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The October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first for fiscal year 2027, moved several employment-based green card cut-off dates backwards. The State Department says some categories for applicants from the rest of the world retrogressed to keep issuances within the quarterly and annual limits. According to the bulletin itself, the worldwide final action date is 1 January 2025 for EB-2, 15 May 2024 for EB-3 and 1 January 2022 for Other Workers. EB-1 remains current.
In this report
- The October final action dates
- India and China
- What a final action date means
- What to watch next
- October 2026 Visa Bulletin questions
The October final action dates
These are the employment-based final action dates for applicants charged to all countries other than those listed separately, taken from the State Department table:
- EB-1: current.
- EB-2: 1 January 2025.
- EB-3 (skilled and professional workers): 15 May 2024.
- Other Workers: 1 January 2022.
The bulletin says only that some categories “retrogressed” to hold issuances within the fiscal year 2027 limits and that the department will monitor demand and adjust as needed. The pages I could read do not state what the earlier dates were, so this report does not quantify how far they moved. Grape Law describes EB-2, EB-3 and Other Workers as the categories affected.
India and China
Applicants born in India and mainland China have their own dates. For India, the October table shows EB-1 at 1 February 2023, EB-2 at 1 November 2013, EB-3 at 1 January 2014 and Other Workers at 1 January 2014. For mainland China it shows EB-1 at 1 July 2023, EB-2 at 1 October 2021, EB-3 at 8 January 2022 and Other Workers at 1 October 2019. The bulletin also notes that the annual Other Workers limit is reduced under NACARA, by about 150 numbers for fiscal 2027, and that the religious workers category is extended through 11 December 2026.
What a final action date means
A date in the table means the category is oversubscribed, and visa numbers are available only to applicants whose priority date is earlier. Consider a hypothetical case. Maricel is a Filipino nurse whose employer filed an EB-3 petition and whose priority date is 1 March 2024. Because the Philippines is charged to the worldwide column, that date is earlier than 15 May 2024, so her number would be available if everything else is in order. A colleague with a priority date of 1 August 2024 would wait. Which chart applies to an applicant can differ, so check the State Department bulletin and your own case.
The bulletin governs when a visa number is available. It does not replace the other rules affecting green card applicants. For those, read our reports on the public charge rule for I-485 filers and the H-1B $100,000 payment.
What to watch next
The State Department publishes a new bulletin each month and says it will keep adjusting dates. Dates can move forward as easily as back, and a retrogression does not mean a petition is denied. Employers and applicants should ask their attorney whether to file for adjustment of status now or wait, since that depends on the chart USCIS accepts for the month. Our visa eligibility checker can help you compare routes if the US wait does not suit you.
October 2026 Visa Bulletin questions
What changed in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?
The State Department says some employment-based categories for rest-of-world applicants retrogressed to keep fiscal year 2027 issuances within limits.
What is the EB-2 date for most applicants?
The worldwide EB-2 final action date is 1 January 2025.
What is the EB-3 date for most applicants?
The worldwide EB-3 final action date is 15 May 2024, with Other Workers at 1 January 2022.
Is EB-1 affected?
EB-1 is listed as current for all chargeability areas, though India and China have dates.
Does retrogression cancel my petition?
No. It affects when a visa number is available. Your priority date is kept, and dates can advance again.
Where can I check my own priority date?
On the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin page, or with an immigration attorney who can read your case.
Sources
- US Department of State — Visa Bulletin for October 2026. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2027/visa-bulletin-for-october-2026.html
- Grape Law — US Immigration Update October 2026. https://www.grapelaw.com/blog/us-immigration/us-immigration-update-october
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