Visa Bulletin September 2026: What Changed and What It Means for You

Understanding the September 2026 Visa Bulletin

Every month, the U.S. Department of State releases the Visa Bulletin, an essential guide that tells immigrant visa applicants when they can move forward with their green card applications. The bulletin sets priority dates that determine visa availability in family-sponsored and employment-based categories. For those navigating the immigration process, understanding these dates is critical. In this post, we’ll break down the key updates in the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, helping you understand what the changes mean for your case.

Family-Based Visa Bulletin Changes

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin shows significant advances in many family-sponsored categories, especially in the Final Action Dates (Chart A), which dictate when applicants can actually receive their green cards. Notably, the F1 category for unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens has moved forward substantially for several countries. For example, applicants from India, China, and the Rest of the World category saw their dates move from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020, a jump of over 400 days. Mexico’s F1 category also advanced by about a month.

Additionally, the F2A category, which covers spouses and children of permanent residents, advanced by 31 days across multiple countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, India, and China. This means that applicants in these categories are closer to becoming eligible to receive their green cards. The F2B category, for unmarried sons and daughters over 21 of permanent residents, saw even more dramatic progress. Final Action Dates advanced by more than a year and a half for India, China, and other countries.

Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (F3) and brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens (F4) also experienced notable advancements. For instance, F3 categories for India, China, and the Rest of the World moved forward by over two years. Similarly, F4 categories for China and the Rest of the World advanced by more than two years. These changes mean many long-waiting family members can expect to move closer to receiving their green cards in the coming months.

Employment-Based Visa Bulletin Changes

In the employment-based categories, the advancements were mostly seen in the EB-4 category, which includes special immigrants such as religious workers and certain other groups. The Final Action Dates for EB-4 advanced by 61 days across all listed countries including India, Mexico, the Philippines, China, and the Rest of the World. This steady movement helps those in these categories progress toward their green cards sooner.

However, there were no changes reported in the EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 categories for this month. These categories typically impact the largest number of applicants seeking employment-based green cards, so stability here means applicants should expect no immediate change in visa availability. Similarly, there were no updates on EB-5 investor visas this month.

What This Means For You

If you are tracking your priority date in a family-sponsored category, the advancement of Final Action Dates means you may soon become eligible to receive your green card or adjust your status. For example, if your priority date is now earlier than the new Final Action Date for your category and country, you can prepare to move forward with your application. The corresponding movement in Dates for Filing (Chart B) also allows more applicants to submit their paperwork earlier, which can speed up processing times.

For employment-based applicants, the lack of change in EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 means patience is still required, but the progress in EB-4 is encouraging for those special immigrant categories. Keep in mind that USCIS decides each month whether to use the Final Action Dates (Chart A) or Dates for Filing (Chart B) to accept green card applications. Staying informed about which chart is in use will help you know when to take action.