February 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Advances for Most, Stalls for China & India

The U.S. Department of State's February 2026 Visa Bulletin has brought encouraging news for most EB-3 employment-based immigration applicants, with priority dates advancing across the majority of chargeability countries. This forward movement means applicants in the EB-3 category — covering skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — may be closer to filing adjustment of status applications or receiving immigrant visas. Notably, applicants born in China-mainland and India are exceptions to this advancement. These two countries face severe per-country backlogs driven by historically high demand relative to the annual visa supply. Priority dates for China-mainland and India-born EB-3 applicants did not advance in the February bulletin, extending wait times that already span years or decades for some individuals. For applicants from all other countries, the advancement signals potential movement through the USCIS and National Visa Center processing queues. Applicants should review the February 2026 Visa Bulletin's Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts to determine their eligibility window for the current month. Immigration practitioners at Ogletree Deakins advise EB-3 applicants to work closely with their attorneys to assess filing eligibility and ensure all documentation is current and ready for submission when priority dates become current. Monitoring monthly bulletin updates remains essential as dates can retrogress without notice.