The U.S. Department of State’s April 2026 Visa Bulletin shows significant advancement for most countries and preference categories. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to accept employment-based adjustment of status filings based on the Dates for Filing Chart in April 2026.
Quick Hits
- USCIS will continue to accept adjustment of status filings based on the Dates for Filing chart in April 2026.
- EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories are current on the Dates for Filing chart for all countries other than India, China, and Philippines (only EB-1 and EB-2 categories are current for Philippines).
- EB-1 category final action dates advance for China and India.
- EB-2 and EB-3 categories for India advance significantly on dates for filing.
- EB-2 India and EB-3 China final action dates advance.
The Final Action Dates chart shows the following movement in the April 2026 Visa Bulletin:
- EB-1: All countries remain current except China and India (which both advance to April 1, 2023).
- EB-2: All countries are current except China (which has no movement) and India (which advances to July 15, 2014).
- EB-3: All countries advance except India and Philippines.
- EB-4: All countries advance to July 15, 2022.
- Certain Religious Workers: All countries advance to July 15, 2022.
- EB-5: China advances to September 1, 2016.
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01APR23 | 01APR23 | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 01SEP21 | 15JUL14 | C | C |
| 3rd | 01JUN24 | 15JUN21 | 15NOV13 | 01JUN24 | 01AUG23 |
| Other Workers | 01NOV21 | 01FEB19 | 15NOV13 | 01NOV21 | 01NOV21 |
| 4th | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) |
C | 01SEP16 | 01MAY22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%, including NR, RR) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%, including NH, RH) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%, including RI) |
C | C | C | C | C |
Source: U.S. Department of State, April 2026 Visa Bulletin, Dates for Filing Chart
The Dates for Filing Chart shows the following movement in the April 2026 Visa Bulletin:
- EB-1: No movement for China and India. All other countries remain current.
- EB-2: India advances to January 15, 2015. No movement for China. All other countries remain current.
- EB-3: India advances to January 15, 2015. No movement for China and Philippines. All other countries are current.
- EB-4: No movement.
- Certain Religious Workers: No movement.
- EB-5: No movement.
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01DEC23 | 01DEC23 | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | C |
| 3rd | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | 01JAN24 |
| Other Workers | 01AUG22 | 01OCT19 | 15JAN15 | 01AUG22 | 01AUG22 |
| 4th | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) |
C | 01OCT16 | 01MAY24 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Rural: NR, RR – 20%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment: NH, RH – 10%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure: RI – 2%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
Source: U.S. Department of State, April 2026 Visa Bulletin, Dates for Filing Chart
Key Takeaways
The State Department notes that this advancement is in part due to the immigrant visa processing pause on certain nationalities and cautions that additional demand and future policy shifts could necessitate retrogression later in the fiscal year to maintain immigrant visa issuance within annual limits.
