September 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB Frozen, Family Surges

Updated August 27, 2026. The State Department’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin — the last of fiscal year 2026 — freezes almost every employment-based category: only EB-4 moves, advancing two months to December 15, 2022. EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India remain unavailable, and the State Department warns that EB-1 India, worldwide EB-2, and EB-5 unreserved could all go unavailable before September 30. The real movement is on the family side: F3 jumps 2 years 5 months, F4 gains 2 years 1 month, and F2B advances 1 year 7 months. Everything resets on October 1, when FY2027’s fresh visa numbers arrive.

September 2026 final action dates: employment-based

These are the Final Action Dates (Chart A) — the cutoffs that determine whether a green card can actually be approved in September. Your priority date must be earlier than the listed date.

The employment-based Dates for Filing chart is unchanged from August across every category and country.

Why almost nothing moved — and why that was expected

September is the final month of the government’s fiscal year, and the annual visa supply is nearly spent. The State Department set the FY2026 worldwide employment-based limit at 186,317 — unusually high compared with 150,037 in FY2025 and 160,791 in FY2024 — but sustained demand has consumed it. When numbers run low, the Department stops advancing dates; when a category’s annual or per-country limit is actually reached, it flips to “unavailable” and no visas can be issued at all until the new fiscal year.

That is exactly what happened to EB-2 India earlier this year, as we covered in our August 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis — and it stays unavailable through September 30.

The three warnings buried in the bulletin

The Department explicitly flags three categories that may shut down before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026:

• EB-1 India — high demand may exhaust India’s pro-rated share “in the coming weeks.”
• EB-2 (worldwide) — sustained demand and heavy number use may force retrogression or unavailability for all countries, not just India.
• EB-5 unreserved — same warning: possible retrogression or unavailability before September 30.

Practical takeaway: if your priority date is current under the September chart and your case is otherwise ready — medical exam, documents, fees — file as early in the month as possible. A category that goes unavailable mid-month stops approvals immediately, and availability only resumes with the October bulletin.

Family-based categories: the quiet winners

While employment categories idle, family preference dates made their biggest advances of the year (Final Action chart):

Mexico and the Philippines move on their own tracks (F4 Philippines advanced three weeks to August 22, 2007). The Dates for Filing chart also jumped: F3 gained 1 year 8 months to November 1, 2014, and F4 gained 1 year 4 months to November 1, 2011 — meaning many more families can now submit documents to the National Visa Center and get in line.

Why the surge? The Department notes that visa issuance rates for some countries have fallen amid recent administration actions, so it advanced family dates aggressively to use FY2026’s numbers before they expire. It also cautions the opposite risk: if demand materializes faster than expected, some of these dates could retrogress in the new fiscal year.

Which chart can you use in September?

Per USCIS’s adjustment-of-status chart announcement for September 2026:

• Employment-based I-485 filings: the Final Action Dates chart (the table above).
• Family-based I-485 filings: the more generous Dates for Filing chart.

Always confirm the current month’s chart on the USCIS Visa Bulletin page before filing — the agency decides this month by month. If you’re preparing a filing, our I-485 adjustment of status guide walks through the full package.

What to expect from the October 2026 bulletin

The October bulletin — usually published in the second week of September — opens fiscal year 2027 with a fresh annual allocation. Historically, the first bulletin of a fiscal year restores availability to categories that ended the prior year “unavailable,” which means EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India should reopen in October, though possibly with cutoff dates rather than meaningful forward movement. Where exactly EB-2 India lands will depend on how the Department manages the enormous accumulated demand; nobody outside the Department knows the date until publication, and prediction threads are guesses.

If you’re weighing your options while stuck in the EB-2 backlog, two strategies worth understanding are the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (a self-petition that shares the same queue but frees you from employer sponsorship) and the EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade, which occasionally pays off when EB-3 dates run ahead of EB-2.

Frequently asked questions

When will EB-2 India become available again?

Almost certainly on October 1, 2026, when fiscal year 2027 begins and a new annual visa allocation arrives. The October bulletin (published around mid-September) will show the new cutoff date. Reopening does not mean fast movement — the backlog remains severe.

Did any employment-based category advance in September 2026?

Only EB-4, which moved forward two months to December 15, 2022 for all countries. EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 final action dates are all unchanged from August.

Which Visa Bulletin chart does USCIS use in September 2026?

Employment-based adjustment applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart; family-based applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart. Confirm on the USCIS website before filing.

Why might EB-1 India, EB-2, and EB-5 go unavailable before September 30?

Annual and per-country limits are nearly exhausted. The State Department warns that if remaining demand uses up the numbers, those categories will show “unavailable” until October 1, when FY2027 numbers become available.

What were the biggest family-based advances in September 2026?

F3 (married children of US citizens) advanced 2 years 5 months to October 22, 2014; F4 (siblings) advanced 2 years 1 month to October 22, 2011; and F2B advanced 1 year 7 months to August 22, 2019 — the largest family movement of the fiscal year.

What was the FY2026 employment-based visa limit?

186,317 worldwide — one of the highest on record, compared with 150,037 in FY2025 and 160,791 in FY2024. Unused family numbers from the prior year drive the employment limit up.

This is general information, not legal advice — consult an immigration attorney for your case. Priority dates change monthly; figures above reflect the September 2026 Visa Bulletin as published by the U.S. Department of State and were verified on August 27, 2026 against the bulletin and analyses by Fragomen and Murthy Law Firm. Sources: travel.state.gov Visa Bulletin, USCIS visa availability & priority dates.