EB-3 Priority Date China: July 2026 Update

Note: If you are outside the United States, you will move forward through consular processing once your case becomes eligible, rather than filing Form I-485.

How to read the Visa Bulletin for EB-3 China applicants

The Visa Bulletin, published monthly by USCIS and the U.S. Department of State, breaks down current priority dates by visa type (e.g., employment-based or family-sponsored) and provides monthly cut-off dates that determine whether immigrant visa numbers are available.

Checking the Visa Bulletin every month and knowing how to read the chart can give you a general sense of your place in line. Here are four steps to help you find the current priority dates for EB-3 visa applicants from China.

1. Find out which dates USCIS is using.

There are two charts on the Visa Bulletin. Each month, USCIS announces which chart it will use for adjustment of status applicants. Usually, USCIS uses “Dates for Filing,” but sometimes they use “Final Action Dates.” Check its website to confirm which chart you need:

• Dates for Filing chart: Indicates when you can generally submit your Green Card application if you are inside the U.S. 
• Final Action Dates chart: Indicates when a Green Card can be approved and issued. However, for the month of June, USCIS is using this chart to allow applicants inside the U.S. to file their AOS applications. 

Note: This only applies if you are filing for adjustment of status within the U.S. If you are going through consular processing from outside the U.S., the Final Action Dates chart will generally apply to your case.

2. Find charts under “Employment-Based Preference Cases.”

If you are applying for a Green Card through an EB-3 visa, find the employment-based visa charts. The Visa Bulletin also includes charts for family-sponsored preference and employment-based preference filings, as well as several other visa categories. 

3. Determine if your priority date is current.

An EB-3 visa is the third preference category for employment-based visas, so look for the row showing that 3rd category and the China column. The date listed there is the cut-off date for people with China as their country of chargeability. If your priority date is on or before that cut-off date, your date is current, and you can apply for a Green Card.

4. File for a Green Card as soon as possible.

Note: If you are outside the United States, you will move forward through consular processing once your case becomes eligible, rather than filing Form I-485.

Who needs the Other Workers chart on the Visa Bulletin?

If you are a Chinese national interested in becoming a permanent resident of the United States, an EB-3 visa is an attractive option. This is especially true if you already have an H-1B non-immigrant visa, as the EB-3 requirements often align. EB-3 visas include three groups of workers: 

• Skilled workers with at least two years of training or experience
• Professionals with a U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Other workers who perform unskilled labor that requires less than two years of training

The wait time can be years longer for an EB-3 visa compared to an EB-1 or an EB-2 visa, especially for applicants from China, but the qualifications aren’t as restrictive. If you are seeking an EB-3 or considering this path, understanding how your priority date works is essential.

Important: For June 2026, USCIS has not yet announced that it will use the Final Action Dates chart on the Visa Bulletin when determining which applicants can apply for adjustment of status for an employment-based Green Card.

What is the current EB-3 priority date for China?

Under the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, the EB-3 China filing cut-off date changes to December 22, 2021, as USCIS continues to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine eligibility for adjustment of status.

The EB-3 category has two separate rows on the Visa Bulletin: one labeled “3rd” (for skilled workers and professionals) and another labeled “Other Workers.” It’s important to know which row applies to you, because they can have different cutoff dates.

The Other Workers subcategory covers positions that require less than two years of training or experience. That would include, for example, jobs in fields like caregiving, food service, hospitality, and manufacturing. While these roles fall under EB-3, the Other Workers category has its own annual numerical limit of just 10,000 visas per fiscal year. That’s a smaller pool than for EB-3 skilled workers and professionals.

Because of this smaller visa pool, wait times for Other Workers are often longer than for the main EB-3 skilled worker and professional categories. In both FY 2024 and FY 2025, all available EB-3 and Other Workers visas were given out before the fiscal year ended, which meant no new visas could be issued until the annual limits reset on October 1.

Why is there an EB-3 Green Card backlog for mainland China?

U.S. law states that no single country can receive more than 7% of the total available employment-based immigrant visas in a fiscal year. Unfortunately, the volume of qualified applicants from mainland China for employment-based Green Cards outstrips the number of visas available each year. The country’s population or number of qualified applicants doesn’t matter. That’s why China has its own set of priority dates in the Visa Bulletin, along with other countries such as India, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The good news is that your priority date is flexible in a few ways:

• Changing employers: You can keep your priority date even if you switch employers while waiting. There are guidelines for the timing, so be sure to check with an immigration attorney before making an employer move.
• Porting to another category: You can carry your priority date to a different employment-based category (like EB-1 or EB-2) by noting it when your new employer files an I-140 petition.
• Cross-chargeability: If your spouse was born in a country with a shorter waiting time, you can request to use their country of birth instead.

Consider porting your priority date to EB-1 or EB-2

Once your priority date is established, it is generally yours to keep as long as you list it on future filings. Depending on the backlogs and your personal situation, you might get shorter wait times by changing what Green Card you’re petitioning for.

• EB-1 upgrade: If you can apply for an EB-1 visa, the backlog for China is usually much shorter. But for this category, you will have to prove that you have extraordinary ability in your field, with major awards, recommendations, and supporting documentation. You can work with an EB-1 visa attorney to port your EB-3 priority date into the EB-1 queue. This category is also available for multinational managers and outstanding researchers.
• EB-2 upgrade: An EB-2 visa is for people with an advanced degree or exceptional ability—and if you’ve gained additional education or experience while waiting in the EB-3 queue, you may now qualify. You can port your existing priority date by filing a new Form I-140. For China, the EB-2 backlog is often— but not always—shorter than EB-3, so monitor both categories on the Visa Bulletin and speak with an EB-2 visa attorney before making changes.

Get more help with knowing your EB-3 priority date

Knowing your priority date and how it functions with the charts released by USCIS is necessary to understand your Green Card wait time. When you find out your priority date is current, you want to work fast and file a strong Green Card application. The immigration lawyers at Manifest Law have years of experience helping applicants in every stage of the Green Card process.

Frequently asked questions

What if my EB-3 priority date is current?

When your priority date is current, you can file the final application for your Green Card.

How can I speed up my EB-3 visa processing?

The most effective way to get a faster decision is to use premium processing, which guarantees a response to your initial petition in 15 days. But there is no way to speed up the Visa Bulletin.

Are EB-1 or EB-2 faster than EB-3?

Yes, both EB-1 and EB-2 are typically faster. EB-1 generally has the shortest backlog of the three, and EB-2 falls in between. However, the gap between EB-2 and EB-3 for China fluctuates, so it’s worth monitoring the Visa Bulletin each month to compare current priority dates across the categories.

What is the approval rate for EB-3?

The overall approval rate for EB-3 petitions in FY 2025 was about 97.7%.

Visa Bulletin resources:

• June 2026 Visa Bulletin Released
• May 2026 Visa Bulletin Released: USCIS Switches to Final Action Dates Chart
• April 2026 Visa Bulletin released, what it means for you
• What are filing dates vs. final action dates on the Visa Bulletin?
• What is a priority date?
• Priority date guide and news for EB-1 India and EB-2 India
• Priority date guide and news for EB-1 China and EB-2 China