Visa Bulletin for February 2026: EB-3 Final Action Dates and Filing Guidance

The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for February 2026 (Volume XI, Number 11), which governs the availability of immigrant visa numbers for the month. The bulletin serves as the primary reference for both consular officers abroad and USCIS adjudicators handling adjustment of status applications domestically. For EB-3 applicants, the bulletin is critical as it determines whether a priority date is 'current' — meaning a visa number is available and an applicant can proceed with their immigrant visa interview or adjustment of status filing. Allocations were made based on demand received by January 5th, prioritizing applicants in chronological order of their reported priority dates. The fiscal year 2026 worldwide employment-based visa limit remains at least 140,000 visas annually, with per-country caps set at 7% of the combined family and employment-based limits (approximately 25,620 per country). Countries with historically high demand — China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines — remain oversubscribed, meaning EB-3 applicants from these nations face significantly longer wait times than those from other countries. Applicants seeking to file for adjustment of status with USCIS should default to using the Final Action Dates charts in this bulletin. USCIS may separately authorize use of the more favorable 'Dates for Filing' charts if visa supply exceeds known applicant demand for the fiscal year — applicants should monitor the USCIS website at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for any such announcement. EB-3 applicants and their attorneys should review the specific cutoff dates in the February 2026 bulletin for their country of chargeability and employment-based category (EB-3 skilled workers, professionals, or other workers) to determine eligibility to file or receive a visa number this month.