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PerplexityIn the month of September, an applicant for the EB-2 visa who was born outside of India and China finds that there are no delays currently. Now, on the first of October, however, this same applicant must deal with the fact that there are cutoffs and that they are dated as far back as January 1 of 2025. That is the reality of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In the monthly Visa Bulletin of October 2026, which marks the beginning of fiscal year 2027 (the first FY 2027 visa bulletin), the EB-2 and EB-3 visa categories were moved backward for applicants under the Rest of World (ROW) category. The EB-1 category, which includes the EB-1A visa category for those who possess extraordinary abilities in their fields, remains current for applicants under ROW and is at the front of the line for applicants from India.
This will shift your original timeline if you fall under the EB-2 NIW or the EB-2 visas under the PERM program. If you have ever considered applying under the EB-1A category, it changes your logic when making this decision as well. This is where the EB-2 NIW vs EB-1A comparison matters most.
October 2026 at a Glance: The Numbers That Matter
The bulletin has two charts. Final Action Dates decide when a green card can be approved. Dates for Filing decide when you can submit Form I-485 (see the Dates for Filing October 2026 column below).
| Category | Country | Final Action Date (Oct 2026) | Change from September | Date for Filing (Oct 2026) |
| EB-1 | ROW, Mexico, Philippines | Current | No change | Current |
| EB-1 | India | Feb 1, 2023 | Up from Oct 15, 2022 | Jul 1, 2024 |
| EB-1 | China | Jul 1, 2023 | No change | Jul 1, 2024 |
| EB-2 | ROW, Mexico, Philippines | Jan 1, 2025 | Down from Current | Mar 15, 2026 |
| EB-2 | India | Nov 1, 2013 | Reopened (was Unavailable) | Jan 15, 2015 |
| EB-2 | China | Oct 1, 2021 | Up from Sep 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2023 |
| EB-3 | ROW, Mexico | May 15, 2024 | Down from Sep 1, 2024 | Aug 1, 2024 |
Three movements stand out:
- EB-2 ROW lost its current status on both charts, marking EB2 Rest of World retrogression.
- EB-1 India and China filing dates advanced 7 months, to July 1, 2024.
- EB-2 China filing date jumped a full year, to January 1, 2023.
Why EB-2 Moved Back?
The State Department said retrogression is necessary to issue visas in accordance with the FY 2027 annual quota. Alternatively, there are more applicants than can be served with new EB-2 visas next year. That demand gap is the root of the EB-2 retrogression October 2026 applicants now face.
Several factors contribute to this demand:
- Annual caps remain in place. Employment-based categories receive their designated quotas, around 140,000 visas, and their limit of 7% per year for each country.
- Quarterly limits are processed each quarter. Thus, the State Department processes fewer cases during the first months of the year compared to the total.
- Both routes are used simultaneously. PERM cases and EB-2 NIW petitions count toward the same EB-2 quota.
Compare Your EB-1A and EB-2 Options
Who Feels It Most?
| Your situation (EB-2 ROW) | What October means |
| Priority date before Jan 1, 2025 | Still eligible for final approval |
| Priority date between Jan 1, 2025 and Mar 15, 2026 | Can file I-485 this month; approval waits for the Final Action Date |
| Priority date after Mar 15, 2026 | Cannot file I-485 yet |
| I-485 already pending, priority date after Jan 1, 2025 | Case stays pending; no approval until your date is reached |
Why EB-1A Held Steady?
EB-1 remains current for ROW, Mexico, and the Philippines on both charts in the EB-1A visa bulletin October 2026. For India and China, it moved forward.
In September, EB-1 and EB-2 were both current for ROW at the final action stage. Now, under the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, they are not. A ROW applicant with a new EB-2 case waits for the line. A ROW applicant with a new EB-1A approval does not.
How EB-1A Avoids the Queue?
- There are no queues when it comes to the Green card process. The moment the I-140 gets accepted, a visa number immediately appears.
- Concurrent filing is permitted. It allows applicants under EB-1A from any country to file I-140 and I-485 applications simultaneously from within the U.S.
- The main problem is the petition and not the waiting period. EB-1A expects applicants to meet a minimum of three out of ten different requirements and successfully undergo Kazarian’s final evaluation, which is more demanding than EB-2 NIW, a key point in any EB-2 NIW vs EB-1A decision.
What does that signify for India and China?
EB-1 is not current for both countries, but it keeps moving forward:
- India’s Final Action date moved forward probably by about 3.5 months, to February 1, 2023;
- The filing dates got updated by at least 7 months, namely to July 1, 2024 for both countries. In the case of Indian applicants, EB-1 advancements from February 2023 are equal to EB-2 ones made back in November 2013, which gives roughly ten years of waiting, based on the EB-2 India visa bulletin October 2026 cutoff.
Review Your Profile Before the Next Bulletin
The Filing Window USCIS Opened This Month
During the month of October, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be accepting employment-based adjustment applications through the Dates for Filing method (the Dates for Filing October 2026 chart). This was not the case in September, when the Final Action Dates were more applicable. Those applicants who are eligible must note the limited opportunity that exists for:
- EB-2 ROW: Applications can be submitted by applicants with priority dates earlier than March 15, 2026, despite the fact that approval remains in effect only until January 1, 2025.
- EB-1 India and China: Priority dates that come before July 1, 2024.
- EB-2 China: Priority dates of applicants with applications submitted before January 1, 2023.
Filing early can bring an employment authorization document (EAD), advance parole, and, after 180 days, AC21 job portability. It does not speed up approval.
USCIS decides the chart each month and can switch back to Final Action Dates in any later FY 2027 visa bulletin. Check that your priority date is earlier than the listed date, not the same day.
Your Green Card Strategy After October 2026
The right move after the October 2026 Visa Bulletin depends on your country of birth, where your case stands, and how strong your record is.
| If you are | Consider |
| ROW, EB-2 I-140 approved, priority date before Mar 15, 2026 | File the I-485 this month while the filing chart is in use |
| ROW, EB-2 case not yet filed | Compare timelines for EB-2 NIW and EB-1A before you file |
| ROW, strong record of awards, publications, or judging | Assess whether you meet 3 of 10 EB-1A criteria; EB-1A is current |
| India, EB-2 approved | Look at EB-1A as a parallel filing; EB-1 is ahead of EB-2 by almost ten years |
| China, EB-2 priority date before Jan 1, 2023 | File the I-485 now under the Dates for Filing chart |
| Any country, I-485 pending | Keep your I-485 active; review AC21 portability before a job change |
Filing EB-1A While EB-2 Is Pending
You can do both at the same time. Many candidates hold on to EB-2 while applying for EB-1A, especially after EB2 Rest of World retrogression.
- You can keep your priority date: a successful I-140 keeps your priority date for the new I-140.
- You can send an I-485 to another approved category, so you do not have to start from scratch.
- You have limited risk since an EB-1A rejection does not affect the approved EB-2 I-140.
However, the downsides are time and money. You have to prepare a stronger petition for EB-1A; a weak one will lead to a Request for Evidence (RFE).
What to Do Before the November Bulletin
Bulletin dates may vary each month, so it is good to be prepared with your checklist after the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. Here are the steps:
- Check your priority date from your I-140 receipt or approval notice.
- Check the priority date against both charts.
- Start collecting I-485 documents in case you are in the filing window, including medicals, birth certificate(s), the letters from your employer, etc.
- If you’re in EB-2 ROW or EB-2 India, check your readiness for EB-1A and how you compare against the 10 criteria.
- Watch for the November bulletin and check which of USCIS’s charts they use.
The Bottom Line
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin has differentiated two groups that appeared to be the same group before. EB-2 ROW now has a queue. EB-1A does not.
This does not make EB-1A the best route for all. The evidence threshold for EB-1A is more significant. But for applicants whose credentials are near this limit, the difference in waiting time has now become a factor in their decision-making process, and the EB-1A visa bulletin October 2026 data makes that clear.
Get Your EB-1A Readiness Score
FAQs
EB2 ROW (Rest of the World) has retrogressed, a clear case of EB-2 retrogression October 2026. The latest action date has been set to January 1st, 2025, and the filing date is now March 15th, 2026.
As of September 2026, EB2 ROW had no cutoff date for final action. The bulletin for October has included a cutoff date for ROW, Mexico, and the Philippines. After being unavailable for some time, EB-2 India has now reopened as of November 1, 2013 (per the EB-2 India visa bulletin October 2026). EB-2 China has advanced by one month for final action and one year for filing. It’s now January 1, 2023. The shift impacts both PERM EB-2 and EB-2 NIW cases alike, considering that both EB-2 categories depend on the same visa numbers.
The demand of applicants from the rest of the world (ROW) has surpassed the availability of EB-2 visas for FY 2027 while drawing data in terms of quarterly and annual limits on visas. That is what triggered EB2 Rest of World retrogression.
In order to stay within the aforementioned limits, the State Department has stopped the issuance of visas. The department allocates a fixed number of visas for each type of visa issued under employment-based categories. There can be no more than 7 percent of total visas issued to any particular country. Furthermore, the department provides limits on the number of visas issued within every quarter. These limits will shape each FY 2027 visa bulletin.
No. The EB-1 visa, which consists of EB1A for people with extraordinary ability, remained unchanged for ROW, Mexico, and the Philippines in the EB-1A visa bulletin October 2026.
For India, the EB-1 Final Action Dates moved up roughly 3.5 months, to February 1, 2023 and for China remained at July 1, 2023. In both cases, the EB-1 Date for Filing went forward 7 months, to July 1, 2024. In the case of applicants from ROW, approved EB1A petitions mean there is no delay awaiting a visa number. Concurrent filing of Form I-140 and Form I-485 remains available for applicants eligible in the United States. This gap also shapes the EB-2 NIW vs EB-1A decision.
Yes, if you have a priority date before the date shown in the Dates for Filing October 2026 chart for your country and category.
The USCIS has indicated that it will accept employment-based I-485 filings according to the Dates for Filing chart in October. The cutoff date for EB-2 ROW is 15th March, 2026; the cutoff date for EB-1 India and China is 1st July, 2024. A filing means EAD, advance parole, and AC21 portability eligibility. But it is not a faster way to approval, which is still subject to the Final Action Date. USCIS may also change charts in the coming months. Always confirm the chart in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin before filing.
September 30, 2026 
