Updated
The January 2026 visa bulletin
Every employment-based cutoff the State Department published for January 2026, on both charts, for the five countries the bulletin lists separately. Beside each cutoff is what it did since the December 2025 bulletin. The newest bulletin held here is November 2026.
What moved since December 2025
Every one of the 45 cells on each chart, by what it did.
Final action dates
Final action dates: 24 advanced, 21 unchanged.
Dates for filing
Dates for filing: 14 advanced, 31 unchanged.
Final action dates
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the December 2025 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Feb 1, 2023 +10 days | Feb 1, 2023 +323 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Apr 1, 2024 +60 days | Sep 1, 2021 +92 days | Jul 15, 2013 +61 days | Apr 1, 2024 +60 days | Apr 1, 2024 +60 days |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Apr 22, 2023 +7 days | May 1, 2021 +30 days | Nov 15, 2013 +54 days | Apr 22, 2023 +7 days | Apr 22, 2023 +7 days |
| EB-3 other workers | Sep 1, 2021 +31 days | Dec 8, 2018 +365 days | Nov 15, 2013 +54 days | Sep 1, 2021 +31 days | Sep 1, 2021 +31 days |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Jan 1, 2021 +122 days | Jan 1, 2021 +122 days | Jan 1, 2021 +122 days | Jan 1, 2021 +122 days | Jan 1, 2021 +122 days |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Aug 15, 2016 +31 days | May 1, 2022 +304 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 rural set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 high-unemployment set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 infrastructure set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
Dates for filing
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the December 2025 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Aug 1, 2023 +78 days | Aug 1, 2023 +108 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Oct 15, 2024 +92 days | Jan 1, 2022 +31 days | Dec 1, 2013 unchanged | Oct 15, 2024 +92 days | Oct 15, 2024 +92 days |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Jul 1, 2023 unchanged | Jan 1, 2022 unchanged | Aug 15, 2014 unchanged | Jul 1, 2023 unchanged | Jul 1, 2023 unchanged |
| EB-3 other workers | Dec 1, 2021 unchanged | Oct 1, 2019 +365 days | Aug 15, 2014 unchanged | Dec 1, 2021 unchanged | Dec 1, 2021 unchanged |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Mar 15, 2021 +28 days | Mar 15, 2021 +28 days | Mar 15, 2021 +28 days | Mar 15, 2021 +28 days | Mar 15, 2021 +28 days |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Aug 22, 2016 +31 days | May 1, 2024 +761 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 rural set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 high-unemployment set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
| EB-5 infrastructure set-aside | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current | Current current |
A date means applications with a priority date earlier than it can act that month. Current means every priority date can. Unavailable means none can, usually because the fiscal year's numbers for that category and country are used up. The three EB-5 set-asides are the reserved rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure allocations created in 2022. USCIS publishes their I-485 inventory separately.
Source: the State Department's bulletin page.
Visa bulletin through Nov 2026. How these figures are counted. Spotted an error? Tell us; every fix is dated in the corrections log.
The sources in full
Visa bulletin: travel.state.gov (the bulletin's tables, read in a browser; the site refuses automated clients) · data through Nov 2026 · monthly
What this data includes
Visa bulletin: Cutoff dates as the State Department published them each month. Nothing here is forecast.
Cite this page
The rules behind these numbers
Waiting on a PERM case?
- When it'll likely be decided
- An email when DOL moves it