The U.S. Department of State has released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027, with renewed visa availability and significant movement in several employment-based immigrant visa categories. For EB-5 investors, the key takeaway remains consistent: all reserved set-aside categories continue to remain current for every country.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that employment-based adjustment of status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart in October. This means that applicants in the United States may file Form I-485 if their priority date is earlier than the listed filing date for their category and country, even if that date is not yet current under the Final Action Dates chart.
The Visa Bulletin remains the primary resource for tracking immigrant visa availability. It includes two main charts. The Final Action Dates chart determines when a visa may be issued or when USCIS can approve an adjustment of status application. At this stage, an applicant’s priority date must fall before the listed cutoff date. The Dates for Filing chart indicates when applicants may be eligible to submit their applications earlier, if USCIS permits its use.
Understanding Key Visa Bulletin Terms
Implications for EB-5 Immigrant Investors
Work With EB5AN to Pursue Permanent Residency Through EB-5
Understanding Key Visa Bulletin Terms
The Final Action Dates chart controls when applicants can move forward with final adjudication or file for adjustment of status when USCIS designates its use. When a category is listed as “current,” there is no backlog, and applicants may proceed regardless of priority date.
October brings significant changes to several employment-based categories, most notably the return of visa availability for EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India and a four-year advance in the EB-5 unreserved Dates for Filing cutoff for China.
Highlights From the October 2026 Charts
The October bulletin opens the new fiscal year with forward movement for both China and India. EB-1 India advances by about three and a half months to February 1, 2023, while EB-1 China remains at July 1, 2023. EB-2 India becomes available again with a final action date of November 1, 2013, and EB-2 China moves forward by one month to October 1, 2021. EB-3 China advances by one week to January 8, 2022, and EB-3 India remains at January 1, 2014.
In the EB-5 unreserved category, India becomes available again with a final action date of December 1, 2023, while China remains at December 1, 2016. On the Dates for Filing chart, EB-5 unreserved China advances four years to March 1, 2021, and India holds at May 1, 2024.
For most other countries, EB-2 and EB-3 move backward. EB-2 shifts from current to a final action date of January 1, 2025, and EB-3 retrogresses from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.
For EB-5 investors, the reserved set-aside categories continue to remain current for all countries.
Here’s the Final Action Dates chart:
Dates for Filing chart:
Implications for EB-5 Immigrant Investors
The October 2026 bulletin continues to reflect a stable environment for EB-5 investors. Reserved set-aside visas remain fully available worldwide.
The return of EB-5 unreserved availability for India and the four-year advance in China’s filing date are positive developments for investors in the unreserved pool. Both countries still face cutoff dates in the unreserved category, however, while EB-5 reserved set-asides remain current for all countries, including China and India. The retrogression of EB-2 and EB-3 for most other countries further highlights this contrast. For investors facing waits in other employment-based categories, the value of reserved set-aside visas remains clear. Filing under a reserved category continues to offer a path that avoids the cutoff dates affecting the unreserved pool. Rural projects also continue to benefit from priority processing at USCIS under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022.
Because USCIS is accepting the Dates for Filing chart in October, adjustment of status eligibility is broader compared to months when the Final Action Dates chart is used. EB-5 unreserved applicants chargeable to China with a priority date earlier than March 1, 2021, and those chargeable to India with a priority date earlier than May 1, 2024, may file Form I-485 this month. Final approval still requires a priority date that is current under the Final Action Dates chart.
What Is Driving Movement in the October Bulletin
The State Department attributes this month’s movement to the start of fiscal year 2027 on October 1, 2026, which brings a new allocation of immigrant visa numbers. With annual limits reset, dates for filing and final action dates have advanced across several categories, and categories that became unavailable toward the end of fiscal year 2026, including EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India, are available again.
At the same time, the State Department notes that some employment-based categories for “Rest of World” countries have retrogressed. It describes these retrogressions as necessary to keep visa issuances within fiscal year 2027 quarterly and annual limits and states that it will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed.
The warnings issued last month for EB-1 India, EB-2, and the EB-5 unreserved category were tied to fiscal year 2026 limits and do not appear in the October bulletin. Cutoff dates may still shift as demand develops over the new fiscal year. Currently, EB-5 reserved set-aside categories remain the most reliable route for investors who need visa numbers to stay available.
Work With EB5AN to Pursue Permanent Residency Through EB-5
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin reflects renewed movement at the start of fiscal year 2027, with EB-5 reserved set-asides remaining current for all countries.
More than 3,000 families from over 70 countries have selected EB-5 projects sponsored by EB5AN regional centers. Our expert team has more than a decade of experience and offers clients high-quality, low-risk EB-5 regional center projects with a 100% USCIS project approval rate.
Schedule a free call with EB5AN to learn more about current EB-5 opportunities and begin your application while visa availability and processing conditions remain favorable.