The October green card Visa Bulletin, for the first month of the new fiscal year, has been released. The final action date for spouses and minor children of green card holders (F2A) advanced to Sept. 22, 2026, narrowing the gap between filing and approval to a few weeks. By contrast, the employment-based second preference (EB-2), widely used by Koreans, retreated from "Current" to Jan. 1, 2025, and the third preference (EB-3) moved back from Sept. 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024. For October, USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based cases, so filing remains broadly open.
The October green card bulletin from the State Department brings mixed results. Family-sponsored categories advanced slightly, while employment-based second and third preferences moved backward. October marks the start of fiscal year 2027, when new visa numbers become available, and the State Department said it held back some employment-based categories to stay within quarterly and annual limits.
Spouses of Green Card Holders: Only Weeks Between Filing and Approval
The most notable change is in F2A, the category for spouses and minor children of green card holders. The final action date advanced by one month to Sept. 22, 2026. That means the gap between the date of someone filing a petition now and the date of someone being approved is only a few weeks. The Dates for Filing entry is "Current (C)."
The other family-sponsored categories are unchanged from September. The final action date for unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens (F1) stayed at Jan. 22, 2020; for unmarried adult children of green card holders (F2B), Aug. 22, 2019; for married children of U.S. citizens (F3), Oct. 22, 2014; and for siblings of U.S. citizens (F4), Oct. 22, 2011.
Employment Second Preference Falls Back From 'Current' by 1 Year, 9 Months
Employment-based categories moved in the opposite direction. The EB-2 final action date, which had been "Current" through September, retreated to Jan. 1, 2025. The EB-3 date moved back from Sept. 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024, and the date for unskilled EB-3 workers moved back from April 1, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2022. The first preference (EB-1) and immigrant investors (EB-5) remained "Current."
Dates usually open up when a new fiscal year begins, but this time they moved the other way because of demand. The State Department said that while many categories advanced as new-year visa numbers became available, it held back some employment-based categories for chargeability areas in general in order to manage issuance within the fiscal year 2027 quarterly and annual limits. The retreat can be seen as a reaction to the backlog of applications that were processed all at once while the categories were left "Current" at the end of the last fiscal year.
Filing Under the Dates for Filing Chart: Applications Can Still Be Submitted
A retreat in the final action date does not mean applicants cannot file. For October, USCIS will accept adjustment of status (I-485) applications for both family-sponsored and employment-based cases based on the second chart, Dates for Filing. Applicants with a priority date earlier than March 15, 2026, in EB-2 or Aug. 1, 2024, in EB-3 can file a green card application from within the United States.
Once an application is filed, applicants can also apply for a work permit (EAD) and travel permit while waiting for approval, so filing itself is significant for people with uncertain status. However, USCIS decides each month which chart to use, so there is no guarantee the same conditions will hold in November. Applicants who are eligible are safer filing in October.
South Korea is not a separate quota country, so the dates for "All Chargeability Areas" apply as they are. For cases processed through a consulate, the final action date, not the filing date, is the standard. Families waiting for an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul can assume there is no change this month except for F2A.