Greenberg Traurig Immigration & Compliance Shareholders Kate Kalmykov and Jennifer Hermansky will speak during the webinar, “Read the May 2026 Visa Bulletin Like an Immigration Lawyer” on Monday, April 20 at 12:00 p.m. EST.
This session will help attendees understand how to read the USCIS Visa Bulletin correctly, apply it to their own case, and interpret what the latest movement means for their green card timeline.
The April 2026 Visa Bulletin reflects forward movement in both family‑based and employment‑based immigrant visa categories.
Section D of the Department of State (DOS)’s bulletin indicates that advances across categories are linked to decreased immigrant visa issuance rates for nationals of certain countries impacted by Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, as well as related updates to immigrant visa processing. This reduced demand has made additional visa numbers available for redistribution across other categories.
The April bulletin introduces broad advancement in both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts.
Notable highlights include:
In the Final Action chart, movement remains positive but slightly more conservative, with F1 advancing by six months and F4 advancing by five months across most chargeability areas.
Employment‑based categories show notable advancement, which DOS attributes to lower visa demand from the countries subject to administration‑imposed restrictions.
While these changes present opportunities for earlier filing and case progression, DOS signals that the possibility of future retrogression remains. Stakeholders should continue to monitor future visa bulletins as the fiscal year progresses.
The U.S. Department of State published its April 2026 Visa Bulletin, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that employment-based adjustment applicants must rely on the Dates for Filing chart this month. This may allow eligible applicants to submit adjustment of status applications earlier, even if immigrant visa number are not yet immediately available.
Some of the major advancements this month are in EB-2 and EB-3 categories for the Rest of World (ROW). The EB-2 Final Action Dates will become current in April for all countries except China and India, and the Dates for Filing for the EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals category will become current for all countries except China, India, and the Philippines.
Below is our breakdown of what changed and those changes’ potential impact.
The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) remain current under both charts.
| Category | All Other Countries | China-Mainland born | India | Mexico | Philippines |
| EB-1 | Current | Dec. 1, 2023 | Dec. 1, 2023 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Current | Jan. 1, 2022 | Jan. 1, 2015 | Current | Current |
| EB-3 | Current | Jan. 1, 2022 | Jan. 1, 2015 | Current | Jan. 1, 2024 |
| EB-5 (Unreserved) | Current | Oct. 1, 2016 | May 1, 2024 | Current | Current |
| Category | All Other Countries | China-Mainland born | India | Mexico | Philippines |
| EB-1 | Current | Apr. 1, 2023 | Apr. 1, 2023 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Current | Sep. 1, 2021 | July 15, 2014 | Current | Current |
| EB-3 | Jun. 1, 2024 | Jun. 15, 2021 | Nov. 15, 2013 | Jun. 1, 2024 | Aug. 1, 2023 |
| EB-5 (Unreserved) | Current | Sep. 1, 2016 | May 1, 2022 | Current | Current |
Since USCIS is permitting the use of the Dates for Filing chart this month, eligible applicants may file adjustment of status applications, apply for employment authorization documents, and advance parole immediately. Accordingly, employers may wish to:
Although the EB-5 unreserved category still reflects a long-term backlog for India- and China-Mainland-born investors, the EB-5 set-aside categories continue to offer shorter timelines. For new investors, set-aside categories may remain a viable strategy to avoid prolonged backlog.
In the April bulletin, the Department of State attributes recent advancement to reduced immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates, resulting from actions implemented by the Trump administration. However, the April visa bulletin continues to signal that, because visa demand remains uneven across categories, forward movement may be limited and non-linear. Retrogression may occur later in the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, 2026. Accordingly, employers and applicants should consider taking prompt action where eligible.
The U.S. Department of State has published its March 2026 Visa Bulletin, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that employment-based adjustment applicants must rely on the Dates for Filing chart this month, instead of the Final Action chart.
Using the Dates for Filing chart allows eligible foreign nationals to submit adjustment of status applications and supporting documentation, even if an immigrant visa number is not yet immediately available. For some employers and sponsored employees, this means earlier filing, work authorization eligibility, and greater flexibility while waiting for final action dates to become current.
This month’s bulletin shows several meaningful advances, particularly for India in EB-2 and for China in EB-1 and EB-5.
Below is our breakdown of what changed and who may benefit.
What this means: EB-1 continues to move steadily forward for both China- and India-born applicants, potentially allowing additional high-skilled professionals and multinational managers to file adjustment applications.
What this means: EB-2 updates mark a notable development for this month. Indian EB-2 applicants see a substantial forward movement, while applicants from the rest of the world may now file immediately, regardless of priority date.
What this means: Moderate progress continues outside of China and India, opening additional filing opportunities for employers sponsoring workers in this category.
What this means: Incremental forward movement continues for China-born investors, while most other countries maintain immediate availability.
Quick Reference: Dates for Filing – March 2026
| Category | All Other Countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
| EB-1 | Current | Dec. 1, 2023 | Dec. 1, 2023 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Current | Jan. 1, 2022 | Nov. 1, 2014 | Current | Current |
| EB-3 | Jan. 15, 2024 | Jan. 1, 2022 | Aug. 15, 2014 | Jan. 15, 2024 | Jan. 1, 2024 |
| EB-5 (Unreserved) | Current | Oct. 1, 2016 | May 1, 2024 | Current | Current |
Because USCIS noted it will accept filings based on the Dates for Filing chart this month, eligible individuals may:
Employers may wish to review priority dates now to determine which of their sponsored employees may be newly qualified to file in March.
In the March Visa Bulletin, the State Department highlighted a slowdown in immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates for nationals of certain countries. According to the agency, this decline is tied to policy measures implemented during the Trump administration, including nationality-based travel restrictions affecting nearly 40 countries and a separate pause on immigrant visa processing impacting approximately 75 countries, with some overlap between the two groups.
Because the government is currently issuing fewer immigrant visas, overall demand on the annual visa allocation system has temporarily eased. As a result, the State Department advanced several employment-based cutoff dates in the March bulletin, creating additional filing opportunities for eligible applicants.
At the same time, the government cautioned that these forward movements may not be permanent. If visa demand rises or agencies lift or modify existing restrictions, the State Department may retrogress priority dates later in the fiscal year to remain within statutory limits. The current fiscal year concludes on Sept. 30, 2026. Employers and applicants should therefore consider treating these advances as time-sensitive opportunities and consider acting promptly where eligibility exists.
The January 2026 Visa Bulletin appears to deliver positive developments for employment-based immigration, with notable forward movement across most categories. Both Final Action Dates (Chart A) and Dates for Filing (Chart B) reflect improved visa availability, and USCIS will continue accepting adjustment-of-status applications under Chart B for January.
All three set-aside categories, Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure, remain current in both charts, with no retrogression.
While China’s one-month advancement may seem modest compared to India’s leap, it represents steady progress for a category historically burdened by long backlogs. For investors who have been waiting for years, even incremental movement may be meaningful.
EB-5 investors may see these advancements as a promising start to 2026, particularly those from China and India. The advancements suggest continued momentum in employment-based immigration.
For more details, please refer to the Visa Bulletin for January 2026.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the availability of immigrant numbers in its March 2025 Visa Bulletin. All dates listed below are based on the final action dates for employment-based preference cases. Applicants must have a priority date that is earlier than the final action date listed for their preference category and country to be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment of status application.
All EB-1 categories see no movement and the dates remain unchanged. Mexico, Philippines, and All Chargeability categories remain current; EB-1 India remains fixed at Feb. 1, 2022; and EB-1 China remains fixed at Nov. 8, 2022.
In the EB-2 category, Mexico, Philippines, and All Chargeability categories advance six weeks to May 15, 2023. EB-2 India also jumps six weeks to Dec. 1, 2012. EB-2 China advances to May 8, 2020.
Both China and India show movement in the EB-3 category, as China advances one month to Aug. 1, 2020, and India advances six weeks to Feb. 1, 2013. There is no movement in the EB-3 dates for Mexico, Philippines, and All Chargeability areas, which remain at Dec. 1, 2022.
All countries in the EB-4 category retrogressed by 17 months to Aug. 1, 2019.
There is no change in the final action dates in the EB-5 category for March 2025.
The filing dates of employment-based visa applications are:
The DOS Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers and releases final action dates and filing applications date charts monthly for both employment-based visas and family-based visas. USCIS confirms which chart applicants must use to file their adjustment of status application. For March 2025, USCIS announced it will only accept adjustment of status applications based on the final action dates chart for all employment-based preference categories, while all family-sponsored preference categories may use the dates for filing chart.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has published the first visa bulletin of the government’s new fiscal year (FY2025). The monthly bulletin published by the DOS summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers. USCIS has also announced that it will utilize the “Dates for Filing” chart published by DOS for both family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories for the month of October.
The October 2024 visa bulletin reflects advancement in several employment-based categories in both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts. Please see the October 2024 Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications chart below:
In summary, the October Visa Bulletin reflects the following key movements that account for advancements in the visa bulletin from September, which also includes the shift from the Final Action Dates to the Dates for Filing chart:
Also of note, pursuant to H.R. 2882, signed March 23, 2024, no Employment Fourth Certain Religious Workers (SR) category visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases after midnight Sept. 29, 2024. The SR category is listed as “Unavailable” for all countries in October. As stated by the DOS in the October bulletin, “In the event there is legislative action extending the category, it is likely it will become available effective immediately. If extended, the category will be subject to the same final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability.”
As we progress into the new fiscal year, throughout August and into September, DOS made announcements that the annual visa limits for FY 2024 have been reached for the EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EW, EB-4 and EB-5 unreserved categories.
Overall, the October 2024 visa bulletin shows some positive movement forward for key categories such as the EB-2 categories, EB-3 All Chargeability and EB-3 India, thanks in part to the shift from the Final Actions Date chart to the Dates for Filing chart. The key notable retrogression is for the Final Action Date for EB-3 China; a disappointment given the new allotment of visa numbers as we progress into the government’s FY2025.
On May 8, 2024, the U.S. State Department posted the June 2024 visa bulletin. The Dates for Filing Chart for June 2024, as shown below, is more favorable than the Final Action Dates Chart. The Dates for Filing chart for June 2024 only applies to those who are consular processing outside the United States.
Dates for Filing
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would continue to use the Final Action Dates chart again for June 2024, which saw no movement in most of the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories. The only category with slight movement is EB-3 India which advanced from Aug. 15, 2022, to Aug. 22, 2022. Accordingly, an employment-based foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed in the Final Action Dates chart for their preference category and country of chargeability in order to be eligible to file an Adjustment of Status application or to have their permanent residence application granted. Below is the June 2024 Final Action Dates chart:
Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications
On March 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published the April 2024 Visa Bulletin. This is the first bulletin in the second quarter, and it reflects advances in most employment-based categories, as follows:
The DOS Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers and releases Dates for Filing Applications and Final Action Dates charts monthly for both employment-based and family-based immigrant visas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) then confirms which chart applicants must use to file their Adjustment of Status Application. For April 2024, USCIS confirmed applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart while all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.
Accordingly, an employment-based foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed in the Final Action Date chart for their preference category and country of chargeability in order to be eligible to file an Adjustment of Status application or have the permanent residence application granted. Please see below for the April 2024 Employment-Based Visa Applications Final Action Dates Chart:
| Employment- based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01SEP22 | 01MAR21 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15JAN23 | 01FEB20 | 15APR12 | 15JAN23 | 15JAN23 |
| 3rd | 22NOV22 | 01SEP20 | 15AUG12 | 22NOV22 | 22NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 08OCT20 | 01JAN17 | 15AUG12 | 08OCT20 | 01MAY20 |
| 4th | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 15DEC15 | 01DEC20 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
DOS projects little to no movement in the priority dates for employment-based categories through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2024.
On Oct. 9, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published the November 2023 Visa Bulletin. This bulletin reflects little movement from the October 2023 Visa Bulletin and no movement in the employment-based Dates for Filing chart, which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it would continue to use for employment-based and family-based adjustments of status.
Please see below for the November 2023 Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications Chart:
| Employment- based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01AUG22 | 01JUL19 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01JAN23 | 01JAN20 | 15MAY12 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| 3rd | 01FEB23 | 01SEP20 | 01AUG12 | 01FEB23 | 01JAN23 |
| Other Workers | 15DEC20 | 01JUN17 | 01AUG12 | 15DEC20 | 15MAY20 |
| 4th | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 | 01MAR19 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 01JAN17 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Rural – 20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment – 10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure – 2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
The lack of movement in the chart comes on the heels of key advancements in the October 2023 Visa Bulletin—the first Visa Bulletin of the new fiscal year (FY 2024).
As reported in our September 2023 blog post, USCIS stated that the number of employment-based green cards to be issued in FY 2024 is expected to be much lower than in FY 2023 and FY 2022. As a result, there may be less advancement in the visa bulletin during the upcoming fiscal year and a greater chance for retrogression towards the end of FY 2024.