The October Visa Bulletin Is Late. Here’s Why That Might Be OK.

The State Department has not yet published the October 2026 visa bulletin. The delay is running past its usual pattern. As of September 26, 2026, the department’s website still listed the October edition as “Coming Soon.” The September bulletin remained the current reference for green card applicants.

That gap matters because October marks the start of a new fiscal year. Annual visa number limits reset then for employment-based and family-sponsored categories. Applicants in backlogged categories, especially EB-2 India, watch this bulletin closely every year.

How late is the October 2026 visa bulletin, really

Recent October bulletins have typically carried document dates in early September. October 2025’s bulletin was dated September 3, and so was October 2024’s. October 2023’s came out September 8, according to a review by QueueCheck. This year’s bulletin is running well behind that pattern, and behind a related forecast from Shusterman.com.

The State Department has not given a public reason for the delay. QueueCheck’s reporting is careful not to assign a cause. It avoids blaming staffing, policy, demand, or any annual-limit calculation without an official statement.

Why the delay does not confirm a retrogression

A late bulletin naturally fuels speculation. A delay by itself does not signal bad news, though. QueueCheck’s analysis stresses that a later release “does not by itself signal a larger advance, a retrogression, or a particular USCIS filing-chart choice.” Applicants sometimes read timing as a signal. It may simply reflect internal review taking longer than usual.

Who is watching the October 2026 visa bulletin most closely

EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India applicants have the most riding on this release. Earlier bulletins had suggested a possible October advance for those categories, though only on a conditional basis. Family-sponsored applicants are also waiting. So are those filing adjustment-of-status paperwork, since USCIS issues a separate filing chart tied to the same fiscal year reset.

What happens once the bulletin finally appears

Applicants should wait for the official October table rather than relying on forecasts circulating online. Once it posts, adjustment-of-status filers still need to check USCIS’s own filing-chart announcement separately. The two documents do not always move in lockstep. Expect a wave of law-firm analysis within hours of the bulletin’s release, given how many applicants are waiting on it.

FAQ: the delayed bulletin

Why hasn’t the October 2026 visa bulletin been published yet?

The State Department has not given an official reason. As of September 26, 2026, its website still listed the bulletin as “Coming Soon,” later than the typical early-September release pattern.

Does a delayed bulletin mean priority dates will retrogress?

Not necessarily. Analysts reviewing the delay have said it does not by itself signal an advance, a retrogression, or a specific USCIS filing-chart decision.

Which visa categories are most affected by the delay?

EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India applicants are watched most closely, along with family-sponsored categories, since October marks the annual reset of visa number limits.

When do October visa bulletins usually come out?

Recent years show a pattern of early-September release dates: September 3 in both 2024 and 2025, and September 8 in 2023.

What should applicants do while they wait?

Wait for the official October table rather than relying on predictions, and check USCIS’s separate filing-chart announcement once it posts, since it can differ from the State Department bulletin.

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For more visa and immigration news, see our coverage of the September 2026 visa bulletin, the new USCIS Form I-864 rejections, and Canada’s study permit proof-of-funds rule.