September 2026 Visa Bulletin Released: Family Dates Jump Forward By Years

The State Department has released the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, the final bulletin of Fiscal Year 2026. Family-based final action dates advanced sharply for the second month in a row. Most employment-based categories also remain available, which was not the case last year.

USCIS has not yet announced which chart applicants should use to file for an adjustment of status in September. In last month’s Bulletin, USCIS directed family-based applicants to the Dates for Filing chart and employment-based applicants to the Final Action Dates chart.

How did employment-based categories change in the September 2026 Visa Bulletin?

Here's a recap of what changed for the employment-based categories:

• EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 final action dates are unchanged from August across every chargeability area.
• EB-2 India and EB-5 Unreserved India remain unavailable. The State Department said in the July bulletin that both would stay unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026.
• EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers final action dates advanced by two months, to December 15, 2022, for all countries. It was the only employment-based movement across the entire September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
• Outside of Unreserved for China and India, final action dates for all remaining EB-5 categories are still current.
• The employment-based Dates for Filing chart remains unchanged.

How did family-based categories change in the September 2026 Visa Bulletin?

Family-based applicants saw the biggest movement in F1, F2B, F3, and F4 since at least July:

• F3 final action dates for China, India, and all other chargeability areas surged forward by roughly 29 months, to October 22, 2014. Mexico and the Philippines remain unchanged.
• F4 final action dates for China and all other areas advanced by approximately 26 months, to October 22, 2011. The Philippines gained three weeks, to August 22, 2007; India and Mexico held steady.
• F2B final action dates for China, India, and all other areas moved ahead by nearly 20 months, to August 22, 2019. Mexico and the Philippines were unchanged.
• F1 final action dates for China, India, and all other areas advanced by about 13 months, to January 22, 2020. Mexico gained a month; the Philippines did not advance.
• F2A final action dates advanced by one month for all countries, to August 22, 2026 (or August 22, 2025 for Mexico).

The Dates for Filing chart moved too, though less dramatically: F2A remains current on the Dates for Filing chart, F3 advanced 20 months, F4 about 16 months, F2B eight months, and F1 roughly 7.5 months for all areas except Mexico and the Philippines. F4 India was unchanged on this chart, at December 15, 2006.

For a more complete look at these changes, check out our main Visa Bulletin page.