USCIS Sets October 2025 Adjustment of Status Filing Charts for the Visa Bulletin

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/when-to-file-your-adjustment-of-status-application-for-family-sponsored-or-employment-based-117

With the U.S. Department of State (“DOS”)’s publication of its October 2025 visa bulletin, which is also the first month of Fiscal Year 2026, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has decided to use the Dates for Filing for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications (Chart B).  This is a change from the previous Fiscal Year 2025, which had been using the Final Action Dates chart (Chart A).  Meanwhile, USCIS has decided to continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications table (Chart B).  Please refer to the sections below for specific discussions about the visa availability date movements and trends under both the employment-based immigrant visa petitions, as well as the family-based immigrant visa petitions.  In the meantime, EB-4 preference category remains ‘Unavailable’ for Certain Religious Workers, and will remain that way until U.S. Congress decides to take legislative action and extend this category.  As soon as such action is taken, then this visa category will become available effective immediately, and still be subject to the same dates for filing and final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories based on foreign state of chargeability.

And in the EB-5 preference category, there is significant forward movement when compared to the September 2025 visa bulletin, and most significantly for India, where the date advanced to February 1, 2021, when compared to November 15, 2019 in September visa bulletin.  For China, the date remained the same on December 8, 2015.

From the change to dates for filing for employment-based adjustment of status applications (chart B) for October 2025, it appears the USCIS is trying to increase the demand for adjustment of status applications, with the possible aim of gauging the level of demand of the various employment preference categories, and then using the initial response to decide how to plan for the rest of the fiscal year.  We suggest the reader to keep monitoring this site for any updates about this matter.

Employment-based Immigrant Visa Categories:

• As has been the case for the last few years, USCIS and the Department of State are doing their best to manage the demand and usage of employment visa numbers, while fully recognizing that there is overwhelming demand, which resulted in the visa numbers in this category being exhausted and used up in late August to early September of 2025 in the last fiscal year.  Just like last fiscal year, the Department of State does expect visa numbers to be used up before the end of this latest fiscal year.

USCIS is changing to the use of Dates for Filing for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications (Chart B) and accepting applications in all employment-based categories based on projected visa demand.  It is hard to say how long USCIS will utilize Chart B, but it does show that USCIS is willing to exercise some discretion and start accepting adjustment of status applications with later priority dates, possibly to accommodate those applicants who have been waiting for the last few years, to finally be able to apply for employment authorization document (EAD) and advance parole travel document (AP).

The discussions below are still focused on the actual immigrant visa availability (Chart A) because this is where the actual visa numbers will be utilized for each month in the Fiscal Year 2026.

• Employment-based first preference category (EB-1) (in the Final Action Dates table):
  • There are no movements in the EB-1 cutoff dates for October 2025.  For India, the visa availability date remains on February 15, 2022. 
  • China’s visa cutoff date moved ahead a little to December 22, 2022.
  • Meanwhile, for ‘World’, and Mexico, and Philippines, EB-1 continues to be Current/Available.
• Employment-based second preference category (EB-2)(in the Final Action Dates table):
  • The visa availability date for EB-2 for India advanced to April 1, 2013.  This is considered a meaningful movement from the end of Fiscal Year 2025, when EB-2 availability date remained on January 1, 2013.  It will be interesting to see whether there will be steady movement in the coming months.  This certainly is a category that needs further monitoring. 
  • For China’s visa preference category:   the visa availability date advanced significantly to April 1, 2021.  It was previously on December 15, 2020 in the September 2025 visa bulletin.
  • There was also significant movement for Mexico, the Philippines, and the World:  they all now show visa availability date of December 1, 2023.  Previously, in the September 2025 visa bulletin, their date was on September 1, 2023.

As this is just the start of the new Fiscal Year 2026, it will be interesting to see how much movement there will be in the coming months.  This is an area that certainly needs continual monitoring. 

• Employment-based third preference category (EB-3) (in the Final Action Dates table):
  • EB-3 India’s visa availability date moved ahead to August 22, 2013.  This is a jump of three (3) months from May 22, 2013 in the previous September 2025 visa bulletin.  It will be interesting to see how EB-3 dates progress in the upcoming months of fiscal year 2026.
  • EB-3 China’s visa availability date also advanced to March 1, 2021.  It was at December 1, 2020 in the September 2025 visa bulletin. 
  • EB-3 world’s visa availability date remains on April 1, 2023.  The same date of April 1, 2023 is shown for Mexico too.  Meanwhile, Philippines’ EB-3 date also advanced by a bit more and also advanced to April 1, 2023.   
  • In the EB-3 Other Workers (EW) category, there was notable movement in some of the countries.  For India, it moved by three (3) months to August 22, 2013. China’s date also advanced to December 1, 2017.  Mexico and Philippines’ dates both moved ahead to July 1, 2020.  And for the ‘World’ chargeability it also moved slightly ahead to July 15, 2021.
• Employment-based fourth preference category (EB-4):
  • Unlike the September 2025 visa bulletin, in this coming month of October- the start of the U.S. Fiscal Year, there are visas available, and it is set at July 1, 2020 for all countries of the world, including India, China, and the Philippines, and Mexico.
  • It should also be noted that unless U.S. Congress passes legislation to extend the EB-4 religious worker visa category, there continues to be ‘unavailable’ and nonimmigrants cannot submit any I-360 petitions until legislation action is taken to resume this category.  Once it becomes available, then the visas will become available immediately.  So, this is an area that certain required continuing monitoring.
• Employment-based fifth preference category (EB-5) (referring to the Final Action Date chart):
  • There is great demand and numbers usage by applicants in India and China.  And because of high demand, the Department of State has to updated India’s visa availability date to February 1, 2021.  This is a significant jump from November 15, 2019 in the September 2025 visa bulletin.  But it will interesting to see where it goes from here and at least in the next few months.
  • For the other countries, and the rest of the world, the visa continues to be current/available for the nationals from those countries and regions.  It will also be interesting how this category progresses in the upcoming year.
  • On the EB-5 immigrant investor visa category, a reminder once again to readers that DOS’s visa bulletin for EB-5 preference category has also been updated to reflect the new provisions of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA). 
  • It now has two (2) pools of visa numbers within the EB-5 category.  One is reserved for certain set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure projects), while the remaining available numbers remain ‘unreserved’.
  • Finally, in the Final Action Dates chart for EB5 Set Asides (which covers Rural, and High Unemployment, and Infrastructure areas) for Chinese born and Indian born applicants as well as applicants from around the world continue to remain ‘Current’. 

Family-based Immigrant Visa Categories (with discussions also touching on the Final Action Dates table):

• A reminder that DOS continues to use the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications chart.
• But in connection with the actual Final Action Dates table which is the actual visa availability date table to look at, and starting in June 2023, due to the steady usage of the F2A – Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents – DOS had to set a final action date for this category in order to maintain steady availability of this particular visa category for the upcoming months.
• So, in the Final Action Date for F-1 visa preference category (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens)– India, the date has moved ahead to reach November 8, 2016.
• As for F-2A - India for the October 2025 visa bulletin, it expects significant advancement: February 1, 2024.  It was on September 1, 2022 in the September 2025 visa bulletin.  Other countries also see date movements ahead:  China, and World, and Philippines also have moved forward to February 1, 2024.  As for Mexico, their visa availability has been set on February 1, 2023.
• As early as back in the August 2023 visa bulletin, the DOS had also explained that the F2B – Unmarried Son and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Resident, is experiencing steady usage throughout the years.
• In fact, for the latest October 2025 visa bulletin, U.S. Department of State has maintained dates in F2B as follows:
  • India moved ahead to November 22, 2016.
  • China also advanced to November 22, 2016.
  • The rest of the world also moved to November 22, 2016.
  • Mexico moved several months ahead to December 15, 2017 and the Philippines also moved several months ahead to October 1, 2012.
• There were also some movements in the F-3 dates though (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. citizens):
  • India – September 8, 2011
  • China – September 8, 2011
  • The rest of the world also moved to September 8, 2011.
  • Mexico also moved ahead to April 15, 2001.
  • The Philippines moved ahead to September 22, 2004.
• In the F-4 (brother and sister of U.S. citizen) category, dates did not move much.
  • India – remains on November 1, 2006
  • China – advanced by a few days to January 8, 2008
  • The rest of the world also moved a few days to January 8, 2008
  • Mexico advanced a little to April 8, 2001
  • The Philippines also advanced by a few months to March 22, 2006.

Even at the start of the new Fiscal Year 2026, the U.S. Department of State is still doing its best to try and keep the various employment-based and family-based visa numbers in steady movement and to not have the visa numbers be used up too quickly.  But with still high demand for these visas, Department of State will continue to be cautious in how it sets its monthly visa number goals.

With the start of the new fiscal year 2026, it is not uncommon to see the visa availability dates experience some fluctuations, especially in the start of the new fiscal year.  This is the period of time that we advise readers to keep their eyes out for any changes in this visa bulletin.

For this key reason, we do encourage readers to check in this space regularly for any further updates.

Pasricha & Patel’s Immigration Department has extensive experience in handling business and personal immigration matters. Our team is happy to speak with you on your specific issue.