September 2026 Visa Bulletin: Huge Movement for Family Green Cards

VisaNation’s legal team provides timely updates on the latest USCIS visa bulletin, analyzes movements in filing and final action dates, and predicts upcoming movements in priority dates. This month, we’ll go over the September 2026 visa bulletin.

For more information on how to read the bulletin, scroll to the bottom of the post or view the Table of Contents.

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September 2026 Visa Bulletin: Overview

The Department of State’s September 2026 visa bulletin – the final bulletin of Fiscal Year 2026 – is quiet on its face and consequential underneath on the employment-based side. Although only one employment-based category moved, the surrounding text tells practitioners far more than the charts do. On the family side, the September 2026 visa bulletin witnessed significant movement across multiple categories.

Family-Based Updates

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin brings a welcome surge of progress for family-sponsored visa applicants, showing significant movement as the Department of State exhausts the annual limits with the conclusion of the fiscal year. 

• F3 final action dates advanced by over 2 years and 5 months to Oct 22, 2014 and F4 final action dates surged by over 2 years and 1 month for Worldwide, China, and India.
• F2B final action dates advanced by 1 year and 7.5 months, and F1 gained 1 year and 1 month for the same regions.
• F2A final action dates advanced steadily by 1 month across all chargeability areas (to Aug 22, 2026 / Aug 22, 2025 for Mexico).
• Mexico & Philippines stayed quiet, with Mexico only seeing a 1-month gain in F1 and F2A final action dates. The Philippines saw a 21-day push in F4 and 1 month in F2A final action dates, with all other categories flatlining.

Employment-Based Updates

The only Final Action Date movement on the employment-based side is EB-4 (Certain Special Immigrants) and Certain Religious Workers, which advanced from October 15, 2022 to December 15, 2022 across all chargeability areas. A two-month worldwide advance in the last month of the fiscal year signals that DOS has unused EB-4 numbers and is pushing to issue them before September 30.

What Didn’t Move

Every other Final Action Date is frozen from August. The Dates for Filing chart is unchanged line-for-line from August:

• EB-1 India/China at December 1, 2023
• EB-2 India at January 15, 2015
• EB-2/EB-3 ROW Current
• and EB-5 set-aside categories Current across the board.

The Real News Is in the Fine Print

1. The government officially set the total limit for employment-based green cards at 186,317 for Fiscal Year 2026. The August bulletin recited only the minimum baseline of “at least 140,000.” September confirms the actual annual limit at 186,317 – roughly 46,000 visas above the floor. The bonus ~46,000 visas exist because unused family-sponsored green cards from Fiscal Year 2025 automatically rolled over into the employment-based pool rather than going to waste.

The per-country limit is correspondingly fixed at 28,862 (29,136 counting EB-5 carryover). This elevated ceiling is what has allowed the aggressive forward movement we saw across EB categories earlier this year.

2. A new EB-5 warning appeared. September adds a section absent from August: DOS may retrogress or make the EB-5 unreserved category Unavailable before the fiscal year ends. When the Visa Office adds a category-specific warning in the final month, it is rarely precautionary boilerplate. Investors relying on Current ROW availability should treat the remaining weeks as uncertain.

3. The EB-1 India and EB-2 warnings carried over verbatim. EB-1 India remains at risk of going Unavailable before September 30 if India’s pro-rated limit is reached. EB-2 India, already Unavailable since earlier this summer, will remain unavailable through the end of the fiscal year.

Our Predictions For October and FY2027

EB-2 India reopens in October. The current “U” reflects annual-limit exhaustion, not a demand-driven retrogression. October 1 resets the counter with FY2027 numbers, and we expect DOS to publish a date – likely a conservative one near the category’s early-summer 2026 posture – rather than carry the unavailability forward.

EB-1 India: watch the next two weeks. If issuance pace holds, an Unavailable designation before September 30 is a live possibility. Cases at the National Visa Center or with pending adjustments should be documentarily complete now; there is no action to take once the category goes unavailable except to wait for October.

The EB-4 advance is a year-end artifact. Expect the October bulletin to hold or modestly retreat rather than continue at a two-month monthly pace.

FY2027 could see another elevated limit. If FY2026 family-sponsored issuance again runs below its 226,000 cap – and the bulletin’s own language about depressed issuance rates suggests it will – the FY2027 employment-based ceiling will again exceed the 140,000 floor, potentially substantially. Employers planning PERM and I-140 timelines should factor in a second consecutive year of above-baseline number availability, tempered by the administration-driven issuance slowdowns the bulletin itself acknowledges.

Mid-September is the date to watch. USCIS will announce whether October adjustment-of-status filings may use the Dates for Filing chart, which could allow thousands of employment-based green card applicants to submit their final paperwork months or years earlier than usual.

Indian professionals in the EB-2 category with priority dates (their place in line) between 2012 and 2014 will see the biggest benefit, as long as the cutoff date on the filing chart remains locked at January 15, 2015.

What Clients Should Do Now

• Adjustment applicants with current priority dates: file before any retrogression; September availability is not guaranteed through month-end.
• EB-5 investors (ROW): treat the current status as temporary given the new warning.
• EB-2 India beneficiaries: prepare adjustment packages now so they are ready the day October availability is announced.
• Employers: budget FY2027 green-card strategy around a second year of elevated numbers, but with volatility on the issuance side.

This analysis is general information, not legal advice. Contact our office to discuss your specific case.

Family-Based Dates for Filing Charts

*The numbers in the brackets designate the amount of movement in the filing date for that particular category compared to the previous month. If there’s no bracket below certain dates, there is no movement for those dates/categories in the latest visa bulletin.

Family-Based Final Action Dates Chart

*The numbers in the brackets designate the amount of movement in the final action date for that particular category compared to the previous month. If there’s no bracket below certain dates, there is no movement for those dates/categories in the latest visa bulletin.

Employment-Based Green Cards

With five different preference levels and seven chargeability areas, USCIS issues employment-based category visas through your job or occupation. The chargeability areas are China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador), Vietnam, and the general category.

Employment-Based Dates: Final Action Dates

Mexico tracks Rest of World in all employment categories, and the EB-5 set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, infrastructure) remain Current worldwide.

Employment-Based Dates for Filing Chart

The Dates for Filing chart is essentially unchanged, with only EB-3 China inching forward one week to 08JAN22.

*The numbers in the brackets designate the amount of movement in the final action date for that particular category compared to the previous month. If there’s no bracket below certain dates, there is no movement for those dates/categories in the latest visa bulletin.

Questions about your Case?

Visa bulletin movement affects every case differently depending on your category, country of chargeability, and priority date. If you are unsure whether you can file now – or how to position your case for October – contact VisaNation Law Group to review your options before the window moves.

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Adjustment of Status (AOS) Filing Guidance

For Adjustment of Status (AOS) filings, USCIS has confirmed:

• Family-sponsored categories: You must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for September 2026.
• Employment-based categories:  You must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for September 2026.

Final Action vs. Filing Dates:

It’s important to differentiate between the final action dates (when a visa can be issued) and the filing dates (when an application can be submitted). This will help applicants understand their current status and next steps.

The Final Action Dates chart determines when an I-485 adjustment of status application can be approved (adjudicated) and your green card issued, while the Dates for Filing Chart determines when you can submit your I-485 Adjustment of Status application.

Here is why this distinction is critical for our clients:

For individuals with a pending Adjustment of Status (AOS) application, we stress that their priority date must be current under the Final Action Chart for their green card to be approved.

This is also where advanced strategies like interfiling, a process that allows AOS applicants to change their preference category, become a key topic. Interfiling is a process our attorneys use to move a client’s pending AOS application from one preference category to a more favorable one (e.g., from EB-3 to EB-2) to take advantage of a more current Final Action Date. This is a complex legal decision, and we recommend contacting VisaNation Law Group to determine if it is the right strategy for your specific case.

As the fiscal year progresses, demand fluctuations and potential “retrogressions” remain possible. Our firm doesn’t just monitor these trends; we actively analyze them to provide projections as new information becomes available. We encourage all applicants to stay informed and prepared for potential adjustments in the coming months.

Family-Based Green Cards

The category for family-based immigration comprises four preference levels based on who your sponsoring family member is in relation to you. They include:

• F1: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.
• F2A: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents
• F2B: Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation.
• F3: Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens
• F4: Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens

There are five chargeability areas for this category: China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and “All Other Chargeability Areas.” Your country of chargeability is where you were born.

Important September 2026 Visa Bulletin Dates

For those new to the green card process, our law firm recommends learning a few terms and dates to understand the rest of this visa bulletin report. If you have further questions about the process or anything else about your green card, you should consult with your immigration attorney.

Priority Dates

Each person who files a petition with the USCIS receives a priority date when the government receives their petition. A priority date establishes a person’s place in line to get an immigrant visa. Keep this date handy, since you will need it to compare with the dates in this bulletin. Remember that your priority date does not move, and you cannot change it except under certain circumstances.

Note: Priority dates are not relevant for immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens (e.g., spouses or minor children) as that category is always current.

Final Action Dates

Final action dates are based on the green card category and the chargeability area – your country of origin. Therefore, the final action dates constantly change based on how many people from each chargeability area have petitioned for that green card.

If green cards are still available, the final action date will likely move closer to your priority date. If green cards are unavailable, you will not see any movement from that final action date. However, if the limit has passed, you may see the date retrogress or move backward from your priority date.

Once the final action date in your green card preference level and chargeability area reaches your priority date, your priority date will be considered current. Once current, you will adjust your status or go through consular processing.

Date for Filing Charts and I-485

You’ll notice there are two charts for each category.

1. The Date for Filing chart determines whether or not one can submit the final immigrant visa application.
2. The Final Action Date chart indicates whether an immigrant visa number will be available.

USCIS announces which chart applicants can use within a week of the visa bulletin’s release.

Can You Shorten Your Waiting Time?

The short answer is: probably not. However, there are two prominent cases in which you may be able to shorten your green card processing time, which we will explain here.

1. The first way is to file an I-140 for a green card category that has a current priority date. In this case, your green card can begin processing immediately, and you can even pay an additional fee for premium processing, which will shorten the processing time to 15 business days. However, this is only available for certain green cards that use the I-140.
2. The second situation involves green card “porting,” or transferring your application from a lower preference level (EB-3) to a higher one (EB-2) to take advantage of the shorter waiting times. This is misleading because you don’t port your green card. In reality, you need to start with a new petition (and a new PERM if necessary). The “porting” aspect only comes in when you indicate that you want to retain your original priority date.

As attractive as “porting” might seem, it is a delicate process with particular requirements. Therefore, we recommend running complex decisions like this through your immigration attorney.

Staying Up-to-Date

In the world of immigration law, it always pays to be informed. The more you know about your green card, the easier it will be to make informed decisions about your case. To stay in the know about things like the newest visa bulletin, follow the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin.