October 2026 Visa Bulletin: What Green Card Applicants Should Know Now

The U.S. Department of State has released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. The bulletin was published on September 29, 2026, and it is the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027. It resets the annual supply of immigrant visa numbers, and some dates moved forward while others moved backward. If you have a pending green card case or plan to apply soon, these changes may affect you. The Visa Bulletin is a monthly chart from the State Department. The Dates for Filing chart shows when people may file applications for adjustment of status or immigrant visas, and the Final Action Dates chart shows when those applications may be approved. Your priority date is the date you compare against these charts. Which chart can you use this month? USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment filings in October 2026. This matters most for employment-based applicants. USCIS had required the Final Action Dates chart from May through September 2026. USCIS makes this choice every month. Since chart selection is reassessed monthly, this authorization is not guaranteed to carry into November. USCIS also explains its own rule on its website, and a few online summaries describe the chart rule differently. Please check the USCIS chart page yourself before you file. The biggest employment-based changes involve the second preference category, called EB-2. For most countries, which the bulletin calls "All Chargeability Areas," the category retrogresses from current to 01.Jan.2025, including Mexico and the Philippines. The March 15, 2026 date on the Dates for Filing chart is the earliest filing date for these applicants. Third preference (EB-3) also moved back for many applicants. EB-3 for Rest of World and Mexico moves back about three and a half months. The bulletin's cutoff for those applicants is now May 15, 2024. There is good news for India. 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. EB-5 India also moved from unavailable to having active cutoff dates in the Final Action chart. Family-based applicants also have some movement. F2A filing dates remain current for all countries. That means many F2A applicants may be able to file, depending on their own case details. Why did some dates go backward? The State Department says this is necessary to keep issuances within quarterly and annual limits, and it is monitoring the position and will adjust dates if needed. This can close a filing window that was open last month. EB-2 for most countries was current on September's Dates for Filing chart, but an applicant with a priority date after 15 March 2026 cannot file under October's chart. What this means for you: Find your category and your country on the bulletin, then compare your priority date with the correct chart. If your priority date is earlier than the listed date, you may be able to file, if you meet all other requirements. If it is later, you may need to wait. If you were able to file last month but your date is now after the cutoff, do not panic, but do not guess either. Talk with an immigration attorney about your options. A few practical steps can help. Check the USCIS chart page again before you mail or file anything. Keep copies of every form, receipt and notice. Be careful of anyone who promises a guaranteed green card date or asks for payment to "hold" your place in line. Official dates come from the State Department and USCIS. Visa rules can be complex, and every case is different. Please talk to an immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative before you make a filing decision, especially if you have a prior denial, a status question or a complicated family or work history. This article is general information, not legal advice. Sources: October 2026 Visa Bulletin (U.S. Department of State): https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Bulletins/visabulletin_October2026.pdf When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application: October 2026 (USCIS): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/when-to-file-your-adjustment-of-status-application-for-family-sponsored-or-employment-based-129 USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Dates for October 2026 (AILA): https://www.aila.org/library/uscis-adjustment-of-status-filing-dates-for-october-2026 US Department of State Releases October 2026 Visa Bulletin: https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2026/10/us-department-of-state-releases-october-2026-visa-bulletin Photo: Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash