The State Department's October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, moves employment-based green card dates in two directions at once. EB-2 for Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines is no longer current: its final action date is now January 1, 2025. EB-3 for Rest of World and Mexico moves back about three and a half months. EB-2 India, unavailable in September, reopens with a final action date of November 1, 2013, and EB-1 India advances about three and a half months.

The bulletin explains the reversal in one sentence: "some employment-based visa categories for 'Rest of World' countries have retrogressed, and these retrogressions are necessary to keep visa issuances within FY 2027 quarterly and annual limits."

Key Points

  • What: The October 2026 Visa Bulletin sets green card cutoff dates for October 1 to 31, 2026.
  • Biggest change: EB-2 Rest of World goes from current to a January 1, 2025 final action date (March 15, 2026 on the dates for filing chart).
  • Also backward: EB-3 Rest of World and Mexico final action dates retrogress from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024. EB-3 Rest of World dates for filing go from current to August 1, 2024.
  • Forward: EB-2 India reopens at November 1, 2013. EB-1 India final action advances from October 15, 2022 to February 1, 2023.
  • Still open: USCIS decides separately which chart applies to I-485 filings in October. Check its filing-charts page before you file.

Employment-Based Final Action Dates: What Moved

A priority date earlier than the date listed is eligible for a final decision. "C" means current.

Rest of World (all countries not listed separately)

  • EB-1: current (unchanged)
  • EB-2: 01JAN25, down from current
  • EB-3: 15MAY24, down from 01SEP24
  • Other Workers: 01JAN22, down from 01APR22
  • EB-4: 15DEC22 (unchanged)
  • EB-5 unreserved and set-asides: current (unchanged)

India

  • EB-1: 01FEB23, up from 15OCT22
  • EB-2: 01NOV13, up from unavailable
  • EB-3 and Other Workers: 01JAN14 (unchanged)
  • EB-5 unreserved: 01DEC23, up from unavailable

China (mainland-born)

  • EB-1: 01JUL23 (unchanged)
  • EB-2: 01OCT21, up from 01SEP21
  • EB-3: 08JAN22, up from 01JAN22
  • Other Workers: 01OCT19, up from 01MAY19
  • EB-5 unreserved: 01DEC16 (unchanged)

Mexico and the Philippines

  • EB-2: 01JAN25 for both, down from current
  • EB-3: 15MAY24 for Mexico (down from 01SEP24); 15AUG23 for the Philippines (up from 01AUG23)

Dates for Filing: What Moved

These dates only matter in a month when USCIS says the dates for filing chart can be used for adjustment of status.

  • EB-2 Rest of World, Mexico, Philippines: 15MAR26, down from current
  • EB-3 Rest of World and Mexico: 01AUG24, down from current
  • EB-1 India and China: 01JUL24, up from 01DEC23
  • EB-2 China: 01JAN23, up from 01JAN22
  • EB-3 China: 01APR24, up from 08JAN22
  • EB-2 and EB-3 India: 15JAN15 (unchanged)
  • EB-4, all countries: 01JAN25, up from 01JAN23

What This Means and Why It Matters

If you are EB-2 or EB-3 from a Rest of World country and your I-485 is already pending, the application stays pending, but USCIS cannot approve it in October unless your priority date is earlier than the new final action date. An EB-2 applicant with a priority date in, say, mid-2025 was approvable in September and is not in October. Retrogression does not cancel a filed application; it delays the decision until your date is current again.

If you have an approved I-140 and have not filed an I-485, your October window depends on which chart USCIS picks. Under the final action chart, EB-2 Rest of World needs a priority date before January 1, 2025. Under the dates for filing chart, it needs a date before March 15, 2026.

If you are EB-2 India, the category is available again after being unavailable in September, with a final action date of November 1, 2013. The dates for filing chart did not move and stays at January 15, 2015.

If you are consular processing, the National Visa Center schedules interviews using final action dates, so the retrogression applies to you directly.

Which Chart USCIS Will Use in October

The bulletin itself does not decide this. Both employment-based charts point to USCIS: "Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS."

For September 2026, USCIS required the final action chart for employment-based applicants, as we reported. We had not confirmed USCIS's October determination when this was published. We will update this article when it is posted.

What You Should Do

  1. Find your preference category and country of chargeability in the October 2026 bulletin and compare the date to your priority date on your I-140 approval notice.
  2. Before filing an I-485 in October, check USCIS's adjustment of status filing charts page for the chart it designates this month.
  3. If you are EB-2 or EB-3 Rest of World and planned to file in October under a current category, talk to your employer's immigration attorney now about whether you still qualify.
  4. If your I-485 is pending and no longer current, keep your nonimmigrant status and any EAD or advance parole renewals on schedule.