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October 2026 Visa Bulletin
- The U.S. Department of State released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin for Fiscal Year 2027.
USCIS Filing Guidance
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has confirmed that for October 2026:
- Employment-based applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart from the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.
The Final Action Dates chart reflects when immigrant visa numbers are available for final adjudication.
Dstes for Filing Employment-Based Applicants Chart
| Category | All Others | China | India | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 | China and India advance one year; all others remain current. |
| EB-2 | March 15, 2026 | January 1, 2023 | January 15, 2015 | All chargeability areas advance significantly; China and India remain backlogged. |
| EB-3 Professionals/Skilled Workers | August 1, 2024 | April 1, 2024 | January 15, 2015 | China advances substantially; India advances slightly. |
| EB-3 Other Workers | June 1, 2022 | October 1, 2020 | January 15, 2015 | China and India remain significantly oversubscribed. |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | Advances across all chargeability areas. |
| EB-4 Certain Religious Workers | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | Remains aligned with EB-4. |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | March 1, 2021 | May 1, 2024 | China advances significantly; India becomes available with a filing date. |
| EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) | Current | Current | Current | All set-aside categories remain current. |
For the full chart, visit the Department of State’s October 2026 Visa Bulletin and USCIS dates for filing chart.
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