October 2026 Visa Bulletin – New Fiscal Year Brings Reopened Categories; Mixed Advances for India/China and Retrogression for Rest of World

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first bulletin of the new fiscal year (FY 2027).   The headline in this month’s Visa Bulletin is the annual reset of immigrant visa numbers, which brings substantial forward movement for oversubscribed countries—specifically India and China—alongside notable retrogressions for the Rest of World (ROW).

For India, EB-1 advances by over a year and a half, and EB-2 reopens after being completely unavailable at the end of the previous fiscal year. China sees a massive two-year leap in EB-3, as well as solid one-year advances in EB-1 and EB-2. Conversely, to manage high global demand within strict quarterly and annual limits, the State Department was forced to retrogress ROW cutoff dates across the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.

Importantly, USCIS has announced that Employment-Based applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart to determine if they are eligible to file their I-485 Adjustment of Status applications.  Family-sponsored applicants are also permitted to use the Dates for Filing chart.

Which Employment-based Applicants Are Eligible to File I-485 in October 2026?

By using the Final Action Dates chart, USCIS will allow the following applicants to file I-485 in the month of October 2026.   The change (“forward” or “retrogression”) noted below is related to the I-485 filing eligibility from the prior month.

Worldwide (ROW)

• EB-1 ROW with any priority date (remains Current);
• EB-2 ROW with a priority date before March 15, 2026 (retrogression from Current);
• EB-3 ROW with a priority date before August 1, 2024 (retrogression by 1 month).

India

• EB-1 India with a priority date before July 1, 2024 (advancement by 20 months);
• EB-2 India with a priority date of January 15, 2015 (reopened, was Unavailable in September);
• EB-3 India with a priority date before January 1, 2015 (advancement by 12 months).

China

• EB-1 China with a priority date before July 1, 2024 (advancement by 1 year);
• EB-2 China with a priority date before January 1, 2023 (advancement by 16 months);
• EB-3 China with a priority date before April 1, 2024 (advancement by 25 months).

Summary of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin – Employment-Based (EB)

Please note that USCIS will determine and publish, about a week after this Visa Bulletin is published, whether or not to accept I-485 filings on the basis of these filing dates.

Summary of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (FB)

USCIS will determine and publish separately, a few days after this Visa Bulletin is published, whether or not to accept I-485 filings on the basis of these filing dates.

New Fiscal Year Begins October 1: Expectations

With the October Visa Bulletin marking the start of Fiscal Year 2027, the annual quota of immigrant visas has reset. The State Department explicitly addressed the availability of Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visas for FY 2027, noting that the injection of new visa numbers has allowed for the advancement of filing and final action dates across several oversubscribed categories. As a result, we see significant forward movement and the reopening of categories for India and China that had stalled at the end of the previous fiscal year.

However, the Department of State included a critical caveat for “Rest of World” (ROW) applicants. Despite the fresh annual supply of visas, DOS was compelled to retrogress certain ROW employment-based categories. The agency specifically noted that these immediate retrogressions are mathematically necessary to keep visa issuances strictly within the statutory quarterly and annual limits for FY 2027. This indicates that the baseline demand from ROW applicants is currently so high that a new year’s allocation is insufficient to maintain “Current” status across the board.

The State Department emphasized that they are continually monitoring this situation and will make any necessary adjustments accordingly. For applicants, this means we could see rapid fluctuations in the coming months—either forward movement if visa usage slows, or further retrogressions if demand continually exceeds the quarterly caps. Eligible applicants must act urgently to file their applications while their respective filing windows remain open.

Current Date?

Our office stands ready to assist in the applicable process.  There are many applicants across many of the employment and family categories who can now process their (and their family members’) I-485 Adjustment of Status applications from within the U.S. or process their immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if our office can help you take advantage of this (very time-sensitive for some) opportunity to file I-485 applications. We are also happy to provide a free quote for preparing and filing your I-485 application.

Confused About the Visa Bulletin?

We understand that the Visa Bulletin, with its the multiple publications, categories and conditions may be confusing – we invite you to review our Visa Bulletin Explained article for our attempt in helping applicants understand the Visa Bulletin and know what to look for (and when).

Further Updates and News

We invite you to subscribe to our free weekly immigration newsletter to receive timely updates on this and related topics. We also invite you to contact us if our office can be of any assistance in your immigration matters or you have any questions or comments about this month’s Visa Bulletin.