October 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis: The First Month of FY 2027

The Department of State published the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027, and it brings a change that will confuse a lot of people. It is not just a matter of dates moving up or down: the chart you are supposed to use changed.

Why the numbers look odd

The Visa Bulletin publishes two charts every month, with different dates for the same category. They answer different questions:

Anyone following an employment case had been looking at the column on the right. This month they are looking at the one on the left. Those are different numbers, and the difference has nothing to do with the queue having moved.

That is why someone can open the October bulletin and conclude there was a massive retrogression, when part of what they are seeing is simply a different yardstick.

How we know what actually changed

Every comparison in this article follows that rule. We placed the October Dates for Filing chart side by side with the September Dates for Filing chart. What appears below is real movement, not an effect of the yardstick change.

If the distinction between the two charts is still not clear, it is worth reading our guide on how to understand the Visa Bulletin first.

Select your country of chargeability to see your dates

October opens the fiscal year, and that is not always good news

There is a widespread expectation that the first bulletin of the fiscal year brings across-the-board advances, because a new allotment of visas becomes available. This year that held for some countries and not for others, and the explanation lies in the size of the allotment.

Annual limit	Fiscal year 2026	Fiscal year 2027
Employment visas, worldwide level	186,317	At least 140,000
Family visas, minimum	226,000	226,000
Per-country limit	28,862	25,620
Dependent area limit	8,247	7,320

The worldwide employment visa limit dropped significantly from one year to the next. That number is not fixed: it absorbs the family visas left unused in the prior year, which is why it fluctuates. A fiscal year with a large family surplus produces a higher employment ceiling the following year.

With fewer numbers available and the same accumulated demand, the Department of State had to set cutoff dates where there had been none.

What changes in practice for employment cases

Anyone preparing to file adjustment of status in a category that was Current needs to reassess the timeline.

• In EB-2 for the rest of the world, only applicants with a priority date earlier than March 15, 2026 can file. Since the category had been Current, in practice this still covers nearly everyone with a petition already on file, but it closes the door for anyone joining the queue from here on
• In EB-3, the cutoff is August 1, 2024, which is far more restrictive
• In EB-4, the two-year advance opens the window for a meaningful group that had been waiting
• EB-1 and EB-5 unreserved remain Current, with no queue

It is worth remembering that filing adjustment of status is what unlocks the applications for work and travel authorization. When a category moves off Current, it is not only the final date that moves away: the interim benefits do too.

A note for religious workers

The bulletin records that a law signed on September 2, 2026 extended the Certain Religious Workers (SR) category, within the employment fourth preference, through December 11, 2026. The category remains subject to the same dates as the other EB-4 lines.

What to watch from here

Two points deserve attention in the coming bulletins. The first is whether October’s cuts were in fact a first-quarter measure, as the bulletin text suggests, or whether they are here to stay. The second is the chart designation: USCIS reviews it monthly, and it can change again.

Before assuming any timeline, check the current bulletin and the chart designation for the month. Our guide to the Visa Bulletin shows how to do that reading in a few minutes.

What this means for your case

The real impact depends on three variables that exist only in your own case: the priority date, the country of birth, and the stage the case is in. A retrogression that stalls one case can be irrelevant to another in the same category.

If you have a petition in progress and want to understand what this bulletin changes for your situation, talk to our team.

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Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The Visa Bulletin is updated every month and dates may advance or retrogress. Every immigration situation is unique and requires individual analysis by a qualified attorney. Contact Kravitz & Guerra Law Offices to evaluate your specific case.