The four countries with their own columns in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin each ended up in a different place. China advanced on the filing chart, India reopened two categories, and Mexico and the Philippines gained in family lines while losing ground in EB-2.
The bulletin lists China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines as OversubscribedA category or country for which demand exceeds the available visa numbers, so a cutoff date is listed in the Visa Bulletin.See it in the glossary, which is why they carry dates of their own. Every other country shares one column. Here is where each of the four stands.
Employment final action dates, side by side
| Category | China | India | Mexico | Philippines | All other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Jul 1, 2023 | Feb 1, 2023 | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Oct 1, 2021 | Nov 1, 2013 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| EB-3 | Jan 8, 2022 | Jan 1, 2014 | May 15, 2024 | Aug 15, 2023 | May 15, 2024 |
| EB-5 unreserved | Dec 1, 2016 | Dec 1, 2023 | Current | Current | Current |
Family final action dates, side by side
| Category | China | India | Mexico | Philippines | All other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Jan 22, 2020 | Jan 22, 2020 | Sep 8, 2008 | Nov 1, 2013 | Jan 22, 2020 |
| F2A | Sep 22, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | Mar 22, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 |
| F2B | Aug 22, 2019 | Aug 22, 2019 | May 15, 2010 | Oct 1, 2013 | Aug 22, 2019 |
| F3 | Oct 22, 2014 | Oct 22, 2014 | Jul 1, 2001 | Jul 22, 2006 | Oct 22, 2014 |
| F4 | Oct 22, 2011 | Dec 15, 2006 | Apr 22, 2001 | May 15, 2008 | Oct 22, 2011 |
What each country got
China: EB-3 Dates for FilingThe Visa Bulletin chart showing the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit documents, or in some months file for adjustment of status, ahead of a visa number being available.See it in the glossary jumped from January 8, 2022 to April 1, 2024, and unreserved EB-5 from March 1, 2017 to March 1, 2021, while final action dates barely moved. The China report has the full table.
India: EB-2 returned at November 1, 2013 and unreserved EB-5 at December 1, 2023, both after being unavailable in September, and EB-1 advanced to February 1, 2023. See the India report.
Mexico: F2A moved seven months and F2B 15 months, but EB-2 fell from current to January 1, 2025. Read the Mexico report.
Philippines: family dates rose in every category, and EB-3 gained two weeks while EB-2 fell from current. Read the Philippines report.
One pattern across the four
Only Mexico and the Philippines, which share the retrogressed “Rest of World” treatment in EB-2, lost ground on the final action chart. China and India had no employment RetrogressionWhen a Visa Bulletin cutoff date moves backward, usually because demand exceeded the numbers available for that category.See it in the glossary in any category. The department says the retrogressions keep issuances within FY 2027 limits, and the overview of the whole bulletin covers the wider changes.