Updated
The October 2026 visa bulletin
Every employment-based cutoff the State Department published for October 2026, on both charts, for the five countries the bulletin lists separately. Beside each cutoff is what it did since the September 2026 bulletin. The newest bulletin held here is November 2026.
What moved since September 2026
Every one of the 45 cells on each chart, by what it did.
Final action dates
Final action dates: 6 advanced, 30 unchanged, 7 went backwards, 2 reopened.
Dates for filing
Dates for filing: 11 advanced, 26 unchanged, 8 went backwards.
Final action dates
Each cell shows the cutoff and its move since the September 2026 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Jul 1, 2023 unchanged | Feb 1, 2023 +109 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Jan 1, 2025 a cutoff returned | Oct 1, 2021 +30 days | Nov 1, 2013 reopened | Jan 1, 2025 a cutoff returned | Jan 1, 2025 a cutoff returned |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | May 15, 2024 -109 days | Jan 8, 2022 +7 days | Jan 1, 2014 unchanged | May 15, 2024 -109 days | Aug 15, 2023 +14 days |
| EB-3 other workers | Jan 1, 2022 -90 days | Oct 1, 2019 +153 days | Jan 1, 2014 unchanged | Jan 1, 2022 -90 days | Jan 1, 2022 +31 days |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Dec 15, 2022 unchanged | Dec 15, 2022 unchanged | Dec 15, 2022 unchanged | Dec 15, 2022 unchanged | Dec 15, 2022 unchanged |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Dec 1, 2016 unchanged | Dec 1, 2023 reopened | 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 September 2026 bulletin.
| Category | All other countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current current | Jul 1, 2024 +213 days | Jul 1, 2024 +213 days | Current current | Current current |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Mar 15, 2026 a cutoff returned | Jan 1, 2023 +365 days | Jan 15, 2015 unchanged | Mar 15, 2026 a cutoff returned | Mar 15, 2026 a cutoff returned |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Aug 1, 2024 a cutoff returned | Apr 1, 2024 +814 days | Jan 15, 2015 unchanged | Aug 1, 2024 a cutoff returned | Jan 1, 2024 unchanged |
| EB-3 other workers | Jun 1, 2022 -61 days | Oct 1, 2020 +366 days | Jan 15, 2015 unchanged | Jun 1, 2022 -61 days | Jun 1, 2022 -61 days |
| EB-4 special immigrants | Jan 1, 2025 +731 days | Jan 1, 2025 +731 days | Jan 1, 2025 +731 days | Jan 1, 2025 +731 days | Jan 1, 2025 +731 days |
| EB-5 unreserved | Current current | Mar 1, 2021 +1461 days | May 1, 2024 unchanged | 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