October 2026 Visa Bulletin: India EB-2 Reopens, EB-1 Advances
The October 2026 visa bulletin, released by the US State Department on 29 September 2026, makes India EB-2 available again with a final action date of 1 November 2013 after months of being listed as unavailable. India EB-1 moves forward to 1 February 2023. The bulletin is the first of fiscal year 2027, when a new annual supply of green card numbers begins.
Table of Contents
Key facts
- India EB-2 final action date: 1 November 2013 (it was “unavailable” in the September 2026 bulletin).
- India EB-1 final action date: 1 February 2023 (up from 15 October 2022).
- India EB-3 final action date: unchanged at 1 January 2014.
- Rest of the world (including Nepal) EB-2 moved back from “Current” to 1 January 2025; EB-3 moved back from 1 September 2024 to 15 May 2024.
- For October 2026, USCIS lets employment-based and family-based adjustment applicants use the Dates for Filing chart, according to law-firm summaries of USCIS guidance.
What changed
Each month the visa bulletin shows which green card applicants can move forward, based on their priority date. The “final action date” decides when a green card can actually be approved. The “date for filing” decides when some applicants inside the US can submit Form I-485.
The State Department says that “with the availability of FY 2027 immigrant visa numbers”, dates have advanced in many categories, although some employment categories moved back.
India: employment-based final action dates, September vs October 2026
| Category | September 2026 | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | 15 Oct 2022 | 1 Feb 2023 |
| EB-2 | Unavailable | 1 Nov 2013 |
| EB-3 | 1 Jan 2014 | 1 Jan 2014 |
| Other Workers | 1 Jan 2014 | 1 Jan 2014 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Unavailable | 1 Dec 2023 |
India: dates for filing, October 2026
- EB-1: 1 July 2024 (up from 1 December 2023)
- EB-2: 15 January 2015
- EB-3 and Other Workers: 15 January 2015
- EB-5 Unreserved: 1 May 2024
All Chargeability (most countries, including Nepal), October 2026 final action dates
- EB-1: Current
- EB-2: 1 January 2025 (was Current in September)
- EB-3: 15 May 2024 (was 1 September 2024)
- Other Workers: 1 January 2022
- EB-5 Unreserved: Current
All Chargeability dates for filing in October 2026 are 15 March 2026 for EB-2 and 1 August 2024 for EB-3.
Who is affected
The October 2026 visa bulletin matters to anyone with an approved or pending employment-based green card case. That includes Indian H-1B workers waiting in EB-2 and EB-3, and Nepali workers, who fall under “All Chargeability” because Nepal does not have its own column.
What it means for Nepali and Indian workers
For Indian EB-2 applicants with priority dates before 1 November 2013, green card approvals can resume from 1 October 2026. Indian EB-1 applicants gain about three and a half months on the final action date.
For Nepali applicants, the picture is mixed. EB-2 is no longer current: only those with priority dates before 1 January 2025 can get final approval. EB-3 moved back by about three and a half months. If your priority date is after these cut-offs, your case will wait even if it is otherwise ready.
What to do now
- Find your priority date on your I-140 approval notice (or PERM filing date).
- Compare it with the October 2026 final action date and date for filing for your category and country.
- If you are in the US and your date is earlier than the date for filing, ask your employer’s attorney whether you can file Form I-485 this month.
- If your date is no longer current because of the move back, keep your nonimmigrant status (H-1B, L-1 or other) valid.
- Check the November 2026 bulletin when it is released, as dates can move again.
What we don’t know yet
- We could not open the USCIS adjustment filing chart page directly. The chart choice for October 2026 comes from two law-firm summaries that agree with each other. Confirm on uscis.gov before filing.
- How fast India EB-2 and EB-1 will move during FY 2027 is not known. The State Department did not give month-by-month projections in this bulletin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the India EB-2 date in the October 2026 visa bulletin?
The final action date is 1 November 2013 and the date for filing is 15 January 2015. In September 2026 the category was unavailable.
Why did the dates for Nepal go backwards?
Nepal is charged under “All Chargeability”. EB-2 moved from Current to 1 January 2025 and EB-3 from 1 September 2024 to 15 May 2024 in October 2026. The bulletin says some employment categories retrogressed as the new fiscal year began.
Which chart can I use to file my I-485 in October 2026?
Law-firm summaries of USCIS guidance say both employment-based and family-based applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart in October 2026.
Sources
- US Department of State: Visa Bulletin for October 2026
- US Department of State: Visa Bulletin for September 2026
- Meltzer Hellrung: October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 and EB-3 Updates
- International Legal and Business Services Group: October 2026 Visa Bulletin
- Business Today: US Visa Bulletin October 2026
Last checked: 2 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.
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