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September 2026 Visa Bulletin: Sweeping Family-Based Advances; EB-2 and EB-5 India Unavailable

The fiscal year closes with family-based cutoffs jumping by up to 890 days for most countries, while EB-2 and EB-5 for India are listed as Unavailable and most other employment categories hold still.

Published August 28th, 2026

The State Department's September 2026 Visa Bulletin delivers some of the largest family-based movements of the year, with Final Action Dates for applicants from most countries advancing by hundreds of days across every preference category.

Family-based: multi-year jumps for most countries

For all chargeability areas except Mexico and the Philippines, F3 (married children of U.S. citizens) advanced roughly 890 days to October 22, 2014, and F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) moved about 781 days to October 22, 2011 — China matching those dates, while India's F4 held at November 1, 2006. F2B advanced about 598 days to August 22, 2019, and F1 about 403 days to January 22, 2020. F2A advanced one month across the board, reaching August 22, 2026 for most countries and August 22, 2025 for Mexico. Mexico's F1 edged forward about 31 days to January 1, 2008, and the Philippines' F4 gained about 21 days to August 22, 2007; most other Mexico and Philippines family dates were unchanged.

The Dates for Filing chart shows the same pattern: F3 up about 610 days to November 1, 2014, F4 up about 497 days to November 1, 2011, F2B at September 1, 2019, F1 at February 1, 2020, and F2A still Current.

Employment-based: EB-4 advances, India hits Unavailable

On the employment side, EB-4 (special immigrants, including religious workers) advanced about 61 days to December 15, 2022 for all countries. Everything else held: EB-1, EB-2, and EB-5 remain Current for most countries, China's employment dates were unchanged, and the EB-3 cutoffs did not move.

The standout is India: EB-2 and EB-5 (Unreserved) for India are listed as Unavailable on the Final Action chart, meaning no visa numbers in those categories for the remainder of the fiscal year. India's Dates for Filing remain posted — EB-2 at January 15, 2015 and EB-5 at May 1, 2024 — so affected applicants should watch how USCIS handles filings.

What it means

September is the last month of the federal fiscal year, and these cutoffs reset with the October bulletin. For adjustment-of-status applicants, remember that USCIS decides each month whether I-485 filings use the Final Action Dates or the Dates for Filing chart — check the USCIS visa bulletin page rather than relying on the bulletin alone.

Final Action Dates
September 2026 vs August 2026
Family-BasedAll otherChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
F1Jan 22, 2020Jan 22, 2020Jan 22, 2020Jan 1, 2008May 1, 2013
F2AAug 22, 2026Aug 22, 2026Aug 22, 2026Aug 22, 2025Aug 22, 2026
F2BAug 22, 2019Aug 22, 2019Aug 22, 2019Feb 15, 2009Jun 1, 2013
F3Oct 22, 2014Oct 22, 2014Oct 22, 2014Jul 1, 2001Feb 22, 2006
F4Oct 22, 2011Oct 22, 2011Nov 1, 2006Apr 8, 2001Aug 22, 2007
Employment-BasedAll otherChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
EB-1CurrentJul 1, 2023Oct 15, 2022CurrentCurrent
EB-2CurrentSep 1, 2021UnavailableCurrentCurrent
EB-3 SkilledSep 1, 2024Jan 1, 2022Jan 1, 2014Sep 1, 2024Aug 1, 2023
EB-3 Other WorkersApr 1, 2022May 1, 2019Jan 1, 2014Apr 1, 2022Dec 1, 2021
EB-4Dec 15, 2022Dec 15, 2022Dec 15, 2022Dec 15, 2022Dec 15, 2022
EB-5CurrentDec 1, 2016UnavailableCurrentCurrent
Dates for Filing
September 2026 vs August 2026
Family-BasedAll otherChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
F1Feb 1, 2020Feb 1, 2020Feb 1, 2020Dec 1, 2008Apr 22, 2015
F2ACurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
F2BSep 1, 2019Sep 1, 2019Sep 1, 2019May 15, 2010Oct 1, 2013
F3Nov 1, 2014Nov 1, 2014Nov 1, 2014Jul 15, 2001Aug 8, 2006
F4Nov 1, 2011Nov 1, 2011Dec 15, 2006Apr 30, 2001Mar 22, 2008
Employment-BasedAll otherChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
EB-1CurrentDec 1, 2023Dec 1, 2023CurrentCurrent
EB-2CurrentJan 1, 2022Jan 15, 2015CurrentCurrent
EB-3 SkilledCurrentJan 8, 2022Jan 15, 2015CurrentJan 1, 2024
EB-3 Other WorkersAug 1, 2022Oct 1, 2019Jan 15, 2015Aug 1, 2022Aug 1, 2022
EB-4Jan 1, 2023Jan 1, 2023Jan 1, 2023Jan 1, 2023Jan 1, 2023
EB-5CurrentMar 1, 2017May 1, 2024CurrentCurrent
Final Action Date — month-over-month
September 2026 vs August 2026
F3 · All other
▲ +30 months
F3 · China
▲ +30 months
F3 · India
▲ +30 months
F4 · All other
▲ +26 months
F4 · China
▲ +26 months
F2B · All other
▲ +20 months
F2B · China
▲ +20 months
F2B · India
▲ +20 months
F1 · All other
▲ +13 months
F1 · China
▲ +13 months
F1 · India
▲ +13 months
EB-4 · All other
▲ +2 months
EB-4 · China
▲ +2 months
EB-4 · India
▲ +2 months
EB-4 · Mexico
▲ +2 months
EB-4 · Philippines
▲ +2 months
F1 · Mexico
▲ +1 months
F2A · All other
▲ +1 months
F2A · China
▲ +1 months
F2A · India
▲ +1 months
F2A · Mexico
▲ +1 months
F2A · Philippines
▲ +1 months
F4 · Philippines
▲ +1 months
F1 · Philippines
— no change
F2B · Mexico
— no change
F2B · Philippines
— no change
F3 · Mexico
— no change
F3 · Philippines
— no change
F4 · India
— no change
F4 · Mexico
— no change
EB-1 · All other
— no change
EB-1 · China
— no change
EB-1 · India
— no change
EB-1 · Mexico
— no change
EB-1 · Philippines
— no change
EB-2 · All other
— no change
EB-2 · China
— no change
EB-2 · Mexico
— no change
EB-2 · Philippines
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · All other
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · China
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · India
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · Mexico
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · Philippines
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · All other
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · China
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · India
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · Mexico
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · Philippines
— no change
EB-5 · All other
— no change
EB-5 · China
— no change
EB-5 · Mexico
— no change
EB-5 · Philippines
— no change
Δ from previous bulletin
Dates for Filing — month-over-month
September 2026 vs August 2026
F3 · All other
▲ +20 months
F3 · China
▲ +20 months
F3 · India
▲ +20 months
F4 · All other
▲ +17 months
F4 · China
▲ +17 months
F2B · All other
▲ +8 months
F2B · China
▲ +8 months
F2B · India
▲ +8 months
F1 · All other
▲ +8 months
F1 · China
▲ +8 months
F1 · India
▲ +8 months
F1 · Mexico
— no change
F1 · Philippines
— no change
F2A · All other
— no change
F2A · China
— no change
F2A · India
— no change
F2A · Mexico
— no change
F2A · Philippines
— no change
F2B · Mexico
— no change
F2B · Philippines
— no change
F3 · Mexico
— no change
F3 · Philippines
— no change
F4 · India
— no change
F4 · Mexico
— no change
F4 · Philippines
— no change
EB-1 · All other
— no change
EB-1 · China
— no change
EB-1 · India
— no change
EB-1 · Mexico
— no change
EB-1 · Philippines
— no change
EB-2 · All other
— no change
EB-2 · China
— no change
EB-2 · India
— no change
EB-2 · Mexico
— no change
EB-2 · Philippines
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · All other
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · China
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · India
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · Mexico
— no change
EB-3 Skilled · Philippines
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · All other
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · China
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · India
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · Mexico
— no change
EB-3 Other Workers · Philippines
— no change
EB-4 · All other
— no change
EB-4 · China
— no change
EB-4 · India
— no change
EB-4 · Mexico
— no change
EB-4 · Philippines
— no change
EB-5 · All other
— no change
EB-5 · China
— no change
EB-5 · India
— no change
EB-5 · Mexico
— no change
EB-5 · Philippines
— no change
Δ from previous bulletin

Source

Department of State — September 2026 Visa Bulletin

This article is not legal advice. Always confirm details with the official source below.