Every month the U.S. Department of State publishes something called the Visa Bulletin. It looks like a wall of tables and abbreviations, but for the millions of people waiting in line for a Green Card it answers exactly one question. Is it my turn yet?
The September 2026 edition matters more than most, because September is the last month of the U.S. fiscal year. FY-2026 closes on September 30, and on October 1 a brand new set of visa numbers becomes available. That makes September both a last chance and a month where categories can shut down without much warning.
Two Concepts You Need First
The bulletin contains two different kinds of dates, and almost all confusion comes from mixing them up.
Dates for Filing: This tells you when you may open your Green Card case and start submitting paperwork. It is permission to gather your documents and get them into the system. This is the first step of the process.
Final Action Dates: This is when the Green Card can actually be approved. Even with a complete file, the real approval and visa issuance depend on this date. This is the last step of the process.
A simple analogy. Dates for Filing is the moment you join the queue and hand over your paperwork. Final Action Dates is the moment your name is called and the card is placed in your hand.
What Is a Priority Date?
To read the tables you need to know your own priority date. This is the date your petition was officially accepted for processing, and it fixes your place in line. The rule is simple.
If your priority date is earlier than the date shown in the table, your turn has arrived.
You will also see two letters in the tables.
C (Current): The category is current. Everyone can move forward regardless of priority date.
U (Unavailable): No visa numbers exist for that month, so nothing can move.
Which Column Applies to You?
Each table has five columns. One for “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” then separate columns for China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines. Those four are broken out because demand from them exceeds their country limits.
If you were born anywhere other than those four countries, you read the first column. As a general rule your country of birth decides this, not your citizenship. Spouses can sometimes use cross chargeability to claim a better column through the other spouse’s country of birth, but that is a separate topic.
One more thing worth knowing. The September tables reflect demand reported through August 10, 2026. They are a snapshot of that day, not a live feed.
Family-Sponsored Categories
A quick reminder of who belongs where.
F1: Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens
F2A: Spouses and minor children of Green Card holders
F2B: Unmarried children over 21 of Green Card holders
F3: Married children of U.S. citizens
F4: Siblings of adult U.S. citizens
Final Action Dates
| Category | All Other Countries | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 22 Jan 2020 | 22 Jan 2020 | 22 Jan 2020 | 01 Jan 2008 | 01 May 2013 |
| F2A | 22 Aug 2026 | 22 Aug 2026 | 22 Aug 2026 | 22 Aug 2025 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| F2B | 22 Aug 2019 | 22 Aug 2019 | 22 Aug 2019 | 15 Feb 2009 | 01 Jun 2013 |
| F3 | 22 Oct 2014 | 22 Oct 2014 | 22 Oct 2014 | 01 Jul 2001 | 22 Feb 2006 |
| F4 | 22 Oct 2011 | 22 Oct 2011 | 01 Nov 2006 | 08 Apr 2001 | 22 Aug 2007 |
Visa numbers are authorized only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the date shown in the table. Your country of birth determines which column applies. Source, U.S. Department of State September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
Why the F2A Row Stands Out?
The most striking line in the table is F2A, the category for spouses and minor children of Green Card holders. The date shown is August 22, 2026, which is only days ago.
In practice that means your case can be reached even if the petition was filed only a year or two back. The category is not formally marked “C,” but it is functionally very close. The one exception is Mexico, which sits a full year behind at August 22, 2025.
So why is Mexico behind?
The answer hides in a footnote. Most F2A numbers are exempt from the per-country limit, and those exempt numbers go to the oldest cases in line, meaning priority dates before August 22, 2025. The remaining numbers, the ones subject to the country cap, have been opened up to newer cases dated between August 22, 2025 and August 22, 2026. Mexico cannot draw from that second pool, because every F2A number allotted to Mexico comes from the exempt pool. That is why Mexico’s date stops at August 22, 2025.
The short version. Outside of Mexico, F2A is very nearly wide open.
What the Other Rows Say?
The rest of the table is a familiar picture. F3 involves roughly a twelve year wait and F4 roughly fifteen. For Mexico and the Philippines the wait is far longer. In F4, Mexico is still working through petitions filed in 2001, which is a queue approaching twenty five years.
Dates for Filing
| Category | All Other Countries | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01 Feb 2020 | 01 Feb 2020 | 01 Feb 2020 | 01 Dec 2008 | 22 Apr 2015 |
| F2A | C | C | C | C | C |
| F2B | 01 Sep 2019 | 01 Sep 2019 | 01 Sep 2019 | 15 May 2010 | 01 Oct 2013 |
| F3 | 01 Nov 2014 | 01 Nov 2014 | 01 Nov 2014 | 15 Jul 2001 | 08 Aug 2006 |
| F4 | 01 Nov 2011 | 01 Nov 2011 | 15 Dec 2006 | 30 Apr 2001 | 22 Mar 2008 |
This table shows when you may open your case and begin submitting documents, not when it can be approved. Only applicants whose priority date is earlier than the listed date may file. C means the category is current, so anyone may file regardless of priority date. Your country of birth determines which column applies. Source, U.S. Department of State September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
F2A is “C” for every country here. At the document preparation stage there is no priority date barrier at all, so anyone in that category can open a file.
Employment-Based Categories
The lineup looks like this.
EB-1: Priority workers, meaning people of extraordinary ability, multinational executives and outstanding researchers
EB-2: Advanced degree holders and people of exceptional ability. National Interest Waiver cases sit here
EB-3: Skilled workers and professionals
Other Workers: Unskilled labor, a sub-branch of EB-3
EB-4: Certain special immigrants, including religious workers
EB-5: Investor visas
Final Action Dates
| Category | All Other Countries | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01 Jul 2023 | 15 Oct 2022 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01 Sep 2021 | U | C | C |
| EB-3 | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Jan 2022 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Aug 2023 |
| Other Workers | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 May 2019 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 Dec 2021 |
| EB-4 incl. religious workers | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 |
| EB-5 unreserved | C | 01 Dec 2016 | U | C | C |
| EB-5 Rural 20% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 High Unemployment 10% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 Infrastructure 2% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
This table shows the date on which a Green Card can actually be approved. Numbers are authorized only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the listed date. C means the category is current, and U means no visa numbers are available that month. Your country of birth determines which column applies. Source, U.S. Department of State September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
For most countries this table is comfortable. EB-1, EB-2 and all EB-5 categories are “C,” meaning approval is possible no matter your priority date. The only real wait is EB-3, where cases with a priority date before September 1, 2024 are being processed, roughly a two year queue.
India has two red flags. EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 are completely shut for September. India’s annual country cap is exhausted, so no visa numbers will be issued in those two categories until the fiscal year ends. The line should start moving again on October 1 when fresh numbers open up.
Dates for Filing
| Category | All Other Countries | China (mainland born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01 Dec 2023 | 01 Dec 2023 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01 Jan 2022 | 15 Jan 2015 | C | C |
| EB-3 | C | 08 Jan 2022 | 15 Jan 2015 | C | 01 Jan 2024 |
| Other Workers | 01 Aug 2022 | 01 Oct 2019 | 15 Jan 2015 | 01 Aug 2022 | 01 Aug 2022 |
| EB-4 incl. religious workers | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 | 01 Jan 2023 |
| EB-5 unreserved | C | 01 Mar 2017 | 01 May 2024 | C | C |
| EB-5 Rural 20% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 High Unemployment 10% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 Infrastructure 2% set-aside | C | C | C | C | C |
This table shows when you may open your case and begin submitting documents, not when it can be approved. Only applicants whose priority date is earlier than the listed date may file. C means the category is current, so anyone may file regardless of priority date. Your country of birth determines which column applies. Source, U.S. Department of State September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
Notice one detail. For India, EB-5 shows “U” in the approval table but May 1, 2024 here. Documents can be prepared, but no approval can be granted. This is the clearest illustration of what separates the two tables.
Which Table Do I Use?
This is the single most asked question about the bulletin. If you are adjusting status inside the United States with Form I-485, the Final Action Dates table applies by default. USCIS may separately announce that the Dates for Filing table can be used in a given month.
You check that here: uscis.gov/visabulletininfo
If you are going through a consulate abroad, the National Visa Center will contact you based on the Dates for Filing table anyway.
The Diversity Visa Lottery in September
| Region | Cut-Off Number | Countries Listed Separately |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 101,250 | Algeria 85,000 Egypt 50,000 |
| Asia | 40,000 | Nepal 13,500 |
| Europe | 47,500 | — |
| North America (Bahamas) | Current | — |
| Oceania | 3,000 | — |
| South America and the Caribbean | 4,750 | — |
Visas are available only to applicants whose regional case number is below the figure shown for their region. DV-2026 eligibility ends on September 30, 2026, and numbers may run out before that date. Source, U.S. Department of State September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
If your regional case number falls below the figure for your region, you can move forward in September.
The critical warning here concerns time. DV eligibility ends with the fiscal year, and the final day for DV-2026 is September 30, 2026. No visas can be issued to DV-2026 selectees after that date, and the same cut-off applies to accompanying spouses and children.
The bulletin is blunt about it, numbers may run out before September 30 arrives. Assuming you have until the end of the month is a risky bet.
The annual limit is worth noting too. After NACARA and NDAA reductions, DV-2026 dropped from 55,000 to 52,101.
The Warnings, and Why Dates Might Move Backward
The most important part of this bulletin is not the tables. It is the notes at the end.
Visa issuance dropped in FY 2026: The bulletin attributes this to two things. Policies put in place since January 2025, and consulates operating on a limited or suspended basis because of global events.
That is why the dates jumped forward so fast: To use up the available numbers, the State Department pushed dates aggressively ahead across many categories in recent months. So the favorable dates you see are not a sign of abundance. They are an attempt to generate enough applicants.
And retrogression may follow: The bulletin says so directly. If demand comes in heavier than expected, dates can be pulled back in the coming weeks, and categories can be declared “Unavailable” before the fiscal year ends.
Three categories got their own warning sections.
EB-1 India: Demand is high. If the country cap fills, the category may be closed in the coming weeks.
EB-2 overall: Demand and usage have risen. The date may retrogress or the category may close.
EB-5: Same risk applies.
The practical takeaway is simple. If your turn has come, do not sit on it. A date in the bulletin is not a guarantee. It is a photograph of one moment.
FY-2026 by the Numbers
Worldwide family-sponsored limit — 226,000
Worldwide employment-based limit — 186,317
Per-country limit at 7 percent — 28,862, rising to 29,136 with EB-5 carryover provisions
Dependent area limit at 2 percent — 8,247, rising to 8,325 with carryover
That 7 percent country cap also explains why India and China wait so long. No matter the size of the population, every country hits the same ceiling.
In Short, What Should You Do?
Find your priority date. The date your petition was accepted determines your place in line.
Look at the right chart. Use “Dates for Filing” to open your file, and “Final Action Dates” for final approval. (If you’re adjusting status inside the U.S., check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to see which chart USCIS accepts this month.)
Pick the column for your country. China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines have their own columns; everyone else uses the first column.
Compare the date. If your priority date is earlier than the date in the chart, your turn has come.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. You should consult an immigration attorney about your specific situation. For the most current official information, visit travel.state.gov.
Conclusion and Advice
The Visa Bulletin changes every month, and a favorable picture one month can reverse the next. Checking your priority date regularly — especially at the start of each month when the new bulletin is released — is essential.
We recommend working with an immigration attorney to assess your situation, plan the timing of your filing, and stay prepared in case dates are pulled back.
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