Visa Bulletin for September 2026

Q: September 2026 Visa Bulletin Summary

Family-based: September brings significant forward movement in several family-based categories. For most countries, F-1 advances by about 7.5 months, F-2B by eight months, F-3 by 20 months, and F-4 by more than 16 months. Mexico and the Philippines see little to no movement, while F-2A remains current for all countries.Employment-based: Employment-based categories see little movement in September. EB-4 is the only category to advance, moving forward by two months to Dec. 15, 2022, for all countries. All other employment-based categories remain unchanged from August, with EB-2 India and EB-5 India still unavailable.If you’re already familiar with those terms, scroll down to our summary of key developments or to the filing category that’s most relevant to you:Family-based categoriesF-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. CitizensF-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card HoldersF-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card HoldersF-3: Married Children of U.S. CitizensF-4: Siblings of U.S. CitizensEmployment-based categoriesEB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and Multinational Executives and ManagersEB-2: Exceptional People and Advanced Degree HoldersEB-3: Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, and Unskilled WorkersEB-4: Special ImmigrantsEB-5: Investors

Q: Family-Based Green Card Backlogs

F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. CitizensCountryNew Cut-Off DateOld Cut-Off DateMovementAll Other Areas1-Feb-2015-Jun-197.5 MonthsChina1-Feb-2015-Jun-197.5 MonthsIndia1-Feb-2015-Jun-197.5 MonthsMexico1-Dec-081-Dec-08No ChangePhilippines22-Apr-1522-Apr-15No ChangeF-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card HoldersCountryNew Cut-Off DateOld Cut-Off DateMovementAll Other AreasCurrentCurrentNo ChangeChinaCurrentCurrentNo ChangeIndiaCurrentCurrentNo ChangeMexicoCurrentCurrentNo ChangePhilippinesCurrentCurrentNo ChangeF-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card HoldersCountryNew Cut-Off DateOld Cut-Off DateMovementAll Other Areas1-Sep-191-Jan-198 MonthsChina1-Sep-191-Jan-198 MonthsIndia1-Sep-191-Jan-198 MonthsMexico15-May-1015-May-10No ChangePhilippines1-Oct-131-Oct-13No ChangeF-3: Married Children of U.S. CitizensCountryNew Cut-Off DateOld Cut-Off DateMovementAll Other Areas1-Nov-141-Mar-1320 MonthsChina1-Nov-141-Mar-1320 MonthsIndia1-Nov-141-Mar-1320 MonthsMexico15-Jul-0115-Jul-01No ChangePhilippines8-Aug-068-Aug-06No ChangeF-4: Siblings of U.S. CitizensCountryNew Cut-Off DateOld Cut-Off DateMovementAll Other Areas1-Nov-1122-Jun-1016.5 MonthsChina1-Nov-1122-Jun-1016.5 MonthsIndia15-Dec-0615-Dec-06No ChangeMexico30-Apr-0130-Apr-01No ChangePhilippines22-Mar-0822-Mar-08No Change

Visa Bulletin for September 2026

Check the September Visa Bulletin now to see if your priority date is current and you can start your green card application process.

Summary

The U.S. Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for September 2026. This monthly update is important if you're waiting for a green card because it shows how long you might have to wait.

Every month, USCIS announces whether applicants already living in the United States should file their "adjustment of status" applications based on the "Final Action Dates" or the "Dates for Filing." For September, applicants must follow the “Dates for Filing” chart for family-based and "Final Action Dates" for employment-based categories.

Visa Bulletin FAQs at a Glance

What is my priority date? This is usually the date your green card application petition was initially filed. Check your paperwork or consult with an immigration attorney if you’re unsure.

What if my country has a backlog? Some countries have longer wait times than others due to high demand. This means cut-off dates may move slower and sometimes even go backward (this is called retrogression).

How long will I have to wait? Unfortunately, the Visa Bulletin can’t give you an exact answer. The wait time depends on your category and country backlog. It’s helpful to track patterns in your category over multiple months to get a better sense.

The Visa Bulletin can be confusing. We’ve put together a guide to help you understand it and find your priority date: How to Read the Visa Bulletin.

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September 2026 Visa Bulletin Summary

Family-based: September brings significant forward movement in several family-based categories. For most countries, F-1 advances by about 7.5 months, F-2B by eight months, F-3 by 20 months, and F-4 by more than 16 months. Mexico and the Philippines see little to no movement, while F-2A remains current for all countries.

Employment-based: Employment-based categories see little movement in September. EB-4 is the only category to advance, moving forward by two months to Dec. 15, 2022, for all countries. All other employment-based categories remain unchanged from August, with EB-2 India and EB-5 India still unavailable.

If you’re already familiar with those terms, scroll down to our summary of key developments or to the filing category that’s most relevant to you:

Family-based categories

Employment-based categories

Family-Based Green Card Backlogs

F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. Citizens

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Feb-20	15-Jun-19	7.5 Months
China	1-Feb-20	15-Jun-19	7.5 Months
India	1-Feb-20	15-Jun-19	7.5 Months
Mexico	1-Dec-08	1-Dec-08	No Change
Philippines	22-Apr-15	22-Apr-15	No Change

F-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	Current	Current	No Change
China	Current	Current	No Change
India	Current	Current	No Change
Mexico	Current	Current	No Change
Philippines	Current	Current	No Change

F-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card Holders

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Sep-19	1-Jan-19	8 Months
China	1-Sep-19	1-Jan-19	8 Months
India	1-Sep-19	1-Jan-19	8 Months
Mexico	15-May-10	15-May-10	No Change
Philippines	1-Oct-13	1-Oct-13	No Change

F-3: Married Children of U.S. Citizens

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Nov-14	1-Mar-13	20 Months
China	1-Nov-14	1-Mar-13	20 Months
India	1-Nov-14	1-Mar-13	20 Months
Mexico	15-Jul-01	15-Jul-01	No Change
Philippines	8-Aug-06	8-Aug-06	No Change

F-4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Nov-11	22-Jun-10	16.5 Months
China	1-Nov-11	22-Jun-10	16.5 Months
India	15-Dec-06	15-Dec-06	No Change
Mexico	30-Apr-01	30-Apr-01	No Change
Philippines	22-Mar-08	22-Mar-08	No Change

Employment-Based Green Card Backlogs

EB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and Multinational Executives and Managers

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	Current	Current	No Change
China	1-Jul-23	1-Jul-23	No Change
India	15-Oct-22	15-Oct-22	No Change
Mexico	Current	Current	No Change
Philippines	Current	Current	No Change

EB-2: Exceptional People and Advanced Degree Holders

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	Current	Current	No Change
China	1-Sep-21	1-Sep-21	No Change
India	Unavailable	Unavailable	No Change
Mexico	Current	Current	No Change
Philippines	Current	Current	No Change

EB-3: Skilled Worker or Professional

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Sep-24	1-Sep-24	No Change
China	1-Jan-22	1-Jan-22	No Change
India	1-Jan-14	1-Jan-14	No Change
Mexico	1-Sep-24	1-Sep-24	No Change
Philippines	1-Aug-23	1-Aug-23	No Change

EB-3: Other Worker

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Apr-22	1-Apr-22	No Change
China	1-May-19	1-May-19	No Change
India	1-Jan-14	1-Jan-14	No Change
Mexico	1-Apr-22	1-Apr-22	No Change
Philippines	1-Dec-21	1-Dec-21	No Change

EB-4: "Special Immigrants" Category

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	15-Dec-22	15-Oct-22	2 Months
China	15-Dec-22	15-Oct-22	2 Months
India	15-Dec-22	15-Oct-22	2 Months
Mexico	15-Dec-22	15-Oct-22	2 Months
Philippines	15-Dec-22	15-Oct-22	2 Months

EB-5: "Investors" Category

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	Current	Current	No Change
China	1-Dec-16	1-Dec-16	No Change
India	Unavailable	Unavailable	No Change
Mexico	Current	Current	No Change
Philippines	Current	Current	No Change