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Visa Bulletin priority dates and chart determination

Every month USCIS decides separately whether adjustment of status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart or must use Final Action Dates. That decision determines whether an application may be filed at all.

Chart in use — August 2026

Priority date cutoffs — August 2026

The cutoff dates published in the August 2026 Visa Bulletin, read from the State Department's own PDF. The department publishes each month as a separate document and does not publish the difference between them, so the movement figures below are computed here by comparing consecutive bulletins.

Employment-based, Final Action Dates

Employment-based, Final Action Dates for August 2026
CategoryAll areas except those listedChina (mainland)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
1stCurrent1 Jul 202315 Oct 2022CurrentCurrent
2ndCurrent1 Sep 2021UnavailableCurrentCurrent
3rd1 Sep 20241 Jan 20221 Jan 20141 Sep 20241 Aug 2023
Other Workers1 Apr 20221 May 20191 Jan 20141 Apr 20221 Dec 2021
4th15 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 2022
Certain Religious Workers15 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 202215 Oct 2022
5th UnreservedCurrent1 Dec 2016UnavailableCurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: RuralCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: High UnemploymentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: InfrastructureCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent

Employment-based, Dates for Filing

Employment-based, Dates for Filing for August 2026
CategoryAll areas except those listedChina (mainland)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
1stCurrent1 Dec 20231 Dec 2023CurrentCurrent
2ndCurrent1 Jan 202215 Jan 2015CurrentCurrent
3rdCurrent8 Jan 202215 Jan 2015Current1 Jan 2024
Other Workers1 Aug 20221 Oct 201915 Jan 20151 Aug 20221 Aug 2022
4th1 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 2023
Certain Religious Workers1 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 20231 Jan 2023
5th UnreservedCurrent1 Mar 20171 May 2024CurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: RuralCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: High UnemploymentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
5th Set Aside: InfrastructureCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent

Family-sponsored, Final Action Dates

Family-sponsored, Final Action Dates for August 2026
CategoryAll areas except those listedChina (mainland)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
F115 Dec 201815 Dec 201815 Dec 20181 Dec 20071 May 2013
F2A22 Jul 202622 Jul 202622 Jul 202622 Jul 202522 Jul 2026
F2B1 Jan 20181 Jan 20181 Jan 201815 Feb 20091 Jun 2013
F315 May 201215 May 201215 May 20121 Jul 200122 Feb 2006
F41 Sep 20091 Sep 20091 Nov 20068 Apr 20011 Aug 2007

Family-sponsored, Dates for Filing

Family-sponsored, Dates for Filing for August 2026
CategoryAll areas except those listedChina (mainland)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
F115 Jun 201915 Jun 201915 Jun 20191 Dec 200822 Apr 2015
F2ACurrentCurrentCurrentCurrentCurrent
F2B1 Jan 20191 Jan 20191 Jan 201915 May 20101 Oct 2013
F31 Mar 20131 Mar 20131 Mar 201315 Jul 20018 Aug 2006
F422 Jun 201022 Jun 201015 Dec 200630 Apr 200122 Mar 2008

Recent retrogressions

A retrogression is a cutoff date moving backwards from one month to the next.

Based on 49 monthly bulletins from 2022-03 to 2026-08, covering 1,382 recorded changes.

The two charts

Dates for Filing allows applications to be submitted earlier than final approval would allow. When USCIS designates this chart, adjustment applicants whose priority date is earlier than the listed date may file, even though a visa is not yet available for final approval.

Final Action Dates shows when a visa may actually be issued or status approved. When USCIS designates this chart, an application may only be filed once the priority date is earlier than the listed date.

This page reports what the bulletin says, which chart USCIS designated, and how the cutoff dates changed. It does not indicate whether any particular application may be filed, which depends on a priority date, category and country of chargeability.