October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Employment-Based Dates and Filing

October begins fiscal year 2027, but new visa numbers do not mean every cutoff advances. The table below compares selected approval cutoffs with September.

ROW refers to the bulletin’s “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column.

Some ROW cutoffs moved backward to keep visa issuance within quarterly and annual limits. These changes concern visa availability, not a fixed increase or decrease in an individual applicant’s processing time.

Use these entries to check the priority date requirement for October filing. The EB-3 row covers skilled workers and professionals; Other Workers has separate cutoffs.

These are selected entries rather than the complete employment-based visa bulletin. Applicants chargeable to Mexico or the Philippines, and those applying under EB-4, EB-5, or EB-3 Other Workers, must check their specific rows and columns.

An applicant can qualify under Dates for Filing while remaining outside the Final Action Date cutoff. In that situation, filing starts the adjustment process, but final approval must wait for visa availability.

A current date also does not resolve petition eligibility, admissibility, or other adjustment requirements. Those issues remain part of the application review.

October’s chart designation applies to October filings. Recheck the designation before submitting, particularly if delivery could occur in the following month.

Do not assume that the chart used for October will also govern November. A package prepared under one month’s rules may need another eligibility check before USCIS receives it.

For cases requiring labor certification, the priority date generally comes from the date the Department of Labor accepted the labor certification application for processing. Where labor certification is not required, it generally comes from the date the qualifying immigrant petition was properly filed.

Check the petition notice against the underlying records. If an earlier petition may support priority date retention, confirm that history before relying on a newer filing date.

Chargeability generally follows country of birth rather than citizenship or current residence. Qualifying exceptions, including spousal cross-chargeability, may change the applicable column.

Your priority date must be earlier than a listed cutoff. A priority date equal to the cutoff does not qualify. “Current” means that entry has no priority date cutoff; the remaining eligibility requirements still apply.

Confirm adjustment eligibility before assembling the package. Review the current filing instructions and gather:

• Petition notices and priority date records.
• Admission and immigration status records, including Form I-94.
• Birth and marriage documents for accompanying family members.
• Required medical documentation, forms, fees, and supporting evidence.

Check each family member’s eligibility separately. The principal applicant’s filing opportunity does not eliminate a dependent’s documentation or eligibility issues.

Retrogression alone generally does not require a new I-485. Final approval must wait if a visa number is unavailable, but you should continue responding to USCIS notices by their stated deadlines.

Track work authorization separately. A pending I-485 does not itself authorize employment; review the validity and renewal requirements for your employment authorization document or another applicable basis for working.

Before traveling, confirm the documents and rules that apply to your circumstances. Filing an adjustment application does not automatically provide travel permission.

For consular processing, follow National Visa Center instructions for submitting documents. USCIS’s I-485 chart designation does not control overseas interview scheduling.

Document submission, interview scheduling, and visa issuance are separate steps. Completing the document stage does not guarantee an immediate interview or an available visa number.

For employer-sponsored cases, confirm that the job information remains consistent with the petition. Changes in duties, work location, or the employing entity may require review before new evidence is submitted.

During an employment-based immigration review, identify whether the employee can file now, whether final approval is possible, and what currently authorizes employment.

If the records point to different answers, gather the petition notices, priority date history, I-94, and current job documents for a focused review. That preparation is especially useful when a filing window overlaps with an employment change or an approaching authorization expiration.

No. You must also meet the applicable filing cutoff and the other adjustment requirements. An approved petition alone does not establish I-485 filing eligibility.

No. Cutoff movement reflects visa demand and allocation. It does not translate into an equivalent reduction in your case’s processing time.

Generally, no. Retrogression alone does not require replacing a properly filed pending application. Continue monitoring the case and responding to agency notices.