Visa Bulletin September 2026 Update: No Movement in EB-3 Final Action Dates

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin, published by the State Department, brings no forward movement in the Final Action dates for any employment-based preference category. USCIS has confirmed it will use the Final Action chart—not the Dates for Filing chart—to determine eligibility for Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) submissions this month. For EB-3 applicants, the cutoff dates remain frozen: All Chargeability Areas and Mexico hold at September 1, 2024; China at January 1, 2022; India at January 1, 2014; and the Philippines at August 1, 2023. Employers with foreign-national employees near these cutoff dates should monitor developments closely, as no relief is expected before the end of fiscal year 2026. India-born applicants face particularly challenging conditions. The EB-2 category for India remains designated as 'unauthorized,' meaning no visas are available for the remainder of FY2026 after the pro-rated limit was reached. Additionally, the State Department has warned that India's EB-1 category may also be suspended if the pro-rated limit is reached before the fiscal year closes. A critical development outside the Visa Bulletin itself is the State Department's suspension of immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. This does not affect Adjustment of Status applicants inside the U.S., but employees pursuing consular processing abroad may face indefinite delays even if their priority date is current. Employers are urged to identify affected employees and consult immigration counsel about alternative pathways or adjusted timelines. Employers should review their foreign-national workforce against the September Final Action dates and prepare to act quickly if dates advance in October. Given the freeze in movement and the consular processing disruption, proactive planning—including exploring premium processing where available and auditing pending I-140 petitions—is especially important heading into the final weeks of FY2026.