US State Department publishes September 2026 visa bulletin: who faces a regression of green card dates

The U.S. Department of State has released the visa bulletin for September 2026, which sets out the order in which applications for immigrant visas and green cards are processed. The document establishes two key tables — the Final Action Dates and the Dates for Filing. The first shows when an immigrant visa number may be issued, while the second allows certain applicants to begin filing their documents earlier. The department separately emphasized that those changing their status within the country through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should rely not on the State Department bulletin, but on the table that USCIS will designate for September.

Why September 2026 is a critical month

September is the last month of fiscal year 2026, which is why the State Department warned that additional restrictions may arise in certain categories by September 30 if the annual caps on immigrant visa issuance are exhausted. The department specifically highlighted three areas that require particularly close attention: the EB-1 category for Indian citizens, the EB-2 category, and the unreserved EB-5. On these lines, the cutoff dates may be pushed backward, and the corresponding categories may temporarily become unavailable if demand exceeds the quotas.

Family categories: F2A remains the most favorable

One of the most favorable family categories remains F2A, which covers the spouses and children of lawful permanent residents of the United States. For most countries, the final action date in September is August 22, 2026, and in the Dates for Filing table F2A remains current for all countries. At the same time, those planning to change status in the U.S. will be able to use this table only after the corresponding authorization from USCIS. For Mexico, India, and the Philippines, separate, earlier dates are set in a number of family categories due to high demand.

Employment categories EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3

In the EB-1 category, which covers priority workers, visas remain available without a date restriction for most countries. The exceptions are China, where the final action date is July 1, 2023, and India, where it is fixed at October 15, 2022. The EB-2 category remains current for most countries, however, for China the cutoff date is set at September 1, 2021, and for India the category is marked as unavailable. For the EB-3 category, which covers skilled workers and professionals, the bulletin sets the corresponding dates for individual countries, with those for high-demand countries traditionally being earlier.

EB-5: the unreserved line at risk, the reserved ones current

In the unreserved EB-5 category, visas remain available for most countries, whereas for China the final action date is December 1, 2016, and for India the category is unavailable. At the same time, the three reserved EB-5 categories — for investments in rural areas, in high-unemployment regions, and in infrastructure projects — remain current for all the listed countries. The State Department explicitly warned that the unreserved EB-5, together with EB-2, is among the categories whose cutoff dates may be pushed back by the end of the fiscal year if the annual caps are exhausted.

Contradictory data

On paper, the bulletin shows that in many categories the dates remain “current” and visas are available. However, in practice this contradicts parallel decisions by the administration: according to reports, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended scheduling of visa interviews for applicants worldwide as part of a campaign to tighten immigration control, and earlier RBC-Ukraine reported that the U.S. may annul up to 200,000 visas. Thus, applicants are receiving two conflicting signals: formally available dates in the bulletin and, in reality, limited ability to complete an interview or retain already issued visas. In addition, the State Department noted that in recent months it has already moved dates in a number of family and employment categories after reducing visa issuance to citizens of certain countries due to administrative measures affecting application processing, and does not rule out further changes if demand grows.

What applicants should do

Applicants are advised to check both the State Department's September visa bulletin and the USCIS table before submitting their documents, especially if a change of status within the U.S. is planned. Particular attention should be paid by September 30 to those seeking EB-1 for India, EB-2, and the unreserved EB-5: it is on these lines that a regression of dates is most likely. Given the suspension of interview scheduling and the risk of visa annulment, the filing strategy should be built with a buffer on timelines and with constant monitoring of the official tables of both agencies.