Current issue
Visa Bulletin, September 2026
Both charts in full. Each cell shows the cut-off as the bulletin prints it, with the movement since August 2026 underneath where it changed.
Final Action Dates
The cut-off for a case actually being approved and a visa issued.
Employment-based
| Category | All areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1Priority workers | C (current, no wait) | 01 Jul 2023 | 15 Oct 2022 | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-2Advanced degree or exceptional ability | C (current, no wait) | 01 Sep 2021 | U (unavailable, no numbers being issued) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-3Skilled workers and professionals | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Jan 2022 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Aug 2023 |
| EB-3 Other WorkersUnskilled labor, under two years of training | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 May 2019 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 Dec 2021 |
| EB-4Certain special immigrants | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced |
| EB-4 Religious WorkersNon-minister special immigrant religious workers | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced | 15 Dec 20222mo advanced |
| EB-5 UnreservedInvestors outside the set-aside pools | C (current, no wait) | 01 Dec 2016 | U (unavailable, no numbers being issued) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 RuralRural set-aside, 20 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 High UnemploymentTargeted employment area set-aside, 10 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 InfrastructureInfrastructure set-aside, 2 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
Family-sponsored
| Category | All areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1Unmarried adult children of citizens | 22 Jan 202013.2mo advanced | 22 Jan 202013.2mo advanced | 22 Jan 202013.2mo advanced | 01 Jan 20081mo advanced | 01 May 2013 |
| F2ASpouses and minor children of permanent residents | 22 Aug 20261mo advanced | 22 Aug 20261mo advanced | 22 Aug 20261mo advanced | 22 Aug 20251mo advanced | 22 Aug 20261mo advanced |
| F2BUnmarried adult children of permanent residents | 22 Aug 201919.6mo advanced | 22 Aug 201919.6mo advanced | 22 Aug 201919.6mo advanced | 15 Feb 2009 | 01 Jun 2013 |
| F3Married children of citizens | 22 Oct 201429.2mo advanced | 22 Oct 201429.2mo advanced | 22 Oct 201429.2mo advanced | 01 Jul 2001 | 22 Feb 2006 |
| F4Siblings of adult citizens | 22 Oct 201125.7mo advanced | 22 Oct 201125.7mo advanced | 01 Nov 2006 | 08 Apr 2001 | 22 Aug 20070.7mo advanced |
Dates for Filing
The earlier cut-off for submitting the application, where the agency accepts this chart.
Employment-based
| Category | All areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1Priority workers | C (current, no wait) | 01 Dec 2023 | 01 Dec 2023 | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-2Advanced degree or exceptional ability | C (current, no wait) | 01 Jan 2022 | 15 Jan 2015 | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-3Skilled workers and professionals | C (current, no wait) | 08 Jan 2022 | 15 Jan 2015 | C (current, no wait) | 01 Jan 2024 |
| EB-3 Other WorkersUnskilled labor, under two years of training | 01 Aug 2022 | 01 Oct 2019 | 15 Jan 2015 | 01 Aug 2022 | 01 Aug 2022 |
| EB-4Certain special immigrants | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 |
| EB-4 Religious WorkersNon-minister special immigrant religious workers | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 |
| EB-5 UnreservedInvestors outside the set-aside pools | C (current, no wait) | 01 Mar 2017 | 01 May 2024 | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 RuralRural set-aside, 20 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 High UnemploymentTargeted employment area set-aside, 10 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| EB-5 InfrastructureInfrastructure set-aside, 2 percent | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
Family-sponsored
| Category | All areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1Unmarried adult children of citizens | 01 Feb 20207.6mo advanced | 01 Feb 20207.6mo advanced | 01 Feb 20207.6mo advanced | 01 Dec 2008 | 22 Apr 2015 |
| F2ASpouses and minor children of permanent residents | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) | C (current, no wait) |
| F2BUnmarried adult children of permanent residents | 01 Sep 20198mo advanced | 01 Sep 20198mo advanced | 01 Sep 20198mo advanced | 15 May 2010 | 01 Oct 2013 |
| F3Married children of citizens | 01 Nov 201420mo advanced | 01 Nov 201420mo advanced | 01 Nov 201420mo advanced | 15 Jul 2001 | 08 Aug 2006 |
| F4Siblings of adult citizens | 01 Nov 201116.3mo advanced | 01 Nov 201116.3mo advanced | 15 Dec 2006 | 30 Apr 2001 | 22 Mar 2008 |
What this issue did
The state of this issue
Counted inside this issue alone, before it is compared with anything published before it.
- Final Action Dates: 49 of 75 country columns carry a cut-off, 24 are current and 2 have no numbers at all. The furthest-back cut-off is 08APR01, in F4 for Mexico. The widest gap between two countries inside one category is 159.7 months, in F3: Mexico against All areas, China and India, with 1 country somewhere between the two. Current in every column: EB-5 Rural, EB-5 High Unemployment and EB-5 Infrastructure. Current in 9 country columns of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-5 Unreserved, though not in their other columns. Without numbers in 2 country columns of EB-2 and EB-5 Unreserved, though not in their other columns.
- Dates for Filing: 44 of 75 country columns carry a cut-off and 31 are current; every column has numbers. The furthest-back cut-off is 30APR01, in F4 for Mexico. The widest gap between two countries inside one category is 159.6 months, in F3: Mexico against All areas, China and India, with 1 country somewhere between the two. Current in every column: EB-5 Rural, EB-5 High Unemployment, EB-5 Infrastructure and F2A. Current in 11 country columns of EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5 Unreserved, though not in their other columns.
How far the filing chart runs ahead
Of the 42 country columns where both charts carry a date in this issue, Dates for Filing runs ahead of Final Action Dates in 42 of them. The widest lead is 23.7 months, in F1 for Philippines. The middle lead is 17 days and the narrowest 7 days.
Where this issue sits in the archive
This is the newest of the 36 issues published here. The record runs from October 2023 to this month, and there is nothing later to set it against.
Of the 75 country columns on the Final Action Dates chart in this issue, 28 advanced, 0 moved backwards and 47 stood still. On the Dates for Filing chart, 11 advanced and 0 moved backwards.
Everything below is measured against August 2026, the issue immediately before this one.
The fiscal year ends with this issue (FY2026). Across the 3 September issues published here, a country column on the Final Action Dates chart moved 48.7 days forward on average, against 99.4 days forward across the 2 October issues.
The largest advances
- F3 for All areas, China and India advanced 29.2 months, from 15MAY12 to 22OCT14. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 32.2 months, and over the twelve it advanced 38.7 months.
- F4 for All areas and China advanced 25.7 months, from 01SEP09 to 22OCT11. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 35.4 months, and over the twelve it advanced 45.7 months.
- F2B for All areas, China and India advanced 19.6 months, from 01JAN18 to 22AUG19. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 23 months, and over the twelve it advanced 34.2 months.
- F1 for All areas, China and India advanced 13.2 months, from 15DEC18 to 22JAN20. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 28.7 months, and over the twelve it advanced 42.3 months.
- EB-4 for All areas, China, India, Mexico and Philippines advanced 2 months, from 15OCT22 to 15DEC22. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 5 months.
- EB-4 Religious Workers for All areas, China, India, Mexico and Philippines advanced 2 months, from 15OCT22 to 15DEC22. Over the three issues to September 2026 it advanced 5 months.
Where the cut-off fell back
No cut-off on the Final Action Dates chart moved backwards in this issue.
Standing still
A cut-off that has not moved for a year is a fact about this issue too, and it is the one a reader waiting in that queue is looking for.
- F4 for India had not moved for 13 months as of this issue.
By country of chargeability
- All areas: 7 of 15 country columns advanced, median advance 403 days.
- China: 7 of 15 country columns advanced, median advance 403 days.
- India: 6 of 15 country columns advanced, median advance 403 days.
- Mexico: 4 of 15 country columns advanced, median advance 61 days.
- Philippines: 4 of 15 country columns advanced, median advance 61 days.
Which chart applies for filing
Consular cases are approved against Final Action Dates. Which chart USCIS accepted for adjustment of status that month is published separately by USCIS and has not been transcribed here. How USCIS chooses the filing chart.
Every figure in this section is arithmetic on the transcribed tables: differences between two issues, runs of unchanged months, spreads between two countries in the same issue. The bulletin publishes no reasons, and none are supplied here.
Transcribed from the September 2026 bulletin published by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, on 22 August 2026. Earlier months.