United States · Visa Bulletin
October 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions vs. Actual Results
Compare October 2026 Visa Bulletin predictions with published results for EB-2 India, EB-5 India and EB-3 worldwide, then check your priority date.
Published . Updated .
Reported and checked by Walter Armani. Last checked September 29, 2026. Research and verification follow the QueueCheck editorial standards. How we verify information
October predictions and the published outcome
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin is published. EB-2 India reopened at November 1, 2013, earlier than the July 15, 2014 date discussed before release. EB-5 unreserved India reopened at December 1, 2023, later than the earlier May 1, 2022 expectation. EB-3 worldwide and Mexico moved backward to May 15, 2024. This page compares the original expectations with the published Final Action Dates; use the official October charts for decisions.
Who this comparison is for
Applicants returning to the October predictions page who want to know whether the expectations held up, especially those in EB-2 India, EB-5 unreserved India and EB-3 worldwide. Country labels refer to visa chargeability, usually based on birthplace, rather than where an applicant lives.
What October's published bulletin established
- QueueCheck verified the published October bulletin against the State Department index and official PDF on September 29, 2026. Its charts govern October 1 through October 31, 2026. The document's September 4 notation is not a verified public release timestamp.
- The July bulletin's sections F and I described possible October recovery for EB-2 India and EB-5 unreserved India. Both expectations depended on Indian demand and the FY 2027 employment-based annual limit.
- The published October EB-2 India Final Action Date did not reach the earlier conditional expectation. The EB-5 unreserved India date exceeded its earlier reference date. Neither reference was a guaranteed minimum.
- October's section B explains that some Rest of World employment categories retrogressed to keep issuance within FY 2027 quarterly and annual limits. The annual reset did not produce forward movement in every category.
Which chart answers which question
Final Action Dates concern visa-number availability for final action. Dates for Filing concern an earlier document or application stage. Comparing a prediction about Final Action Dates with a published Dates for Filing value gives a misleading result.
A priority date must be earlier than the applicable cut-off. Equality does not qualify. Current means the chart imposes no priority-date cut-off for that row; Unavailable means numbers are not authorized.
For adjustment of status in the United States, USCIS separately identifies which chart may be used to file. Reaching a Dates for Filing cut-off alone does not establish that USCIS accepts an October application.
For consular processing, follow National Visa Center instructions when submitting documents. Reaching a Final Action Date does not by itself guarantee an interview, approval or visa issuance.
October predictions compared with published Final Action Dates
October 2026 bulletin verified September 29, 2026
The two India expectations came from July's conditional official statements. Other rows show the September baseline for categories discussed in the original article. These are Final Action Dates, not USCIS filing permissions.
EB-2 India actual result
November 1, 2013
Reopened, but earlier than the conditional July 15, 2014 expectation.
EB-5 unreserved India actual result
December 1, 2023
Reopened beyond the conditional May 1, 2022 reference.
EB-3 worldwide actual result
May 15, 2024
Retrogressed from September 1, 2024.
| Category | Earlier expectation or September baseline | October 2026 Final Action Date | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 India | Conditional official expectation: at least July 15, 2014 | November 1, 2013 | Reopened from Unavailable; earlier than the expectation |
| EB-5 unreserved India | Conditional official expectation: at least May 1, 2022 | December 1, 2023 | Reopened from Unavailable; later than the reference |
| EB-1 India | September baseline: October 15, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | Advanced |
| EB-3 worldwide and Mexico | September baseline: September 1, 2024 | May 15, 2024 | Retrogressed |
| EB-3 China | September baseline: January 1, 2022 | January 8, 2022 | Advanced |
| EB-3 India | September baseline: January 1, 2014 | January 1, 2014 | Unchanged |
| EB-3 Philippines | September baseline: August 1, 2023 | August 15, 2023 | Advanced |
| EB-3 other workers, worldwide | September baseline: April 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | Retrogressed |
| EB-2 worldwide | September baseline: Current | January 1, 2025 | Changed from Current to a dated cut-off |
What the comparison shows
- The original article's use of the word floor did not establish a guaranteed minimum. EB-2 India's published result was earlier than the conditional reference.
- Reopening from Unavailable and advancing beyond an earlier date are different comparisons. Both India categories reopened, but only EB-5 unreserved exceeded its prerelease reference.
The official bulletins behind the comparison
- July 2026 bulletin, sections F and I; May and June reference dates
- September and October 2026 employment-based Final Action Dates
Limits of this comparison
- All actual values are checked against the official October PDF and QueueCheck's shared bulletin dataset.
- Worldwide means All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed. Use the separately listed country row where applicable.
October prediction questions after release
Were the October 2026 Visa Bulletin predictions accurate?
The results were mixed. EB-2 India reopened at November 1, 2013, short of the conditional July 15, 2014 expectation. EB-5 unreserved India reopened at December 1, 2023, beyond the May 1, 2022 reference. EB-3 worldwide retrogressed instead of making the forward movement discussed before release.
Has the October 2026 Visa Bulletin been released?
Yes. QueueCheck verified the published bulletin on September 29, 2026. It applies during October 2026. September 4 is the date printed in the document, not a confirmed website publication date or time.
Did EB-2 India become available again in October?
Yes, with a Final Action Date of November 1, 2013. A priority date equal to that date is not reached. The October Dates for Filing value is January 15, 2015, but that separate chart does not establish USCIS filing permission by itself.
How far did EB-3 worldwide move in October?
It moved backward from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024 on the Final Action Dates chart. Mexico has the same result. China, India and the Philippines must be checked in their own rows.
Can I file because my date is before October's Dates for Filing cut-off?
For adjustment of status, first verify which October chart USCIS accepts for your preference group. QueueCheck had not verified that selection as of September 29, 2026. For consular processing, follow NVC's notification and document instructions. Neither chart alone establishes all filing requirements.
What the actual results mean by category
EB-2 India became available again after September's Unavailable status, but November 1, 2013 is the operative Final Action Date. A priority date in early 2014 can therefore remain unreached even though it preceded the old July 2014 expectation.
EB-5 unreserved India also reopened. Its December 1, 2023 Final Action Date is later than the May 1, 2022 reference discussed before release. The reserved EB-5 categories have separate rows and should not be read from the unreserved India result.
EB-3 worldwide and Mexico retrogressed from September 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024. The earlier discussion of possible forward movement did not describe the published outcome. EB-3 China, India and the Philippines have their own cut-offs.
Family-sponsored applicants should use the complete October family tables linked below. The two official prerelease signals examined here concerned employment-based India categories and did not predict family-sponsored results.
Check your date against the published charts
- Open the QueueCheck Visa Bulletin Checker linked below and select October 2026. Enter the actual category, country of chargeability and priority date from your case records.
- Read both results separately. Use the Final Action Date when assessing the visa-number condition for final action on an already-filed case; check the accepted filing chart before treating the filing result as permission to submit an adjustment application.
- Check USCIS's October selection on its official filing-chart page. QueueCheck had not verified that selection as of September 29, 2026; September's selection must not be carried into October.
- If you were relying on the earlier prediction, compare your date again with the published row. A changed cut-off does not change your priority date, and this comparison cannot decide your overall eligibility.
Why the earlier expectations differed
The original August 20 article separated official conditional statements from private forecasts. Its EB-2 India reference came from the May 2026 bulletin and its EB-5 unreserved India reference from June 2026, because July's notes referred back to those months.
The earlier article also discussed private expectations of an EB-3 worldwide advance into late 2024 or 2025. QueueCheck did not adopt a specific predicted date. That discussion is retained here only as context for why the actual retrogression matters, not as a forecast still awaiting confirmation.
The published results show why an annual allocation cannot be converted into a fixed number of months of movement. The Department sets cut-offs against reported demand and numerical limits. October's note explains the broad reason for Rest of World retrogression, but does not provide a case-by-case explanation or a numerical reconciliation of every earlier expectation.
Verification and correction history
- This comparison records the October bulletin checked on September 29, 2026. It does not predict November dates or individual processing times. Check the permanent October page for any subsequent correction to the official document.
- Correction history, August 21–22, 2026: earlier versions attributed July's EB-2 China and EB-3 Philippines warnings, and its October India expectations, to August. The relevant sections are in July. The language was also corrected from commitments to conditional expectations.
- Historical checks on September 18 and September 26 found October marked Coming Soon. Those observations described those dates; they were superseded by the published bulletin verified on September 29.
- Update, September 29, 2026: replaced prerelease answers with actual results, corrected the image caption and headings, and retained the original August 20 publication date. The earlier expectation dates remain visible for comparison.
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Official citation
Published August 20, 2026. Original source: U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for October 2026.
- Also checked: U.S. Department of State: July 2026 bulletin, sections F and I.
- Also checked: U.S. Department of State: May 2026 bulletin.
- Also checked: U.S. Department of State: June 2026 bulletin.
- Also checked: U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for September 2026.
- Also checked: U.S. Department of State: the Visa Bulletin index.
- Also checked: USCIS: adjustment of status filing charts.