March 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Cutoff Dates Hold Steady for India and China

The U.S. Department of State released the March 2026 Visa Bulletin with mixed news for EB-3 employment-based applicants. The most significant development for the majority of applicants is that the Rest of World (ROW) final action date advances to October 1, 2023, offering incremental forward movement for workers from most countries outside India, China, and the Philippines. For EB-3 applicants from India, there is no change in the March bulletin. The final action date remains fixed at November 15, 2013 — a date that has seen little movement and continues to reflect the severe backlog affecting Indian-born workers in the employment-based third preference category. EB-3 India Other Workers aligns with the same date of November 15, 2013. China-born EB-3 applicants also see no movement this month. The final action cutoff holds at May 1, 2021, with the EB-3 Other Workers category for China remaining at December 8, 2018. Both backlogs continue to reflect years of oversubscription in these high-demand chargeability countries. The Philippines sees a positive update this month, with the EB-3 cutoff date advancing to August 1, 2023. This movement is relevant to the large number of Filipino workers in healthcare and other skilled occupations who use the EB-3 pathway. EB-3 applicants from India and China should continue to monitor USCIS filing date charts for any adjustment of status filing opportunities, as those dates may differ from the final action dates. Applicants are encouraged to consult with an immigration attorney to understand how these dates affect their individual timelines.