The U.S. Department of State has released its February 2026 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular immigrant visa application interviews and approvals. In order to be “current,” the priority date held by a person applying for permanent residence must be before the cut-off date specified in the monthly Visa Bulletin.

The Visa Bulletin includes both a Dates for Filing chart and a Final Action Dates chart. The Final Action Dates chart indicates when a priority date is current and I-485 AOS applications or Immigrant Visa applications may be approved and permanent residence granted. The Dates for Filing chart, when followed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), indicates when intending immigrants may file their AOS applications with USCIS.

Dates for Filing

USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart in February 2026.  The February 2026 Visa Bulletin’s Dates for Filing chart includes minor forward movement from the January 2026 Visa Bulletin only in the Rest of the World, Mexico and the Philippines EB-3 category.  February marks the second month of the 2026 Fiscal Year’s second quarter; the Department of State has in the past revised EB cut-off dates on a quarterly basis, and this may explain the lack of movement in February.

• • EB-1 cut-off dates remain Current for the Rest of the World, Mexico and the Philippines. EB-1 India stays at 08/01/2023. EB-1 China also stays at 08/01/2023.

• • The India EB-2 category remains unchanged at 12/01/2013, and the India EB-3 category stays at 08/15/2014.

The China EB-2 and EB-3 categories remain unchanged at 01/01/2022.

• • The Rest of the World, Mexico and the Philippines EB-2 category stays at 10/15/2024. The Rest of the World, Mexico, and the Philippines EB-3 category moves forward three months from 07/01/2023 to 10/01/2023.

Dates for Filing Chart

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01AUG23	01AUG23	C	C
2nd	15OCT24	01JAN22	01DEC13	15OCT24	15OCT24
3rd	01OCT23	01JAN22	15AUG14	01OCT23	01OCT23

 

Final Action Dates

The February 2026 Visa Bulletin’s Final Action Dates chart for all EB categories also shows only minor advancement from the January 2026 Visa Bulletin in the Rest of the World, Mexico and the Philippines EB-3 category.

The EB-1 Rest of the World, Mexico, and Philippines category remains Current. EB-1 China stays at 02/01/2023.EB-1 India is also unchanged at 02/01/2023.

The EB-2 India category stays at 07/15/2013. EB-2 China stays at 09/01/2021. The EB-2 categories for the Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines are also unchanged at 04/01/2024.

The EB-3 category for the Rest of World, Mexico and the Philippines advances slightly from 04/22/2023 to 06/01/2023. The EB-3 India category stays at 11/15/2013. The EB-3 China category also remains unchanged at 05/01/2021.

Final Action Dates Chart 

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01FEB23	01FEB23	C	C
2nd	01APR24	01SEP21	15JUL13	01APR24	01APR24
3rd	01JUN23	01MAY21	15NOV13	01JUN23	01JUN23

 

Dates for Filing Chart Will Control in February 2026

Each month, USCIS chooses either to follow the Final Action or the Dates for Filing chart. For February 2026, USCIS will follow the Dates for Filing chart for Employment-Based AOS application filings. To be eligible to file an Employment-Based (EB) AOS application, a foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for his or her preference category and country of chargeability. The “C” listing indicates that the category is “current” and that applications may be approved with any priority date, however recent.

T&S Takeaway

The Department of State has in the past announced an intention to adjust cut-off dates on a quarterly basis and this is reflected in the very minor movement in February 2026.

The February 2026 Visa Bulletin makes no comment in this regard, but this is the fifth month in succession that USCIS has chosen to impose Dates for Filing EB dates. This reflects the fact that USCIS is encouraging AOS filings and that the volume of such filings may have been less than anticipated in the past few months.  All eligible persons should file their AOS applications as soon as possible, since it is possible that cut-off date retrogression may occur later in the year, especially since immigrant visa numbers will be used in significant numbers as the year progresses.

The attorneys of Tafapolsky & Smith LLP will monitor and analyze all developments affecting immigrant visa availability, including all statements made by the Department of State officers in the relevant Visa Bulletin and will provide immediate updates on any significant developments.