October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Worldwide EB-2 and EB-3 Lose "Current" Status as China Surges Ahead

The U.S. Department of State's October 2026 Visa Bulletin — the first of fiscal year 2027 — brought a significant shift in employment-based categories. EB-2 (advanced-degree/exceptional ability) and EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals for all other countries, which had been current, now carry real cutoff dates under both the Final Action Date and Dates for Filing charts.

Employment: EB-2 and EB-3 lose "Current," China advances sharply

Under Final Action Dates, EB-2 for all other countries, Mexico, and the Philippines moved to January 1, 2025. EB-3 Skilled Workers retrogressed about 109 days to May 15, 2024 for all other countries and Mexico, while EB-3 Other Workers retrogressed about 90 days to January 1, 2022 for the same group.

The Dates for Filing chart shows the same pattern: EB-2 for all other countries, Mexico, and the Philippines moved to March 15, 2026, and EB-3 Skilled Workers for all other countries and Mexico moved to August 1, 2024. By contrast, EB-4 (special immigrants) advanced about 731 days (roughly two years) under Dates for Filing, reaching January 1, 2025 for every listed country.

China posted the month's strongest gains: EB-3 Skilled Workers under Dates for Filing advanced about 814 days (over two years) to April 1, 2024, and EB-5 Unreserved advanced about 1,461 days (roughly four years) to March 1, 2021. Meanwhile, EB-2 and EB-5 for India are listed as Unavailable under Final Action Dates.

Each month, USCIS separately announces whether I-485 adjustment-of-status applicants should use the Final Action Date or Dates for Filing chart — that decision is not part of the State Department bulletin itself. Some immigration outlets have reported USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart for October, but applicants should confirm directly with USCIS before filing.

Family: steady worldwide, notable gains for Mexico and the Philippines

Family-sponsored categories for all other countries were largely unchanged. Only F2A (spouses and minor children of LPRs) moved, advancing about 31 days to September 22, 2026 under Final Action Dates; F1, F2B, F3, and F4 held steady on both charts.

Mexico and the Philippines saw more movement. Under Final Action Dates, Mexico's F2B advanced about 454 days, F1 about 251 days, and F2A about 212 days; under Dates for Filing, Mexico's F3 advanced about 504 days and F2B about 311 days. The Philippines advanced F4 about 267 days and F3 about 150 days under Final Action Dates, and both F4 and F2B by about 365 days under Dates for Filing.

What this means for applicants

Employment-based applicants — especially in EB-2 and EB-3 Skilled Workers for the worldwide category and China — should check both USCIS's monthly chart designation and their own priority dates against this month's cutoffs. Family-sponsored applicants from Mexico and the Philippines should also revisit their filing timelines given this month's larger advances. This article is general news information, not individualized legal advice.

Final Action Date
octubre de 2026 vs septiembre de 2026
Basado en familia
All other
China
India
Mexico
Philippines
F1
22 ene 2020
22 ene 2020
22 ene 2020
8 sept 2008
1 nov 2013
F2A
22 sept 2026
22 sept 2026
22 sept 2026
22 mar 2026
22 sept 2026
F2B
22 ago 2019
22 ago 2019
22 ago 2019
15 may 2010
1 oct 2013
F3
22 oct 2014
22 oct 2014
22 oct 2014
1 jul 2001
22 jul 2006
F4
22 oct 2011
22 oct 2011
15 dic 2006
22 abr 2001
15 may 2008
Basado en empleo
All other
China
India
Mexico
Philippines
EB-1
Vigente
1 jul 2023
1 feb 2023
Vigente
Vigente
EB-2
1 ene 2025
1 oct 2021
1 nov 2013
1 ene 2025
1 ene 2025
EB-3 Skilled
15 may 2024
8 ene 2022
1 ene 2014
15 may 2024
15 ago 2023
EB-3 Other Workers
1 ene 2022
1 oct 2019
1 ene 2014
1 ene 2022
1 ene 2022
EB-4
15 dic 2022
15 dic 2022
15 dic 2022
15 dic 2022
15 dic 2022
EB-5
Vigente
1 dic 2016
1 dic 2023
Vigente
Vigente
Dates for Filing
octubre de 2026 vs septiembre de 2026
Basado en familia
All other
China
India
Mexico
Philippines
F1
1 feb 2020
1 feb 2020
1 feb 2020
1 dic 2008
22 abr 2015
F2A
Vigente
Vigente
Vigente
Vigente
Vigente
F2B
1 sept 2019
1 sept 2019
1 sept 2019
22 mar 2011
1 oct 2014
F3
1 nov 2014
1 nov 2014
1 nov 2014
1 dic 2002
22 oct 2006
F4
1 nov 2011
1 nov 2011
1 feb 2007
30 abr 2001
22 mar 2009
Basado en empleo
All other
China
India
Mexico
Philippines
EB-1
Vigente
1 jul 2024
1 jul 2024
Vigente
Vigente
EB-2
15 mar 2026
1 ene 2023
15 ene 2015
15 mar 2026
15 mar 2026
EB-3 Skilled
1 ago 2024
1 abr 2024
15 ene 2015
1 ago 2024
1 ene 2024
EB-3 Other Workers
1 jun 2022
1 oct 2020
15 ene 2015
1 jun 2022
1 jun 2022
EB-4
1 ene 2025
1 ene 2025
1 ene 2025
1 ene 2025
1 ene 2025
EB-5
Vigente
1 mar 2021
1 may 2024
Vigente
Vigente
Final Action Date — mes a mes
octubre de 2026 vs septiembre de 2026
F2B · Mexico
▲ +15 meses
F4 · Philippines
▲ +9 meses
F1 · Mexico
▲ +8 meses
F2A · Mexico
▲ +7 meses
F1 · Philippines
▲ +6 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · China
▲ +5 meses
F3 · Philippines
▲ +5 meses
F2B · Philippines
▲ +4 meses
EB-1 · India
▲ +4 meses
F4 · India
▲ +1 meses
F2A · All other
▲ +1 meses
F2A · China
▲ +1 meses
F2A · India
▲ +1 meses
F2A · Philippines
▲ +1 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · Philippines
▲ +1 meses
EB-2 · China
▲ +1 meses
F4 · Mexico
▲ +14 días
EB-3 Skilled · Philippines
▲ +14 días
EB-3 Skilled · China
▲ +7 días
F1 · All other
— sin cambios
F1 · China
— sin cambios
F1 · India
— sin cambios
F2B · All other
— sin cambios
F2B · China
— sin cambios
F2B · India
— sin cambios
F3 · All other
— sin cambios
F3 · China
— sin cambios
F3 · India
— sin cambios
F3 · Mexico
— sin cambios
F4 · All other
— sin cambios
F4 · China
— sin cambios
EB-1 · All other
— sin cambios
EB-1 · China
— sin cambios
EB-1 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-1 · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-3 Skilled · India
— sin cambios
EB-3 Other Workers · India
— sin cambios
EB-4 · All other
— sin cambios
EB-4 · China
— sin cambios
EB-4 · India
— sin cambios
EB-4 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-4 · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-5 · All other
— sin cambios
EB-5 · China
— sin cambios
EB-5 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-5 · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-3 Other Workers · All other
▼ −3 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · Mexico
▼ −3 meses
EB-3 Skilled · All other
▼ −4 meses
EB-3 Skilled · Mexico
▼ −4 meses
EB-2 · All other
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-2 · Mexico
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-2 · Philippines
▼ dejó de estar vigente
Δ desde el boletín anterior
Dates for Filing — mes a mes
octubre de 2026 vs septiembre de 2026
EB-5 · China
▲ +49 meses
EB-3 Skilled · China
▲ +27 meses
EB-4 · All other
▲ +24 meses
EB-4 · China
▲ +24 meses
EB-4 · India
▲ +24 meses
EB-4 · Mexico
▲ +24 meses
EB-4 · Philippines
▲ +24 meses
F3 · Mexico
▲ +17 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · China
▲ +12 meses
F2B · Philippines
▲ +12 meses
F4 · Philippines
▲ +12 meses
EB-2 · China
▲ +12 meses
F2B · Mexico
▲ +10 meses
EB-1 · China
▲ +7 meses
EB-1 · India
▲ +7 meses
F3 · Philippines
▲ +3 meses
F4 · India
▲ +2 meses
F1 · All other
— sin cambios
F1 · China
— sin cambios
F1 · India
— sin cambios
F1 · Mexico
— sin cambios
F1 · Philippines
— sin cambios
F2A · All other
— sin cambios
F2A · China
— sin cambios
F2A · India
— sin cambios
F2A · Mexico
— sin cambios
F2A · Philippines
— sin cambios
F2B · All other
— sin cambios
F2B · China
— sin cambios
F2B · India
— sin cambios
F3 · All other
— sin cambios
F3 · China
— sin cambios
F3 · India
— sin cambios
F4 · All other
— sin cambios
F4 · China
— sin cambios
F4 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-1 · All other
— sin cambios
EB-1 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-1 · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-2 · India
— sin cambios
EB-3 Skilled · India
— sin cambios
EB-3 Skilled · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-3 Other Workers · India
— sin cambios
EB-5 · All other
— sin cambios
EB-5 · India
— sin cambios
EB-5 · Mexico
— sin cambios
EB-5 · Philippines
— sin cambios
EB-3 Other Workers · All other
▼ −2 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · Mexico
▼ −2 meses
EB-3 Other Workers · Philippines
▼ −2 meses
EB-2 · All other
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-2 · Mexico
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-2 · Philippines
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-3 Skilled · All other
▼ dejó de estar vigente
EB-3 Skilled · Mexico
▼ dejó de estar vigente
Δ desde el boletín anterior

Source

Department of State — October 2026 Visa Bulletin

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