Green card hopefuls got their final scorecard for the year as the Visa Bulletin September 2026 landed with a split verdict: employment categories standing still, family categories leaping forward. The release marks the last chart of fiscal year 2026, and it carries real consequences for anyone waiting on a priority date.
Officials at the State Department built this month’s numbers using demand reported through August 10, 2026. With only weeks left before the fiscal year closes on September 30, the agency is racing to put unused visa numbers to work before they disappear.
A Frozen Employment Picture
Workers waiting in the employment-based line saw almost nothing change this month. EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and the Other Workers category all carried their August cutoffs straight into September without adjustment.
EB-1 continues to run current for the vast majority of applicants worldwide. China sits at a July 1, 2023 cutoff, and India remains fixed at October 15, 2022. Those two figures have not moved in months.
EB-2 tells a harder story for Indian nationals. That category stays completely unauthorized for India, meaning the government is issuing zero new numbers there this month. China, Mexico, and the Philippines held their prior EB-2 positions as well.
EB-3 followed the same pattern of inertia. The worldwide cutoff sits at September 1, 2024, China at January 1, 2022, India at January 1, 2014, and the Philippines at August 1, 2023 — every figure identical to last month.
One Category Actually Moved
Not every employment line stayed put. EB-4, which covers certain special immigrants and religious workers, picked up two months of forward motion, shifting from an October 15, 2022 cutoff to December 15, 2022 for every country. It was the lone bright spot on an otherwise motionless employment chart.
Retrogression Risk Looms Before the Year Ends
Agency officials issued a pointed caution alongside the unchanged numbers. EB-1 India, EB-2 across all nationalities, and the EB-5 Unreserved pool could all slide backward or shut off entirely if annual number limits get reached before the clock runs out on September 30.
That warning puts pressure on applicants who are currently eligible to file. Once a category flips to unavailable, it typically stays that way until the next fiscal year opens on October 1, and there is no guarantee those same slots return quickly.
Consular posts are also working through a temporary pause on some immigrant visa interviews while officers complete new training on public charge screening. That pause could slow down final approvals even in categories where dates remain open.
Family Categories Post the Largest Gains of the Year
While employment sat still, family-sponsored cases surged. This round produced the biggest one-month advance of the entire fiscal year, driven by lower-than-expected visa issuance earlier in 2026 for applicants from several countries.
Sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who fall under the F1 category watched their cutoff jump more than 13 months, landing at January 22, 2020, for most nations. Mexico gained roughly a month, and the Philippines stayed put.
Spouses and young children of green card holders under F2A edged forward by a single month, reaching August 22, 2026, for most countries and August 22, 2025, for Mexico. That category also remains fully current on the separate filing-date chart.
Adult unmarried children of permanent residents, grouped under F2B, saw one of the steepest climbs of the month. Their cutoff advanced close to 20 months, moving to August 22, 2019, for most applicants including those from China and India.
F3 and F4 Break Records
Married sons and daughters of citizens, filed under F3, recorded the single largest jump on the entire chart. The cutoff surged nearly 29 months to reach October 22, 2014, for worldwide applicants, China, and India alike.
Siblings of adult citizens under F4 were not far behind, gaining close to 26 months and landing at October 22, 2011, for most chargeability areas. The Philippines added three additional weeks, pushing its own cutoff to August 22, 2007.
Diversity Visa Applicants Face a Hard Deadline
The lottery program tied to fiscal year 2026 is winding down alongside everything else. Officials confirmed the annual cap for that pool now sits at 52,101 visas after standard statutory reductions were applied.
Anyone still holding an unused diversity visa case needs to finish every remaining step before September 30. There is no carryover once the fiscal year closes, so selected applicants who delay risk losing their chance entirely.
Which Chart Applies to You
Families filing adjustment of status paperwork should generally reference the earlier filing-date chart rather than the final action chart, unless immigration authorities announce a different rule for the month. Employment-based filers follow the opposite instruction and must use the final action chart to determine eligibility.
Mixing up the two charts is one of the most common filing mistakes applicants make, so double-checking which one governs a specific case before submitting documents is worth the extra few minutes.
Looking Toward October
A new fiscal year begins October 1, bringing fresh annual limits across every family and employment category. Numbers left unused this month vanish rather than rolling forward, which explains why officials pushed family dates so aggressively in this release.
Applicants whose priority dates just turned current should move quickly and assemble required documentation now, since processing capacity at consular posts may not keep pace with the sudden wave of newly eligible cases.
Have thoughts on how these numbers affect your case? Share them in the comments and keep checking back for the next round of updates.