As of today, September 22, the Department of State has still not published the October 2026 Visa Bulletin — and that is later than usual. October bulletins are typically released between the 12th and the 22nd of September, and six of the seven October bulletins issued between 2018 and 2025 were out by this point in the month. This one is running behind.
The delay matters more than a normal month’s would, because the October bulletin carries the first employment-based cutoff dates of fiscal year 2027.
Why October is the bulletin that counts
The federal fiscal year turns over on October 1, and with it comes a fresh annual supply of immigrant visa numbers. That reset is why October is the single most consequential bulletin of the year for backlogged employment-based applicants, and why forward movement is more likely in October than in any other month.
FY 2026 ended badly for several categories. EB-2 India hit its prorated per-country limit and was listed as Unavailable for the remainder of the fiscal year, meaning no final action could be taken on those cases through September 30. The State Department also warned that EB-1 India, EB-2 worldwide and EB-5 Unreserved could retrogress or go unavailable before the fiscal year closed.
What the Department has already signaled
In its own guidance, the State Department indicated it expects EB-2 India’s final action date to advance to at least July 15, 2014 when the new fiscal year opens on October 1. That figure is a projection the Department published, not a confirmed cutoff — the actual date will not be official until the bulletin itself appears. EB-1 India’s cutoff has been sitting at October 15, 2022.
Two things have to happen, not one
A quota reset does not automatically make a category current, and it does not by itself allow a pending case to be approved. The Department of State must publish the October charts, and then USCIS must separately announce which chart — Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing — adjustment-of-status applicants may use for October. Both steps are still pending.
What to do while you wait
If there is any chance your priority date becomes current on October 1, the useful work is the work you can do now: confirm your birth certificate meets USCIS requirements, gather documentation of any law enforcement contact, make sure tax filings are current, and have medical exam and civil documents assembled. When a date moves, the window can be short, and applicants who are already assembled file first.
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Source: LinkedIn - immigration attorney commentary (AILA APAC Chapter)