each monthly bulletin rather than relying on predictions.

HoatPen is a technical writing and consulting service, not a law firm. This article is general information and is not legal advice. Visa bulletin dates change monthly; verify current dates with the State Department and USCIS before filing.

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