October 2026 Visa Bulletin: USCIS Opens “Dates for Filing” and What It Means for Your Green Card

As fiscal year 2027 begins, USCIS is letting green card applicants file using the more favorable Visa Bulletin chart. Being able to file does not mean your green card will be approved right away. Here is the difference.

At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. Fiscal year 2027 began on October 1, 2026, and with it the October Visa Bulletin took effect. This monthly State Department publication tells applicants whose turn it is to move forward in the green card line.

The most important news for people already in the United States is that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept the more favorable chart this month. Below we explain what that means, who gains, who loses ground, and what you can do.

What Is the Visa Bulletin, and What Changed in October?

Every month, the State Department publishes two charts for each category and country. The Final Action Dates chart shows when a green card can actually be approved. The Dates for Filing chart shows when you may submit your adjustment of status application (Form I-485), even if no visa is available yet to approve it.

For October 2026, USCIS confirmed that applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart for both employment-based and family-sponsored categories. That is good news, because the filing chart usually runs months or even years ahead of the final action chart. Immigration attorneys caution, however, that USCIS reviews this decision every month and there is no guarantee it will carry into November.

Which Categories Moved Forward, and Which Went Back?

The biggest changes are in the employment-based categories:

EB-1 India and China: the filing date advances about seven months, to July 1, 2024.
EB-2 China: advances roughly one year, to January 1, 2023.
EB-2 Rest of World, including Mexico and the Philippines: the filing date retrogresses about six and a half months, to March 15, 2026. The final action date, which had been current, retrogressed to January 1, 2025.
EB-3 Rest of World: the final action date retrogresses to May 15, 2024, while the filing date sits at August 1, 2024.
EB-2 and EB-5 (unreserved) for India: become available again after being unavailable in September.

In the bulletin, the State Department said these retrogressions are needed to keep visa issuance within fiscal year 2027 quarterly and annual limits. Family-sponsored categories have their own dates as well, with separate columns for Mexico.

If I Can File Form I-485, Will My Green Card Be Approved?

No, and this is the distinction that matters most. Filing under the Dates for Filing chart lets you formally enter the process and, in many cases, apply for interim benefits while you wait, such as a work permit and a travel permit (advance parole). But USCIS can only approve your green card once your priority date is current under the Final Action Dates chart.

For EB-2 Rest of World applicants, the gap is concrete: they can now file with priority dates before March 15, 2026, but final approval only reaches those with priority dates before January 1, 2025. If your case was already pending and the date moved back, you do not lose your place. Your case simply waits until the date advances again.

Keep in mind that the bulletin is not the only requirement. To adjust status inside the United States, you must also be eligible on other grounds, including how you entered the country and your immigration history. A current priority date does not fix those issues.

What Can You Do Now?

Check your priority date: it appears on the approval notice for your petition (I-140 or I-130). Compare it with the chart for your category and your country of chargeability, which is not always your country of citizenship.
Do not wait until the end of the month: if your date falls within the window, prepare your filing as soon as possible, since the rule may change in November.
Pay the correct fees: some USCIS fees change on October 16, 2026, and a filing with the wrong amount can be rejected.
Be careful with travel: do not leave the country with a pending adjustment application without an approved travel permit and legal advice.
Get a full eligibility review: before filing, confirm with an attorney that nothing bars you from adjusting status.

Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm

The Visa Bulletin changes every month, and a window that is open today can close within weeks. Filing on time, with the right documents and fees, can make the difference between moving your case forward and going back to waiting. Campos Law Firm is here to help you review your priority date and your adjustment of status options.

Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.

Share the Post:

Renee Good’s Family Sues the Government and ICE Officials Over Her Death in Minneapolis: What Is at Stake

The family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen shot and killed by an ICE officer in January, filed two civil lawsuits in federal court in Minnesota. Here is what they claim and what it means for immigrant communities.

Miami Judge Rules Federal Noncitizen Voting Law Unconstitutional: What Does Not Change for Immigrants

A Miami federal judge dismissed the case against a Jamaican woman accused of voting and found the 1996 federal criminal law unconstitutional. The ruling does not make noncitizen voting legal, and it does not erase the immigration consequences.