Overview
- The State Department’s February 2026 Visa Bulletin holds nearly all employment-based categories in place, with only All Other Countries EB-3 Professionals advancing 40 days to June 1, 2023.
- For All Other Countries, EB-1 remains current, EB-2 stays at April 1, 2024, and EB-3 Other Workers remains at September 1, 2021.
- USCIS will accept I-485 applications in February using the Dates for Filing chart, providing roughly 3 to 10 additional months to file depending on category and nationality.
- Examples of the filing window: Chinese nationals gain about 6 months in EB‑1, 4 months in EB‑2, 8 months in EB‑3 Professionals, and nearly 10 months in EB‑3 Other Workers, while Indian nationals gain about 8 months in EB‑1, 4.5 months in EB‑2, and 9 months in EB‑3.
- India and China remain stalled at earlier Final Action cutoffs, while analyses note EB‑3 wait times for Mexico, the Philippines, and Rest of World improve by roughly 1.5 to 3 months.