October 2026 US Visa Bulletin: India EB-2 Dates and the Two-Chart Trap

Checked on 21 October 2026. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin gives applicants a current set of immigrant-visa availability dates, but a date copied from a headline can answer the wrong question. Always identify the preference category, chargeability column and chart before deciding what the bulletin means for a case.

Selected October Final Action Dates

The Department of State lists these dates for applicants chargeable to India in the employment-based Final Action chart:

• EB-1: 1 February 2023.
• EB-2: 1 November 2013.
• EB-3 skilled workers and professionals: 1 January 2014.
• EB-5 unreserved: 1 December 2023.

These are selected rows, not a complete reproduction of the bulletin. The separate other-worker and reserved-investor categories need their own checks. A listed cutoff requires a priority date earlier than it; matching the cutoff exactly is not enough.

Final action and filing answer different questions

USCIS explains that the Final Action chart concerns when a visa may be issued, while Dates for Filing concerns an earlier application or document-submission stage. Eligibility to submit paperwork is not a promise of immediate permanent residence.

For adjustment of status inside the United States, USCIS determines which chart can be used in a particular month. Applicants must check that month's USCIS selection as well as the State Department bulletin. This article does not make an individual filing determination.

For consular processing, follow the National Visa Center's instructions about submitting documentation. A general internet summary should not replace a case-specific notice.

A useful way to avoid comparing the wrong dates

Write four items at the top of your case notes: category, applicable chargeability, priority date and the month being checked. Then label any number you copy with the full chart name. This prevents a filing date saved from one page from later being mistaken for an approval cutoff.

For example, someone saving an EB-2 result should not simply write “India date.” They should record which chart it came from and whether they are assessing filing or final action. That small habit makes later comparisons much clearer.

Predictions are not the next bulletin

At the time of this check, the State Department's bulletin index showed October as current and the upcoming bulletin as coming soon. Treat online forecasts as forecasts until official dates appear. Recheck before acting, particularly if a deadline or a possible change in eligibility is close.