The United States Department of State has published its September 2026 Visa Bulletin, outlining the latest priority dates for family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants seeking permanent residency.
September marks the end of the 2026 fiscal year, and the department warned that visa availability in some employment-based categories could become more restrictive before September 30 if annual limits are reached.
The categories facing particular pressure include EB-1 for Indian applicants, EB-2 and the unreserved EB-5 investor category.
The bulletin contains two separate charts: the Final Action Dates chart, which determines when an immigrant visa can be issued, and the Dates for Filing chart, which may allow eligible applicants to submit their applications and supporting documents earlier.
Applicants seeking adjustment of status in the US must follow the chart designated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for September. As of August 22, USCIS had yet to announce which chart would apply.
Under either chart, an applicant’s priority date must be earlier than the applicable cutoff date. A category listed as “Current” has no cutoff, while “Unavailable” means no visa numbers are available for issuance.
Family-Based Categories
The F2A category, covering spouses and children of lawful permanent residents, remains one of the more favourable family-sponsored classifications.
For September, its Final Action Date is August 22, 2026, for most countries, including Nigeria, China, India and the Philippines. Mexico has a separate cutoff of August 22, 2025.
F2A is listed as Current worldwide under the Dates for Filing chart, although adjustment-of-status applicants can only rely on that chart if USCIS authorises its use for September.
Other family-sponsored Final Action Dates for most countries include January 22, 2020, for F1; August 22, 2019, for F2B; October 22, 2014, for F3; and October 22, 2011, for F4.
Mexico, India, and the Philippines continue to have separate cutoff dates in several categories due to higher demand.
Employment-Based Categories
The EB-1 category remains Current for applicants from most countries. China has a Final Action Date of July 1, 2023, while India’s date is October 15, 2022.
EB-2 remains Current for most countries, while China has a cutoff of September 1, 2021. India is listed as “Unavailable”.
For EB-3 skilled workers and professionals, the Final Action Date is September 1, 2024, for most countries and Mexico. China’s date is January 1, 2022, India’s is January 1, 2014, and the Philippines is August 1, 2023.
In the unreserved EB-5 investor category, most countries remain Current. China has a cutoff of December 1, 2016, while India is Unavailable.
The three EB-5 set-aside categories covering rural-area, high-unemployment-area and infrastructure investments remain Current for all listed countries.
State Department Issues Warning
The State Department cautioned that heavy demand could cause EB-1 India to become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year.
It also warned that EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 could experience retrogression or become temporarily unavailable if visa usage reaches the fiscal year 2026 limits.
The department noted that some dates had advanced in recent months after visa issuance declined among nationals of certain countries due to administrative actions affecting processing.
However, it warned that those dates could move backwards if demand rises again.
Applicants are therefore advised to monitor both the September Visa Bulletin and USCIS’s announcement on which filing chart will apply before submitting an adjustment-of-status application.
Those in EB-1 India, EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 should pay particular attention to any changes before September 30, as the current dates may not remain in place throughout the month.
