Introduction to the September 2026 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published the September 2026 Visa Bulletin. This document outlines when applicants for family-sponsored and employment-based green cards may advance with their cases. Notably, September is the final month of the fiscal year 2026, prompting a warning from the department about potential restrictions in several employment-based categories if annual visa limits are reached. Applicants should pay special attention to categories such as EB-1 India, EB-2, and unreserved EB-5.

Guidance on Chart Usage

The bulletin features two important charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. The Final Action Dates chart specifies when a visa number might be issued. Meanwhile, the Dates for Filing chart allows for earlier document submission. For adjustments of status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants must adhere to the chart designated for September. USCIS allows the use of the Dates for Filing chart if there are more visas available than applicants, though otherwise, the Final Action Dates must be used. As of August 22, USCIS has not yet defined its September chart selection. It’s crucial that an applicant’s priority date precedes the cutoff listed in either chart. ‘Current’ indicates no cutoff, while ‘Unavailable’ signals no visa numbers authorized for issuance in that category.

Family-Based Green Card Dates

The F2A category, relevant to spouses and children of lawful permanent residents, is among the more favorable family-sponsored categories. For most countries, including China, India, and the Philippines, its final-action date for September is August 22, 2026, while Mexico’s cutoff is August 22, 2025. Worldwide, F2A is considered ‘Current’ in the Dates for Filing chart. Status adjustment applicants should heed this chart, provided USCIS approves it for September.

Other Family-Sponsored Final-Action Dates

• F1: Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens – January 22, 2020, for most countries.
• F2B: Unmarried adult children of permanent residents – August 22, 2019, for most countries.
• F3: Married children of U.S. citizens – October 22, 2014, for most countries.
• F4: Siblings of adult U.S. citizens – October 22, 2011, for most countries.

Mexico, India, and the Philippines have unique and often older dates in certain categories due to specific country demand.

Employment-Based Green Card Dates

The EB-1 category caters to priority workers, maintaining ‘Current’ status for most countries. However, China’s final-action date stands at July 1, 2023, and India’s is October 15, 2022. In the EB-2 category, the status is ‘Current’ for most countries, while China’s date is September 1, 2021, and India remains ‘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.

The unreserved EB-5 investor category remains ‘Current’ for most countries. China’s final-action date is December 1, 2016, while India is ‘Unavailable’. The three EB-5 set-aside categories concerning rural, high-unemployment areas, and infrastructure investments are ‘Current’ across all listed countries.

Potential Further Restrictions

The State Department indicated that high demand could render EB-1 India temporarily ‘Unavailable’ before the fiscal year end. Larger warnings apply to EB-2 and unreserved EB-5, suggesting final-action dates might retract or become temporarily ‘Unavailable’ if visa usage hits fiscal year limits.

Recent advances in dates across family-sponsored and employment-based categories followed lower visa issuance rates for certain nationals due to administration actions impacting processing. The State Department cautions that dates may retract again if demand rises.

Applicants should regularly consult both the State Department bulletin and USCIS’s September filing-chart announcement before submitting adjustment-of-status applications. Vigilance is especially essential for those in EB-1 India, EB-2, and unreserved EB-5 as published dates may change before the end of September.