The U.S. Department of State has issued the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, which outlines the timelines for family-sponsored and employment-based green card applicants to proceed with their applications. September marks the conclusion of fiscal year 2026. The department has warned of potential further restrictions in several employment-based categories if annual visa caps are reached before September 30.
Categories Facing Restrictions
The employment-based categories under scrutiny include EB-1 India, EB-2, and unreserved EB-5. If visa limits are met, these categories could experience a rollback or become temporarily unavailable.
Which Chart to Use?
The Visa Bulletin includes two charts: the Final Action Dates chart and the Dates for Filing chart. The Final Action Dates chart dictates when a visa number will be issued, while the Dates for Filing chart allows for earlier submission of documents.
Applicants filing for adjustment of status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must refer to the chart USCIS approves for September. USCIS allows the usage of the Dates for Filing chart when more visas are available than known applicants. As of August 22, USCIS had not yet posted which chart will be applicable for September. An applicant’s priority date must be before the cutoff listed in either chart. ‘Current’ implies no cutoff, whereas ‘Unavailable’ indicates no visas are available in that category.
Family-Based Green Card Dates
The F2A category, which covers the spouses and children of lawful permanent residents, remains favorable within family-sponsored categories. For September, the final-action date stands at August 22, 2026, for most countries, including China, India, and the Philippines. In contrast, Mexico faces an August 22, 2025 cutoff.
In the Dates for Filing chart, F2A is Current worldwide. However, applicants can only utilize this chart if authorized by USCIS for September. Other family-sponsored final-action dates include:
- F1 (unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens): January 22, 2020.
- F2B (unmarried adult children of permanent residents): August 22, 2019.
- F3 (married children of U.S. citizens): October 22, 2014.
- F4 (siblings of adult U.S. citizens): October 22, 2011.
Countries like Mexico, India, and the Philippines have distinct, generally earlier dates in several categories due to specific demand.
Employment-Based Green Card Dates
In the EB-1 category for priority workers, most countries remain Current. However, China has a final-action date of July 1, 2023, and India’s is October 15, 2022.
While EB-2 is Current for many countries, China’s date is September 1, 2021, and India is Unavailable.
For EB-3 skilled workers and professionals, the final-action dates are:
- September 1, 2024, for most countries and Mexico.
- January 1, 2022, for China.
- January 1, 2014, for India.
- August 1, 2023, for the Philippines.
In the unreserved EB-5 investor category, most nations are Current, with China dated December 1, 2016, and India unavailable. The EB-5 set-aside categories for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure investments remain Current for all listed countries.
Potential Adjustments
The State Department noted that high demand might make EB-1 India unavailable before the fiscal year ends. There are broader warnings for EB-2 and unreserved EB-5. Their final-action dates might retract or become temporarily unavailable if visa usage hits fiscal year 2026 limits.
Furthermore, the department advanced dates in several categories due to declined visa issuance for some nationals because of processing-related administrative actions. However, these dates might backtrack with increasing demand. Applicants should consult both the State Department bulletin and USCIS’s September filing-chart determination before submitting status adjustment applications. Those in EB-1 India, EB-2, and unreserved EB-5 should remain alert for potential changes before September 30, as published dates might not persist until month-end.