The wait for a Green Card just got a little more predictable for now.
The State Department has released its September 2026 Visa Bulletin, the last one of the fiscal year, and most categories haven't moved an inch since August. But officials are warning applicants not to get comfortable. With the fiscal year ending on September 30, some visa categories could still slam shut, or slide backwards, in the coming weeks.
Here's what it means for you.
Cutoff dates across most major categories have held steady since August, the State Department says, with no forward movement and no retrogression this month, reported The Financial Express.
That's actually unusual. Earlier in the year, dates were bouncing around, some moving forward, others slipping back. September's calm is a break from that pattern. But it's a fragile calm. The State Department has been blunt: if demand keeps climbing, some categories may not stay open through the end of the month.
This isn't a new warning, the State Department has issued it more than once. But it matters more now than usual.
Earlier in FY2026, the government deliberately pushed several dates forward to make sure visa numbers didn't go unused. That strategy worked almost too well. Demand has since caught up, and now there's a real risk that some categories will run out of numbers before the year is out. The practical takeaway for anyone already eligible to file: don't wait.
For Indian nationals, the picture is already difficult.
EB2, the category for advanced-degree holders and workers with exceptional ability, is unavailable for India right now. That means no new filings or approvals can go through under current rules.
EB5's unreserved investor category is closed to Indian applicants too. Both categories hit this wall for the same reason: India has already used up its share of this year's employment-based visa numbers.
EB1 , reserved for priority workers, is still open to Indian applicants, with a final action date of 15 October 2022. But the State Department has singled it out as the category most at risk of closing next, as demand from India keeps rising.
If the numbers run dry before September 30, EB1 India could close too, meaning applicants would have to wait until the next fiscal year to move forward.
Other countries aren't entirely safe either. The State Department says EB2 broadly, and EB5's unreserved category, could see cutoff dates pushed back, or become unavailable altogether, if demand keeps rising before the month ends.
China's EB2 final action date is holding at September 1, 2021, and its EB5 unreserved date at 1 December 2016. Neither has moved this month, but the State Department says it's watching both closely.
EB3 Other Workers rarely makes headlines, but its backlog is among the worst.
Most countries are looking at a final action date of April 1, 2022. China's sits at May 1, 2019. India's is stuck at January 1 2014, over a decade back. The Philippines' date is December 1 2021. These numbers say a lot about how long some applicants have already been in the queue.
Families waiting on green cards saw more action this month.
F2A, spouses and children of green card holders, remains one of the friendlier categories, with a final action date of August 22, 2026 for most countries, including India, China and the Philippines. Mexico sits a year behind, at August 22, 2025.
Other family categories moved too:
| Category | Most Countries | Where It Differs |
|---|---|---|
| F1 - Unmarried adult children of US citizens | 22 January 2020 | Mexico: 1 January 2008; Philippines: 1 May 2013 |
| F2B - Unmarried adult children of permanent residents | 22 August 2019 | Mexico: 15 February 2009; Philippines: 1 June 2013 |
| F3 —-Married children of US citizens | 22 October 2014 | Mexico and the Philippines lag much further behind |
| F4 - Siblings of adult US citizens | 22 October 2011 (most countries) | India: 1 November 2006; Philippines: 22 August 2007; Mexico: even older |
The pattern holds across the board: applicants from Mexico, India and the Philippines face longer waits than everyone else, simply because demand from these countries is so much higher.
Here's a wrinkle worth knowing about. The Visa Bulletin doesn't actually decide which chart applicants inside the US can use when filing for adjustment of status, USCIS does, in a separate monthly announcement.
USCIS gives applicants a choice between two charts: the more generous "Dates for Filing," or the stricter "Final Action Dates." As of the bulletin's release, USCIS hadn't yet said which one applies for September.
Based on recent months, employment-based applicants will likely need the Final Action Dates chart, while family-based applicants will probably get the more lenient Dates for Filing chart. Either way, it's worth checking the USCIS website before filing, this decision can change monthly.
A bulletin with barely any movement might sound like a non-story. It isn't, not this month.
September is the last stretch of the US government's fiscal year, and the State Department spent earlier months pushing dates forward to make sure visa numbers didn't go to waste. Part of that push, officials say, was linked to lower visa issuance for nationals of certain countries, following recent presidential proclamations and other entry restrictions.
That strategy worked, arguably too well. Demand has now caught up, which is exactly why the State Department keeps warning that some categories could be pulled back before September ends.
Applicants should know more within weeks. If nothing major changes before then, October's bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, should offer a clearer picture of where the backlogs stand.
