How to Read the Visa Bulletin for EB-1 and EB-2 (2026 Guide) 

Understanding visa bulletin charts can make the difference between filing your adjustment of status application on time and waiting months without realizing a window had opened. Every month, the U.S. Department of State publishes a bulletin with cutoff dates by category and country of birth, and it uses two charts to determine whether you can file and whether you can be approved. This guide explains both charts for applicants in the EB-1 and EB-2 categories, shows how to apply them with a worked example, and looks at the 2026 changes that caught many applicants by surprise.

Quick answer: Compare your priority date with the cutoff date for your category and country of birth. In the case where your date is before the Final Action Date, a visa number will be available, and your case can be approved; but if it is only before the Date for Filing, you might be able to file, provided that USCIS accepts the chart in those months and approval is still pending.

Read More: FY2027 Visa Spillover, Explained: Could It Finally Move EB-1A India’s Backlog?

Visa Bulletin EB1 EB2: Why It Matters for Your Green Card

The Visa Bulletin, issued monthly by the U.S. Department of State, indicates whether immigrant visa availability exists for your category, country of birth, and priority date. The EB-1 category, which is the first preference category, covers EB-1A cases involving extraordinary ability. Along with cases involving an advanced degree and exceptional ability, the EB-2 category also includes the National Interest Waiver (NIW).

The annual limits for employment-based green cards are set by the U.S. Congress, and USCIS has stated that the old ceiling is not great enough to meet the demand in all categories. If demand in a category or country exceeds supply, the State Department sets a cutoff date, and only applicants with earlier priority dates can proceed.

That’s why the bulletin matters: it tells you whether you can file Form I-485, send your documents to the National Visa Center, and have your case approved. Even with an approved I-140, the wait isn’t over because the bulletin sets the timeline for everything that comes next.

What Is a Priority Date, and Where Do You Find It?

Your priority date is the order in which you appear in the queue. In the cases of EB-1A and EB-2 NIW self-petitions, it is usually the date on which USCIS receives your I-140, and in PERM cases, it is the date when the Department of Labor accepts the labor certification; this information is given on your Form I-797 notices, and it is not the date of your approval.

In the case of having a number of approved petitions, 8 CFR 204.5(e) normally permits you to use the earliest priority date, there being some exceptions. USCIS has observed that many applicants chargeable to India with priority dates between 2012 and 2015 chose to apply for EB-1 this way, so you should check with your attorney.

Final Action Date vs Dates for Filing Explained

Filing dates tell you when USCIS opens the chart for Form I-485 and allows consular applicants to submit documents to the National Visa Center, while final action dates determine approval.

The USCIS selects the I-485 chart on a monthly basis by referring to the visa numbers, the inventory, and the operations, and it uses the chart that was in effect when it received your application (8 CFR 245.1(g)(1)). It is important to note that the dates for filing apply not only to applicants who are overseas (USCIS filing charts). For how these charts affect the choice between adjustment of status and consular processing, see our guide to adjustment of status vs. consular processing.

For most months between November 2025 and April 2026, USCIS accepted Dates for Filing, with Final Action Dates running from May through September 2026, and Dates for Filing were also available in October and November 2026. The May change halted applications from those who were only eligible on the Dates for Filing.

Priority Date Current Meaning: Step-by-Step Example

The word “current” has two meanings: when the letter “C” appears, visas are available to all eligible applicants, and your date is considered current if it is earlier than the cutoff date in the chart; nevertheless, a current category can still have tens of thousands of cases outstanding.

First, make sure that your priority date is confirmed, then locate the appropriate row (use the EB-1 row for EB-1A and the EB-2 row for NIW) and find the column that corresponds to your country of birth.

Refer to the current chart: either the USCIS monthly I-485 announcement or the notice from the National Visa Center for consular cases.

Your date has to be before this one. “U” stands for unavailable.

Worked example: October 2026 cutoffs

Category	Final Action	Date for Filing	Filing gap	Date must be older than
EB-1, other	C	C	none	none
EB-1, India	01FEB23	01JUL24	17 mo	3y 8m
EB-1, China	01JUL23	01JUL24	12 mo	3y 3m
EB-2, other	01JAN25	15MAR26	14.5 mo	1y 9m
EB-2, India	01NOV13	15JAN15	14.5 mo	12y 11m
EB-2, China	01OCT21	01JAN23	15 mo	5y 0m

Source: October 2026 Visa Bulletin. The filing gap and priority-date age were calculated as of October 1, 2026. Mexico and the Philippines are included in the “other” category.

For the full month-specific context and analysis, read the October 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis.

Why Does Your Country of Birth Change Your Wait?

The countries are listed in order of chargeability, generally by country of birth, and countries where demand exceeds Congress’s per-country limit get an earlier cutoff. In October 2026, the EB-2 cutoff date for India (November 1, 2013) was more than eleven years behind that of most other countries (January 1, 2025).

In 2023, USCIS stated that its EB-2 and EB-3 visa inventory already included several years’ worth of visas and that it could therefore grant visas in amounts exceeding quarterly demand without observing the per-country limit. The principle of cross-chargeability allows a principal to charge against a derivative spouse’s country (and vice versa), and children to charge against either parent’s country, but not a parent to charge against a child’s country (USCIS Policy Manual).

Visa Bulletin Retrogression Explained: What to Do

Retrogression results in a cutoff being moved back but has no effect on your priority date or position in the queue. The State Department said the October 2026 retrogressions keep issuance within the quarterly and annual limits for fiscal year 2027.

Final Action, 2026	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Net, May to Nov
EB-1, India	01APR23	15DEC22	15OCT22	15OCT22	15OCT22	01FEB23	01FEB23	-2 mo
EB-1, China	01APR23	01APR23	01JUN23	01JUL23	01JUL23	01JUL23	01AUG23	+4 mo
EB-1, other	C	C	C	C	C	C	C	none
EB-2, India	15JUL14	01SEP13	U	U	U	01NOV13	01NOV13	-8.5 mo
EB-2, China	01SEP21	01SEP21	01SEP21	01SEP21	01SEP21	01OCT21	01OCT21	+1 mo
EB-2, other	C	C	C	C	C	01JAN25	01APR25	new cutoff

Source: State Department bulletins, archive. Net column is our calculation. Dates for Filing held in November.

EB-2 India fell about ten and a half months in June and became unavailable in July once India’s prorated annual limit was reached. It returned in October earlier than its May date. In September, the bulletin warned that EB-1 India, EB-2, and EB-5 unreserved could become unavailable before September 30.

A pending I-485 stays pending until a number is available; approved permanent residents are unaffected, and USCIS may still interview pending applicants. Your options:

• File in any month USCIS accepts Dates for Filing, if your date qualifies.
• Seek a work permit and advance parole while the I-485 is pending (USCIS’s December 2023 FAQ: up to five years; confirm).
• Ask about retention, cross-chargeability, and transferring a pending I-485’s basis to another approved petition with an available visa.
• With H-1B status and an approved I-140, ask about three-year extensions past six years when only the per-country limit blocks you.
• Derivatives share your date but may be approved on different days; the Child Status Protection Act governs a child’s age.

How Can You Stay on Top of Each Month’s Changes?

1. Record your priority date, category, birth country, and zone.
2. Read the State Department bulletin when it posts (November’s came October 22, 2026) and its notes.
3. Check USCIS’s filing charts page, since it announces its choice separately and changes monthly.
4. Watch October 1, when categories can return, advance, or retrogress at once.

Join Ascent Club for free monthly bulletin breakdowns and discussion with applicants in your category.

Conclusion

The bulletin comes down to two comparisons: your priority date against the Final Action Date for approval, and against the Date for Filing for the chance to file. The chart USCIS accepts changes month to month, and categories can retrogress or become unavailable without warning, so a single month’s dates are only a snapshot.

EB1A Experts supports applicants with Evidence Strategy and Narrative Development for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW petitions. If you want to talk through your timeline and options, contact us.

FAQs

Disclaimer: This article provides general information, not legal advice. Cutoff dates and USCIS chart designations change monthly, so confirm current figures on the State Department and USCIS websites before you act.