October 2026 EB-5 Visa Bulletin: dates explained as of 22 October

October 2026 remains the current U.S. Visa Bulletin listed by the State Department as of 22 October. For unreserved EB-5 cases, India again has a final-action cut-off, while mainland China has a later date for filing documents.

This is an explanation of the October bulletin, not a November update. When checked on 22 October, the official bulletin index still described the upcoming bulletin as coming soon. Do not carry October’s dates into a later month without checking again.

October’s unreserved EB-5 dates

The October 2026 bulletin gives these cut-offs:

• Mainland China: final action, 1 December 2016; filing, 1 March 2021.
• India: final action, 1 December 2023; filing, 1 May 2024.
• Mexico, the Philippines and all other chargeability areas: current in both charts.

A priority date must be earlier than a listed cut-off, not equal to it. “Current” means there is no priority-date cut-off in that row. It is not a promise of approval or a processing-time estimate.

What changed from September?

In the September bulletin, India’s unreserved final-action row was marked unavailable. October replaces that status with the 1 December 2023 date.

Mainland China’s filing cut-off moves forward four years, from 1 March 2017 to 1 March 2021. Its final-action cut-off does not move. These are different stages: a later filing date does not mean visas can be issued to everyone covered by that date.

Which chart matters?

Final-action dates concern visa-number availability for final decisions. Filing dates concern an earlier step. For consular processing, applicants must follow the National Visa Center’s instructions before submitting the required documents.

If applying to adjust status inside the United States using Form I-485, check the official USCIS filing-chart notice for the relevant month. This article does not confirm which chart USCIS authorises for October. Do not treat the State Department’s filing chart alone as permission to submit an I-485.

Reserved categories and country of chargeability

October’s rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure EB-5 set-aside rows are current across every listed chargeability area in both charts. They are separate from the unreserved row.

Chargeability normally follows place of birth, rather than current residence or citizenship. Exceptions exist, including some family situations. An applicant living in Ireland, for example, should not automatically choose the “all other” column solely because they live there.

Before relying on a date, confirm the case’s category, chargeability and priority date. For an individual filing decision, use official instructions and qualified immigration advice.

State Department information checked on 22 October 2026. General information only, not individual immigration, legal or investment advice.

Illustrative workplace meeting, not identified EB-5 applicants. Photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. Cropped.