The State Department published the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027. In the family categories, the final action date for the F2A category for all areas, the group that Brazil falls under, moved from 08/22/2026 to 09/22/2026. In the employment categories, EB-2 and EB-3 now have cut-off dates for all areas.
What is the Visa Bulletin and how do you read the dates?
The Bulletin is the monthly table in which the State Department reports immigrant visa availability in two columns: "Final Action Dates" and "Dates for Filing Applications." Anyone with a priority date earlier than the date shown in the table is within that month's queue. The letter "C" means "current," that is, no cut-off date.
People filing for adjustment of status inside the US need to know which of the two tables applies. According to the Bulletin itself, USCIS announces which table to use on its own page every month.
To understand where the priority date fits into the process, also see the 5 phases of the family green card and how to know if your family's queue has moved.
What moved in the family categories?
In the final action dates table, the "All Areas" column is the one that includes Brazil. Comparing September with October, here's the picture:
- F1: remains at 01/22/2020.
- F2A: advanced from 08/22/2026 to 09/22/2026.
- F2B: remains at 08/22/2019.
- F3: remains at 10/22/2014.
- F4: remains at 10/22/2011.
In the dates for filing applications table, F2A remains "current" for all areas. The other family categories keep the same dates as September for "All Areas": F1 at 02/01/2020, F2B at 09/01/2019, F3 at 11/01/2014, and F4 at 11/01/2011, according to the September and October tables.
For Mexico, which has its own column, F1 moved from 01/01/2008 to 09/08/2008 and F2A from 08/22/2025 to 03/22/2026, according to the final action dates tables. For the Philippines, F1 moved from 05/01/2013 to 11/01/2013.
What changed in the employment categories?
October marks the start of a new fiscal year, and the employment tables brought cut-off dates where September had been "current." For "All Areas," in the October final action dates:
- EB-1: remains "current," as in September.
- EB-2: moved from "current" to 01/01/2025.
- EB-3: moved from 09/01/2024 to 05/15/2024.
- EB-3 "Other Workers": moved from 04/01/2022 to 01/01/2022.
- EB-4: remains at 12/15/2022.
- EB-5 (unreserved): remains "current."
For India, EB-1 moved from 10/15/2022 to 02/01/2023, and EB-2, which appeared as "U" (unavailable) in September, returned with a date of 11/01/2013. For China, EB-2 moved from 09/01/2021 to 10/01/2021 and EB-3 from 01/01/2022 to 01/08/2022, according to the October tables.
In the EB-5 categories, the Bulletin shows the rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure reserves as "current" for all areas. If you're following this topic, also read the EB-5 visa guide and the guide to EB-1 extraordinary ability.
Who is affected?
The Bulletin shows separate columns only for China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, according to the October tables. Anyone born in Brazil, or in any other country not on that list, is read under the "All Areas" column. That's why the F2A change to 09/22/2026 and the new EB-2 cut-off date of 01/01/2025 appear in that column.
The date that applies to each person is the priority date of their own case. The Bulletin simply indicates up to which priority date each category is being processed that month.
What's the next date to watch?
The Bulletin is updated every month. The November 2026 edition will be published on the official Visa Bulletin page. When it comes out, compare your category and country of birth with the corresponding column in both tables.
To organize the paperwork tied to the priority date, such as the I-130 petition, see the family I-130 document checklist. More content is available on the Prime blog.
Sources
- Visa Bulletin for October 2026, Department of State
- Visa Bulletin for September 2026, Department of State
- Visa Bulletin, official page
- Visa Bulletin tables used by USCIS
Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.