Every October, the U.S. State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin does something the other eleven issues cannot: it opens a brand-new fiscal year. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin begins fiscal year 2027 (FY2027) on October 1, 2026, and with it comes a fresh annual supply of immigrant visa numbers. For green-card applicants who watched their categories stall, retrogress, or go "unavailable" through the summer, the fiscal-year reset is the single most anticipated moment on the immigration calendar.
Here is what the reset actually means, how the employment- and family-based categories are positioned heading into it, and what adjustment-of-status (AOS) applicants should be doing now. Every figure below traces back to the Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and any projection is an estimate — not a guarantee.
Why October Resets the Green-Card Count
Congress caps most green cards on an annual basis. Employment-based (EB) immigration is limited to roughly 140,000 visas a year, and the family-sponsored preference categories to at least 226,000, with per-country ceilings layered on top. Those annual allotments are consumed month by month. By late summer, high-demand categories — especially for applicants born in India and China — often exhaust their share, forcing DOS to retrogress cut-off dates or mark a category "U" for unavailable to avoid overshooting the statutory limit.
When the fiscal year turns over on October 1, the counter resets and a full year's worth of numbers becomes available again. That is why the October bulletin so often shows forward movement: cut-off dates that were frozen or pushed backward tend to spring ahead as DOS re-opens the tap. To see how cut-off dates and priority dates interact, read our explainer on the green-card priority date.
Two charts, one question: which one counts?
Each bulletin publishes two grids — Final Action Dates (when a green card can actually be approved) and Dates for Filing (when you may submit Form I-485). Each month USCIS announces which chart adjustment-of-status applicants may use. Through the summer of 2026, USCIS directed employment-based filers to use the Final Action Dates chart, so confirm the current instruction on the USCIS website before filing.
Where the Employment Categories Stand Going In
The bulletins leading into the reset were defensive. According to DOS, the August 2026 Visa Bulletin showed EB-2 for India unavailable for the remainder of FY2026, with EB-3 India holding near a 2014 cut-off — a reflection of heavy demand meeting a shrinking pool of remaining numbers. China's EB-2 and EB-3 dates sat in early 2022. Worldwide (Rest of World) categories fared better but still tightened late in the year.
| Category | August 2026 (FY2026 close) | Direction expected in October* |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 India | Retrogressed | Likely forward |
| EB-2 India | Unavailable | Should re-open with a cut-off date |
| EB-3 India | Early 2014 | Modest movement possible |
| EB-2 China | Early 2022 | Likely forward |
| EB-2 Worldwide | Tightened late in FY2026 | Likely current or near-current |
*Directional expectations only. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin had not been published when this article was written; DOS typically posts each new bulletin in the middle of the prior month. Confirm every date against the official bulletin at travel.state.gov.
DOS itself has signaled optimism for India EB-2. In recent bulletin commentary, the department indicated it is likely that the October EB-2 India final action date will advance to at least the date announced in the May 2026 bulletin — while cautioning that the outcome depends on Indian demand and the FY2027 annual limit. In plain terms: expect forward movement, but treat any specific date as provisional until the bulletin is live.
Family-sponsored categories follow the same reset logic. The August 2026 bulletin showed notable forward movement in F2A (spouses and minor children of green-card holders), and October typically continues that pattern as fresh family numbers become available. Applicants in the F1, F2B, F3, and F4 categories — where India, Mexico, and the Philippines carry the longest waits — should check their own cut-offs rather than assume employment-side movement applies to them.
How October Compares to August and September
The contrast is the whole point. The August and September 2026 bulletins were shaped by scarcity at the end of the fiscal year; the October bulletin is shaped by abundance at the start of a new one. Historically, the largest single-month leaps of the year land in October, particularly for categories that were made unavailable in the closing months. That said, October is not a magic wand — categories with structural, years-long backlogs (India EB-2 and EB-3 chief among them) re-open to a cut-off date, not to "current." The backlog does not vanish; it simply resumes moving.
What Adjustment-of-Status Filers Should Do Now
- Pin down your priority date and category before the bulletin drops. Our priority date checker compares your date against the current cut-offs in seconds.
- Assemble your I-485 package in advance. If your date becomes current — or falls within the Dates for Filing chart, when USCIS allows it — a ready package means you can file the moment the window opens.
- Confirm which chart USCIS honors for October before mailing anything. The choice between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing changes what you are eligible to submit.
- Plan for what comes after filing — medical exams, work and travel permits, and adjudication queues. Our guide to USCIS processing times lays out the timeline.
- Expect possible retrogression later in FY2027. Fast October movement can pull demand forward and trigger a spring pullback — a familiar pattern for the India EB categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do green-card dates jump forward every October?
The federal fiscal year begins October 1, which resets the annual supply of immigrant visa numbers. Categories that ran low or went unavailable at the end of the prior year regain a full allotment, so the State Department can advance cut-off dates. This is why the October Visa Bulletin often shows the largest forward movement of the year.
Will EB-2 India become current in October 2026?
Almost certainly not current, but it should re-open with a cut-off date after being unavailable at the end of FY2026. The State Department has indicated EB-2 India will likely advance to at least its May 2026 position, subject to demand and the FY2027 limit. Treat any specific date as an estimate until the official bulletin is published.
Should I file my I-485 as soon as October opens?
Only if your priority date qualifies under the chart USCIS says to use that month, and your application is complete. Check the October bulletin against your priority date, confirm whether USCIS is honoring Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing, and file promptly once eligible, since favorable windows can close if a category retrogresses later in the year.
Last verified: July 2026 · Reviewed by the USImmigrationLaw.Today editorial team. Visa Bulletin cut-off dates change every month — confirm the current numbers in the official Department of State bulletin before you file.