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The October 2026 Visa Bulletin is out, opening a new fiscal year with a fresh supply of green cards, and this one brings a lot of movement. USCIS will use Chart B (Dates for Filing) for employment-based green card filings in October, after months of using Chart A (Final Action Dates).
For October, USCIS will accept employment-based Form I-485 applications based on Chart B, the Dates for Filing chart. If your priority date is earlier than the Chart B date for your category and country, you can file your green card application this month. Your case can only be approved once your date is also current on Chart A.
Because September filings ran on Chart A, the useful comparison is September's Chart A against October's Chart B. That shows how the filing cutoff actually changed:
EB-1 remains current for Worldwide, Mexico and the Philippines.
As always, if you are current under Chart B, do not sit on your green card application. USCIS decides which chart applies each month, and November could go back to Chart A.
Chart A controls when a green card can actually be approved.
Compared with September's Chart A, EB-1 India advances to February 1, 2023, and EB-2 India returns at November 1, 2013. Worldwide, Mexico and Philippines EB-2 retrogress from Current to January 1, 2025. Worldwide and Mexico EB-3 retrogress from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.
Chart B is the chart USCIS is using for employment-based filings this month.
EB-2 India is open again. After three months with no dates, Indian-born EB-2 applicants with a priority date before January 15, 2015 can file their green card applications this month. On Chart A, EB-2 India returns at November 1, 2013, so approvals can resume for earlier priority dates.
EB-3 India has the same January 15, 2015 filing date, so there is no advantage to switching categories right now. EB-1 India also jumps about 20 months on Chart B, to July 1, 2024.
On Chart B, China EB-3 (April 1, 2024) is 15 months ahead of China EB-2 (January 1, 2023). That may help you if you:
Using the same PERM, you can file a new EB-3 I-140 (known as a downgrade) and submit your green card application with it this month. Your case still won't be approved until your date is current on Chart A, where China EB-3 sits at January 8, 2022. But having your application on file means you can apply for a work permit and travel document while you wait, and it may help protect children who are close to aging out.
This option is not available for EB-2 NIW cases, because a downgrade to EB-3 requires a PERM labor certification.
For Worldwide applicants, EB-2 is now the faster way to file. On Chart B, EB-2 (March 15, 2026) is more than a year and a half ahead of EB-3 (August 1, 2024). The same is true for Mexico. For the Philippines, EB-2 (March 15, 2026) is ahead of EB-3 (January 1, 2024) as well.
The State Department says it moved some Worldwide dates back to avoid running out of green cards too early in the year. On Chart A, Worldwide EB-2 is now January 1, 2025 and Worldwide EB-3 is May 15, 2024.
Travel restrictions. Over the past year, travel restrictions paused immigrant visas for nationals of many countries, which helped dates move faster for everyone else. A federal court struck down that pause in August, and those applicants are back in line. We would not expect dates to move as quickly after this month.
The annual limit. Each year, there are at least 140,000 employment-based green cards, plus any family-based green cards that went unused the year before. In FY2026, those extra green cards brought the total to 186,317, which helped dates move forward. The FY2027 number has not been announced yet. If it is close to 140,000, expect dates to move more slowly. But the travel restrictions may have left many family-based green cards unused, which could mean more employment-based green cards this year and faster movement.
Now is the time to check priority dates across your sponsored workforce against Chart B, identify who can file this month, and get I-485 packages ready. Flag China-born employees with approved PERM-based EB-2 I-140s for a downgrade review. Applications already on file stay pending through retrogression, but they cannot be approved until the Chart A date passes the priority date.
At Casium, we help employers track priority dates across every sponsored employee and flag who can file as soon as a new bulletin is published. If your team is planning October filings, talk to us.
This post is for general information and is not legal advice. Talk to an immigration attorney about your specific case.
Chart B, the Dates for Filing chart. After months of using Chart A (Final Action Dates), USCIS will accept employment-based Form I-485 applications under Chart B in October 2026. If your priority date is earlier than the Chart B date for your category and country, you can file this month, though your case can only be approved once your date is current on Chart A. USCIS decides which chart applies each month, and November could go back to Chart A.
Yes. EB-2 India was listed as unavailable in September 2026. With new FY 2027 numbers, the October bulletin sets the EB-2 India final action date at November 1, 2013, so approvals can resume for priority dates before that date. The EB-2 India Dates for Filing cutoff is unchanged at January 15, 2015.
Possibly. On Chart B, China EB-3 (April 1, 2024) is 15 months ahead of China EB-2 (January 1, 2023). If you were born in China, have an approved PERM-based EB-2 I-140, have a priority date between January 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024, and have not filed your green card application, you can file a new EB-3 I-140 using the same PERM and submit your I-485 with it this month. Approval still waits for Chart A, but filing lets you apply for a work permit and travel document and may help protect children close to aging out. This option is not available for EB-2 NIW cases.
If you are chargeable to All Chargeability, Mexico or the Philippines and your priority date is before March 15, 2026, yes. The EB-2 Dates for Filing cutoff for those areas is March 15, 2026, and USCIS is honoring that chart in October. You can file Form I-485 and apply for work and travel authorization while you wait, but final approval requires a priority date before the January 1, 2025 final action date.
The State Department says the retrogressions are necessary to keep visa issuance within FY 2027 quarterly and annual limits. EB-2 final action for All Chargeability, Mexico and the Philippines moved from Current to January 1, 2025. EB-3 final action for All Chargeability and Mexico moved from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024. Pending applications stay pending, but they cannot be approved until the final action date passes the applicant's priority date.
Probably not at the same pace. Last year, travel restrictions paused immigrant visas for many countries, which helped dates move faster for everyone else. A federal court struck down that pause in August 2026, and those applicants are back in line. The FY2027 employment-based limit has also not been announced. It is at least 140,000 plus unused family-based numbers from the prior year, and FY2026 reached 186,317. A limit close to 140,000 would mean slower movement, while a large number of unused family-based visas could mean faster movement.
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