October 2026 Visa Bulletin: China Advances Sharply While Most Countries Face Delays

The State Department released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin on September 29, creating a mixed picture for green card applicants. Chinese applicants in employment-based categories will see substantial advances, while applicants from most other countries face delays. USCIS announced it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications using the new Dates for Filing chart, but immigration attorneys warn the bulletin’s late release left applicants less than two days to file.

China sees major gains across employment categories

Chinese applicants in EB-1 (extraordinary ability and managers) will see their Dates for Filing advance seven months to July 1, 2024. EB-2 applicants from China advance one year to January 1, 2023. EB-3 skilled workers advance almost two years and three months to April 1, 2024. EB-5 unreserved categories advance four years to March 1, 2021. These represent the largest movements in the bulletin for any single country.

Rest of world faces delays in EB-2 and EB-3

Most countries outside China and India face significant delays. EB-2 applicants retrogress six and one-half months to March 15, 2026. EB-3 skilled workers retrogress two years and two months to August 1, 2024. The State Department said these retrogressions are necessary to keep visa usage within fiscal year limits. Mexico and the Philippines are among the countries affected by the backward movement.

India reopens after months of unavailability

India’s EB-2 category moves from unavailable to November 1, 2013, reopening opportunities for applicants who had been blocked. India’s unreserved EB-5 category also becomes available at December 1, 2023. However, India’s EB-3 categories remain unchanged at January 15, 2015. According to Newsweek, these reopenings represent some of the positive movement in an otherwise uneven bulletin.

Timing concerns and filing urgency

Ricky Murray, a former USCIS official, told Newsweek that the bulletin’s late release was “unreasonable and in most cases impossible.” The bulletin was released on September 29, leaving applicants fewer than two days to submit documents to USCIS before the end of the month. USCIS must receive applications in September, not merely have them mailed by month’s end. Murray described the overall picture as a mixture of “the bad,” “the good,” and “the curious.” He also noted that the entire diversity visa section is missing from the October bulletin, raising uncertainty about the program’s future.

Final Thoughts

The October bulletin offers real movement for Chinese applicants but creates urgency for others. With USCIS accepting Dates for Filing applications in October, eligible applicants must act quickly. The late release and mixed signals across categories underscore the importance of having documents prepared before the bulletin drops.

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