October 2026 Visa Bulletin: China Advances While EB-2 and EB-3 Categories Face Delays

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin presents a mixed landscape for employment-based immigration to the United States, with notable disparities between countries and visa categories.

Chinese nationals experienced significant advancements in their visa priority dates, marking a positive development for this historically congested country. This progress reflects ongoing efforts to address the substantial backlog that has long affected applicants from China seeking employment-based green cards.

However, the bulletin reveals challenging news for the broader immigration system. Worldwide EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based categories have experienced retrogression, meaning priority dates have moved backward. This retrogression indicates increased demand for these visa categories and reflects the complex dynamics of employment-based immigration processing.

In a procedural development, USCIS announced it will honor dates for filing, a measure that allows certain applicants to file adjustment of status or consular processing applications even when their priority dates have not yet become current. This policy provides some relief to affected applicants by enabling them to proceed with their applications earlier than traditional processing would allow.

The EB-2 category, which covers professionals with advanced degrees and individuals with exceptional ability, and the EB-3 category, encompassing skilled workers and professionals, remain critical pathways for employment-based immigration. The retrogression in these categories underscores the ongoing pressure on the employment-based immigration system and the significant demand from international workers seeking permanent residency.

These developments highlight the continued complexity and variation within the U.S. immigration system, where progress in certain areas coexists with delays in others. Applicants and employers must carefully monitor visa bulletin updates to understand their eligibility and timing for filing applications.

Source: Fragomen — Published: 2026-09-29T14:37:01.000Z

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Editorial note: This content was researched and generated on 2026-09-29. Facts and pricing are verified at time of writing and subject to change.