Visa Bulletin
Visa Bulletin for October 2026
Copied from the State Department original as checked on October 1, 2026. State Department original
If you are filing for a green card (Form I-485) inside the United States
USCIS, not the State Department, decides each month which of the two charts you may use to file.
- Employment-based: USCIS announced that the Dates for Filing chart applies for October.(Checked against USCIS on October 1, 2026)
- Family-sponsored: USCIS announced that the Dates for Filing chart applies for October.(Checked against USCIS on October 1, 2026)
If you will receive an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, the Final Action Dates chart controls: a visa can be issued only when that cell shows "C" or your priority date is earlier than the date shown. The Dates for Filing chart marks when applicants begin to be notified to assemble and submit documents; the actual notice comes case by case.
Born in South Korea — compared with last month
People born in South Korea use the "All other countries" column. The chargeable country is usually the country of birth, with exceptions such as using a spouse's country of birth. If your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date, a green card can be approved (or an immigrant visa issued) that month. If it is earlier than the Date for Filing, you have reached the point where documents can be submitted; for Form I-485 filed inside the United States, that is true only when USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for that month. "C" means current (no date cutoff). "U" means no numbers are available that month.
| Category | Final Action | Date for Filing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (EB-1) | C | No change | C | No change |
| 2nd (EB-2) | Cutoff date imposed | Cutoff date imposed | ||
| 3rd (EB-3) skilled workers and professionals | Back about 4 months | Cutoff date imposed | ||
| 3rd — Other Workers | Back about 3 months | Back about 2 months | ||
| 4th (EB-4) | No change | Forward about 24 months | ||
| Certain Religious Workers | No change | Forward about 24 months | ||
| 5th — Unreserved | C | No change | C | No change |
| 5th — Set aside: Rural | C | No change | C | No change |
| 5th — Set aside: High Unemployment | C | No change | C | No change |
| 5th — Set aside: Infrastructure | C | No change | C | No change |
| Category | Final Action | Date for Filing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | No change | No change | ||
| F2A · Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents | Forward 31 days | C | No change | |
| F2B · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents | No change | No change | ||
| F3 · Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | No change | No change | ||
| F4 · Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens | No change | No change | ||
Full charts by country of birth
| Category | All other countries (incl. South Korea) | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (EB-1) | C | C | C | ||
| 2nd (EB-2) | |||||
| 3rd (EB-3) skilled workers and professionals | |||||
| 3rd — Other Workers | |||||
| 4th (EB-4) | |||||
| Certain Religious Workers | |||||
| 5th — Unreserved | C | C | C | ||
| 5th — Set aside: Rural | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th — Set aside: High Unemployment | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th — Set aside: Infrastructure | C | C | C | C | C |
| Category | All other countries (incl. South Korea) | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (EB-1) | C | C | C | ||
| 2nd (EB-2) | |||||
| 3rd (EB-3) skilled workers and professionals | |||||
| 3rd — Other Workers | |||||
| 4th (EB-4) | |||||
| Certain Religious Workers | |||||
| 5th — Unreserved | C | C | C | ||
| 5th — Set aside: Rural | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th — Set aside: High Unemployment | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th — Set aside: Infrastructure | C | C | C | C | C |
| Category | All other countries (incl. South Korea) | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | |||||
| F2A · Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents | |||||
| F2B · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents | |||||
| F3 · Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | |||||
| F4 · Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens |
| Category | All other countries (incl. South Korea) | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | |||||
| F2A · Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2B · Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents | |||||
| F3 · Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens | |||||
| F4 · Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens |
Need to confirm whether your date is in?
Whether your priority date falls within this month's dates, and what to prepare first if it does, depends on the case.
Request a consultationThese charts copy the dates from the State Department original and are not legal advice. Footnotes and conditions in the original are not reproduced here, so check the State Department and USCIS originals before you file.