Why the October bulletin matters
The October visa bulletin is the first bulletin of the US government's fiscal year — FY2027 in this case — which means it sets the tone for the year. New annual visa numbers become available, and the State Department adjusts final action dates based on demand patterns, unused numbers from the prior year, and expected usage. For employment-based applicants, this is the single most important bulletin to read carefully.
Below is our full analysis of the October 2026 employment-based final action dates: what moved, what stalled, and what it means for your priority date.
The October 2026 final action dates
Here are the employment-based final action dates from the October 2026 bulletin. "Current" means visa numbers are available with no cutoff — applicants can proceed regardless of priority date.
| Category | Rest of World | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Jul 1, 2023 | Feb 1, 2023 |
| EB-2 | Jan 1, 2025 | Oct 1, 2021 | Nov 1, 2013 |
| EB-3 | May 15, 2024 | Jan 8, 2022 | Jan 1, 2014 |
For the other categories: EB-4 stands at December 15, 2022 for all countries. EB-5 unreserved is Current for Rest of World, December 1, 2016 for China, and December 1, 2023 for India.
EB-1: still the fastest lane — for most
EB-1 remains Current for Rest of World, which keeps it the fastest employment-based path for applicants not born in India or China. But the retrogression for India (February 1, 2023) and China (July 1, 2023) is a reminder that even the "priority workers" category is no longer immune to backlogs for high-demand countries.
If you're India- or China-born and qualifying for EB-1, the practical takeaway: file as early as you're eligible and keep your priority date locked. The gap between ROW and India in EB-1 has become one of the most consequential differences in the entire system.
EB-2 India: the longest wait in the system
At November 1, 2013, EB-2 India remains the most backlogged employment category by a wide margin — a wait measured in well over a decade. This is the category where "priority date" stops being a formality and becomes a life-planning variable: job changes, children's ages, and even retirement planning all orbit around it.
What can EB-2 India applicants actually do? The honest options are limited but real: EB-1 eligibility (for those who qualify through extraordinary ability, outstanding research, or multinational executive routes), EB-5 investment if the capital is available, or a downgrade to EB-3 — which, at January 1, 2014, is only marginally better. None of these are easy, which is why so many applicants in this category are watching legislative reform efforts.
EB-2 and EB-3: the downgrade question
For India, EB-3 (January 1, 2014) sits only about two months ahead of EB-2 (November 1, 2013). That narrow gap is exactly why the "EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade" strategy gets re-evaluated every month: when EB-3 moves ahead of EB-2, downgrading lets applicants file adjustment of status sooner, getting work authorization and travel documents while waiting for the final green card.
The decision depends on the monthly movement, your employer's willingness to file a second I-140, and where the dates-for-filing chart sits relative to final action dates. It's a month-by-month calculation — which is why checking the current bulletin, not last quarter's, matters.
Rest of World: healthy but not instant
ROW applicants are in comparatively good shape: EB-1 is Current, EB-2 sits at January 1, 2025, and EB-3 at May 15, 2024. These are waits of months to a couple of years, not decades. But note that ROW EB-2 and EB-3 both have real cutoffs now — the era when every ROW employment case was effectively current is over, and demand is high enough that even ROW dates can retrogress if filings surge.
How to read the bulletin like a practitioner
Three things most applicants miss:
- Final action dates vs. dates for filing. The bulletin publishes two charts. Final action dates control when your green card can actually be approved; dates for filing control when you can submit your adjustment application. USCIS announces each month which chart to use for filing — always check that announcement, not just the bulletin.
- "Current" is not permanent. Categories go from Current to backlogged and back. If your category is Current, treat it as a window: file everything you can while it's open.
- Your chargeability country is usually your birth country — not your citizenship. This surprises many applicants, and it's the single most common reason people misread their own situation.
What to do this month
If your priority date is earlier than the final action date for your category and country, you're current: make sure your applications are filed and your medical exam and documents are ready. If you're close but not current, prepare everything now so you can file the moment your date becomes current — backlogs reward the prepared. And if you're years away, focus on what you can control: maintaining valid status, keeping your job and employer relationship stable, and reviewing whether an upgrade, downgrade, or different category could shorten your wait.
Dates change every month. Bookmark the official bulletin at travel.state.gov — and check your own date below.