What the September 2026 visa bulletin means for green cards

The September 2026 visa bulletin brings the biggest green card gains to family-sponsored applicants, with India seeing major advances in F1, F2A, F2B and F3, while employment-based categories offer little relief. As the final month of fiscal year 2026, it also warns EB-1 India, EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 could tighten further before visa numbers reset October 1.

The U.S. Department of State published the September 2026 visa bulletin as the last allocation update before fiscal year 2026 ends on September 30. The document sets cutoff dates that determine when family-sponsored and employment-based green card applicants may advance their cases.

Key Takeaways

• Family-sponsored categories, especially for Indian applicants, saw significant final-action and filing-date advances in F1, F2A, F2B and F3.
• Employment-based applicants from India saw almost no movement; EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 remain unavailable, and EB-3 is stuck at January 1, 2014.
• September is the final fiscal-year bulletin, and the State Department warned EB-1 India, EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 could face retrogression or become unavailable before September 30.
• Applicants must check both the bulletin and USCIS's chart selection; as of August 22, USCIS had not posted which chart applies for September filings.
• Fresh employment-based numbers for categories like EB-2 and EB-5 are expected when the October 2026 bulletin arrives after the fiscal-year reset.

What Changed in the September 2026 Visa Bulletin?

The bulletin contains two charts applicants must understand. Final Action Dates determine when a visa number may actually be issued. Dates for Filing can allow earlier document submission when USCIS authorizes that chart.

An applicant's priority date must be earlier than the listed cutoff. "Current" means no cutoff applies, while "Unavailable" means no visa numbers are authorized in that category.

For India, family-sponsored final-action dates moved notably. F1 advanced to January 22, 2020, from December 15, 2018. F2A moved to August 22, 2026, from July 22, 2026, and is current in the filing chart. F2B reached August 22, 2019, from January 1, 2018, and F3 advanced to October 22, 2014, from May 15, 2012. F4 for India remained unchanged at November 1, 2006.

Which Green Card Applicants Benefit Most?

Family-based applicants gained the clearest relief. F2A, covering spouses and children of lawful permanent residents, remains among the most favorable categories, with a September final-action date of August 22, 2026, for most countries including India, China and the Philippines.

Filing dates also improved across several family categories for India. F1 moved to February 1, 2020, F2B to September 1, 2019, and F3 to November 1, 2014. Spouses and minor children in F2A can file while the category stays current, but only if USCIS permits use of the Dates for Filing chart for September.

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Why Are Employment-Based Categories Still Stalled?

Employment-based movement was limited. For India, EB-1 final action stayed at October 15, 2022, EB-2 remained unavailable for a third consecutive month after the annual limit was exhausted, and EB-3 held at January 1, 2014. That category is the path many H-1B holders use toward permanent residency.

Unreserved EB-5 is also unavailable for India, though rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure set-aside EB-5 categories remain current. EB-4 advanced modestly to December 15, 2022, from October 15, 2022. Employment filing dates were unchanged across all categories.

The State Department said high demand could force EB-1 India to become unavailable before the fiscal year ends. It issued broader warnings that EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 final-action dates may retrogress or categories may become temporarily unavailable if visa use hits fiscal year 2026 limits. Full details are in the official Newsweek breakdown of the September bulletin.

What Should Applicants Do Before September 30?

Anyone filing for adjustment of status must confirm which chart USCIS designates for September before submitting. As of August 22, that announcement had not yet been posted.

Applicants in EB-1 India, EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 should monitor for late-month changes, because published dates may not hold through September 30. The department also noted it had advanced several dates in recent months after visa issuance declined for some nationals because of administration actions affecting processing, and cautioned dates could move backward again if demand rises.

The October bulletin, arriving after the fiscal-year reset, is expected to bring fresh numbers for categories such as EB-2 and EB-5 for Indian applicants. Until then, family-sponsored filers with newly current priority dates have the clearest path forward in the September 2026 visa bulletin.