The U.S. Department of State has released the January 2026 visa bulletin. The Visa Bulletin provides an update on the availability of immigrant visas for both consular processing and adjustment of status applications for the month of December 2025. The bulletin includes both the Final Action Dates and the Dates for Filing for employment-based and Family-Based immigrant visa categories. In addition, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces each month which chart applicants should use to file their Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications.
Below is a summary of the key developments in the January 2026 Visa Bulletin:
Family-Based Categories
For the January 2026, USCIS announced applicants in the Family-Based immigrant visa categories should refer to the Dates for Filing chart when submitting adjustment of status applications. This month’s bulletin reflects forward movement across all categories.
In the F-1 category, which includes unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of U.S. citizens, Dates for Filing cutoff date for Mexico will advance by six months to September 1, 2007. The cutoff dates for all other countries won’t change. For the F-1 category, the Final Action Dates for Mexico will advance by six months to September 1, 2006. The Final Action Dates for the Philippines will advance by six weeks to March 1, 2013. The Final Action Dates for all other countries will stay the same as last month.
In the F-2A category, which encompasses spouses and unmarried children (under age 21) of U.S. green card holders, the Dates for filing for all categories will advance by one month to December 22, 2025. In the F-2A category, the Final Action Dates for all categories will stay the same as last month.
The F-2B category, which covers unmarried children (age 21 or older) of a U.S. green card holder, sees the Dates for Filing for the Philippines will stay on October 1, 2013. The cutoff date for Mexico will advance by seven months to November 15, 2009. The cutoff dates for all other countries will advance by one week to March 15, 2017. In the F-2B category, the Final Action Date for Mexico will advance by six months to November 15, 2008, and over two months for the Philippines to December 22, 2012. The Final Action Dates for all other countries will be on December 1, 2016.
In the F-3 category, which includes the married children of U.S. citizens, the Dates for Filing for the Philippines will advance by three to February 1, 2006. The cutoff dates for all other countries won’t change from last month. In the F-3 category, the Final Action Date for the Philippines will advance by for months to March 1, 2005. Finally, the Final Action Dates for all other countries won’t change from last month.
In the F-4 category, pertaining to brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, the Dates for Filing for the Philippines will advance by two weeks to January 15, 2008. The Dates for Filing for all other countries won’t change from last month. In F-4 category, the Final Action Date for the Philippines will advance by just one week to July 22, 2006. The Final Action Dates for all other countries won’t change from last month.
Employment-Based Categories
As part of its regular monthly announcement, USCIS confirmed that applicants filing under the Employment-Eased categories may use the Date of Filing chart for January. The January Visa Bulletin from the State Department sets the Final Action cutoff dates for immigrant visa issuance and adjustment of status approval as follows:
In the EB-1 category, the Final Action Dates for China will advance by one week to February 1, 2023, and India will advance by almost one year to February 1, 2023. All other countries will continue to be current. In Dates for Filing Category, the cutoff date for China will advance by two months to August 1, 2023. India’s cut-off date will advance by three months to August 1, 2023. The cut-off dates for all other countries remain current.
In the EB-2 category, China will advance by three months to September 1, 2021, and India will advance by two months to July 15, 2013. All other countries will advance by two months to April 1, 2024. Under the Dates of Filing Chart, the cutoff date for India will stay on December 1, 2013, while for China, the cutoff date will advance by one month to January 1, 2022. For the rest of the world, the cutoff date will advance by three months to October 15, 2024.
In the EB-3 Professional and Skill Workers category, the Final Action Date for China will advance by one month to May 1, 2021, and India will advance by two months to November 15, 2013. All other countries will advance by one week to April 22, 2023. Meanwhile under the Dates of Filing Chart for EB-3, the cutoff date for India will stay at August 15, 2014. For China, the cutoff date will stay at January 1, 2022. For the rest of the world, the cutoff date will remain at July 1, 2023.
In the EB-3 Other workers category, the Final Action Date for China will advance by one year to December 8, 2018, while for India it will advance by two months to November 15, 2013. The Final Action Dates for the rest of the world will advance by one month to September 1, 2021. The Date for Filling cutoff date for China will advance by one year to October 1, 2019. The Dates for Filing for India will stay on August 15, 2014. The Dates for Filing for all other countries will stay on December 1, 2021.
In the EB-4 category, the Final Action Dates for all groups will advance by four months to January 1, 2021. For the Dates for Filing chart, all cut off dates will advance by one month to March 15, 2021.
In the EB-5 unreserved category, the Final Action Dates for China will advance by one month to August 15, 2016. The Final Action Dates for India it will advance by ten months to May 1, 2022. The Final Action Dates for all other categories remain current. In the Dates for Filing chart, the cutoff date for China will advance by one month to August 22, 2016. The cutoff date for India will advance by two years to May 1, 2024. The cutoff dates for all other categories remain current.
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