Philippines Family Dates Climb as EB-2 Loses Current Status

Every Philippines family final action date advanced in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, F4 by nearly nine months. EB-2 fell from current to January 1, 2025, while EB-3 moved forward two weeks.

Every Philippines family Final Action DatesThe Visa Bulletin chart showing the priority dates for which a visa number can actually be issued or a green card approved in that month.See it in the glossary advanced in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, led by F4, up nearly nine months to May 15, 2008. Philippines EB-2 fell from current to January 1, 2025.

The Philippines is one of four countries the bulletin lists 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. Its employment-based EB-3 date edged forward two weeks, to August 15, 2023, even as EB-3 for most other countries moved back. That narrows the gap between the Philippines and the rest of the world, which matters for the nurses and other professionals who use the category.

May 15, 2008F4 final action date, up nearly 9 months
Nov 1, 2013F1 final action date, up 6 months
Jan 1, 2025EB-2 final action date, down from current
Aug 15, 2023EB-3 final action date, up 2 weeks

Philippines family dates: all five advance

Category September October Change
F1 May 1, 2013 Nov 1, 2013 Up 6 months
F2A Aug 22, 2026 Sep 22, 2026 Up 1 month
F2B Jun 1, 2013 Oct 1, 2013 Up 4 months
F3 Feb 22, 2006 Jul 22, 2006 Up 5 months
F4 Aug 22, 2007 May 15, 2008 Up nearly 9 months

On the 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 chart, F2A stays current and F1 is unchanged at April 22, 2015. F2B advanced a year to October 1, 2014, F3 about two and a half months to October 22, 2006, and F4 a year to March 22, 2009.

Employment: EB-3 holds while EB-2 drops

Category Final action, Sep Final action, Oct Filing, Sep Filing, Oct
EB-1 Current Current Current Current
EB-2 Current Jan 1, 2025 Current Mar 15, 2026
EB-3 Aug 1, 2023 Aug 15, 2023 Jan 1, 2024 Jan 1, 2024
Other Workers Dec 1, 2021 Jan 1, 2022 Aug 1, 2022 Jun 1, 2022
EB-4 Dec 15, 2022 Dec 15, 2022 Jan 1, 2023 Jan 1, 2025

The EB-3 gap with the rest of the world shrinks

In September, the Philippines EB-3 final action date of August 1, 2023 trailed the all-other-areas date of September 1, 2024 by 13 months. In October, all other areas fell back to May 15, 2024 while the Philippines moved to August 15, 2023, cutting the gap to nine months. On the filing chart the order flipped: the Philippines stays at January 1, 2024, while all other areas moved from current to August 1, 2024.

The bulletin says the employment RetrogressionWhen a Visa Bulletin cutoff date moves backward, usually because demand exceeded the numbers available for that category.See it in the glossary are necessary to keep visa issuances within FY 2027 quarterly and annual limits. USCIS publishes which chart applicants may use each month, as our note on the chart change explains.

For the nurse route, see how Filipino nurses get a green card through EB-3. Family readers can start with visa paths from the Philippines and how long the sibling line runs.

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