The Department of State has published the April 2026 Visa Bulletin, revealing material advancements across several key employment-based preference categories. Most notably, the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category has returned to “Current” for all chargeability areas except China and India.

EB-2 Advancements

For the Rest of the World, Mexico, and the Philippines, the EB-2 Final Action Date advanced from October 15, 2024 (in March) to Current. This means numbers are now authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants in these categories starting April 1.

EB-2 India moved forward by ten months, advancing from September 15, 2013, to July 15, 2014. EB-2 China remained static with a final action date of September 1, 2021.

EB-3 and EB-1 Movement

The Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) category also experienced significant forward movement. For the Rest of the World and Mexico, the Final Action Date advanced by eight months, jumping from October 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024. EB-3 China moved forward six weeks to June 15, 2021. EB-3 India remained unchanged at November 15, 2013, and the Philippines remained static at August 1, 2023.

In the Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) category, both China and India advanced exactly one month, moving from March 1, 2023, to April 1, 2023.

Next Steps

These dates indicate when immigrant visa applicants who are documentarily qualified should assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center. For individuals adjusting status in the United States, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) typically determines within a few days of the bulletin's release whether applicants may use the "Dates for Filing" chart or the "Final Action Dates" chart for April adjustment of status applications.

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