Reading the October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Family Preference Charts Explained for Miami Green Card Cases

Two charts in the same monthly publication can show different cutoff dates for the same category, and that catches many families off guard. The State Department’s October 2026 Visa Bulletin, issued September 4, 2026, includes both a Final Action Dates chart and a Dates for Filing chart for each family-sponsored preference category. Knowing what each chart measures is the first step toward reading either one.

What Each Chart Measures

According to the bulletin, the Final Action Dates chart shows when immigrant numbers are authorized for issuance. When a date appears, the category is oversubscribed, and numbers go only to applicants with a priority date earlier than that date. The Dates for Filing chart shows when applicants may assemble and submit documents to the National Visa Center after the Center sends notice.

Section 203(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides that preference visas go to eligible immigrants in the order in which petitions were filed. That is why a petition’s priority date carries so much weight.

Which Chart Applies

For adjustment of status inside the United States, the bulletin states that applicants use the Final Action Dates chart unless USCIS announces on its website that the Dates for Filing chart may be used. USCIS has indicated that for October 2026, the Dates for Filing chart applies to family-sponsored filings. USCIS reviews that choice each month, so it can change.

October’s Numbers in Practice

Here are three examples from the family-sponsored charts for applicants not chargeable to China-mainland, India, Mexico, or the Philippines:

• F1 (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens): Dates for Filing is February 1, 2020. Final Action Dates is January 22, 2020.
• F2A (spouses and children of permanent residents): Dates for Filing is current. Final Action Dates is September 22, 2026.
• F4 (siblings of adult U.S. citizens): Dates for Filing is November 1, 2011. Final Action Dates is October 22, 2011.

The bulletin lists separate columns for China-mainland born, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, and some of those dates differ. For F2A, for example, the Mexico Final Action date is March 22, 2026.

In general, a petition with a priority date earlier than the date shown for its category and country falls within that chart’s range. A later priority date sits outside the range until the chart advances. The bulletin also notes that a final action date can retrogress if necessary during the monthly allocation process.

Spouses of U.S. citizens are generally classified as immediate relatives under INA section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), which 8 C.F.R. 213a.2(a)(2)(i)(A) lists separately from family-based preference immigrants. These preference charts typically do not govern those cases.

Questions About Your Own Priority Date

Charts like these are easy to misread, and one month can change the picture. The Law Office of Jason M. Sullivan provides legal representation to those in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Miami, Florida. We know the process for requesting a visa or adjustment of status is confusing, so we simplify everything for our clients. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with an immigration lawyer. Families who want help matching a petition to the right chart can reach our family immigration lawyers at The Law Office of Jason M. Sullivan, PLLC, and we will gladly walk through where your case stands.

Source:

travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Bulletins/visabulletin_October2026.pdf