October 2026 briefing
U.S. immigration data, tracked from official sources
Visa Bulletin cutoff dates, USCIS processing times and Department of Labor PERM processing, collected every month from U.S. government publications and shown as history charts. Each section links to pages that cite the official source and its date. This site gives data, not legal advice.
Visa Bulletin: October 2026 final action dates
Selected categories from the October 2026 bulletin (U.S. Department of State), with the change from September. Open any cell for its full history.
| Category | India | China | All other countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Feb 1, 2023+3.6 mo | Jul 1, 2023no change | Currentno change |
| EB-2 | Nov 1, 2013available | Oct 1, 2021+1.0 mo | Jan 1, 2025was Current |
| EB-3 | Jan 1, 2014no change | Jan 8, 2022+0.2 mo | May 15, 2024−3.6 mo |
| F4 | Dec 15, 2006+1.4 mo | Oct 22, 2011no change | Oct 22, 2011no change |
USCIS average processing time, August 2026
Months from receipt to decision for cases completed that month, from USCIS's monthly report to Congress.
- I-13018.1 months0.4 months slower than July2,475,445 pending
- I-485 (employment)11.8 months1.3 months slower than July270,857 pending
- I-485 (family)12.4 months0.6 months slower than July601,751 pending
- N-40012.7 months1.3 months slower than July813,453 pending
- I-75121.9 months1.6 months faster than July360,671 pending
- I-765 (EAD)6.8 months1.0 months slower than July1,921,541 pending
Green card backlog and PERM
USCIS quarterly reports and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Employment-based backlog, June 2026856,662approved petitions waitingFamily-based backlog, June 2026947,865approved petitions waitingEB-2 NIW approval rate, FY2026 Q3 (Apr-Jun 2026)55.3%of decided I-140 petitionsPERM analyst review, as of 2026-10-05336 daysworking on applications filed in January 2026