October 2026 Visa Bulletin: Family Dates F1–F4 Explained
The October 2026 family-preference dates for people born in Arab countries, what changed since September, and which chart USCIS accepts this month.
Update log
- : Published with the October 2026 bulletin: F2A final action +1 month; F1, F2B, F3, F4 unchanged; USCIS uses Dates for Filing.
- : Added a link to the November 2026 bulletin post.
The November 2026 bulletin is out: F1, F2B, F3 and F4 moved a full year. Read the November 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In short (updated October 7, 2026): For people born in Arab countries, who are charged under "All Chargeability Areas," only one family date moved in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin: the F2A final action date advanced one month, from August 22, 2026 to September 22, 2026. F1, F2B, F3 and F4 did not move on either chart, and F2A stays current on the Dates for Filing chart. USCIS says it will accept family-based adjustment of status filings this month using the Dates for Filing chart.
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Enter your family category and priority date to see where you stand in the latest bulletin and an estimated wait.
What moved this month for family categories?
October is the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027, which began October 1, 2026. Many families hope for big jumps at the start of a fiscal year, but for the "All Chargeability Areas" column the family dates barely moved.
Here is the movement compared with the September 2026 bulletin:
- F1 (unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens, 21 or older): no change on either chart.
- F2A (spouses and minor children of green card holders): final action date advanced one month; Dates for Filing remains current.
- F2B (unmarried sons and daughters of green card holders, 21 or older): no change.
- F3 (married sons and daughters of US citizens): no change.
- F4 (brothers and sisters of adult US citizens): no change.
The larger moves in this bulletin were in the Mexico, Philippines and India columns and in employment categories, which do not apply to people born in Arab countries.
October 2026 dates: final action vs. dates for filing
These are the October 2026 dates for "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed," the column that covers every Arab country:
| Category | Final action date | Date for filing | Change from September |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Jan. 22, 2020 | Feb. 1, 2020 | No change |
| F2A | Sept. 22, 2026 | Current | Final action +1 month |
| F2B | Aug. 22, 2019 | Sept. 1, 2019 | No change |
| F3 | Oct. 22, 2014 | Nov. 1, 2014 | No change |
| F4 | Oct. 22, 2011 | Nov. 1, 2011 | No change |
"Current" means visas are available to everyone in the category regardless of priority date. The F2A final action date of September 22, 2026 sits so close to the bulletin's release that the category is effectively current in practice.
To follow these dates month by month without reading the whole bulletin, use our Visa Bulletin tracker.
Why Arab countries fall under "All Chargeability Areas"
Chargeability is the country whose annual limit your visa counts against. US law caps how many preference visas any one country can use, and countries whose demand exceeds that cap get their own column in the bulletin.
Right now those separate columns are mainland China, India, Mexico and the Philippines. No Arab country is listed, so someone born in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Morocco or Yemen reads the "All Chargeability Areas" column.
Chargeability generally follows your country of birth, not your citizenship. An Egyptian citizen born in India, for example, is generally charged to India, with limited exceptions set by law.
Which chart does USCIS accept in October 2026?
The bulletin has two charts, and each month USCIS announces which one it will use for adjustment of status (Form I-485) filed inside the United States. For October 2026, USCIS says applicants in all family-sponsored categories must use the Dates for Filing chart, and it applies the same chart to employment categories.
In practice: if you are in the US and eligible to adjust, compare your priority date with the "Date for filing" column. USCIS can only approve the case once your date is also earlier than the final action date.
What it means for you: worked examples
Your priority date is the date USCIS received the I-130 petition your relative filed; it is printed on the receipt notice. The rule: your date must be earlier than the date in the bulletin.
- F2B, priority date March 15, 2016: earlier than the final action date (Aug. 22, 2019), so your date is current. Abroad, a visa can be issued once your file is complete and you are interviewed. Inside the US and eligible to adjust, you can file and the case can be approved.
- F4, priority date October 25, 2011: earlier than the filing date (Nov. 1, 2011) but not the final action date (Oct. 22, 2011). You can prepare documents, and file an I-485 if you are in the US and eligible, but approval waits for the final action date to move.
- F3, priority date January 1, 2017: later than both dates. You wait; this column did not move this month.
Keep in mind that many people in the US without lawful status cannot adjust in family preference categories even when their date is current. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney before filing an I-485.
The visa pause and the travel ban: what still blocks families
A current date is not the whole story. Two measures matter for Arab families:
- The 75-country immigrant visa pause began January 21, 2026 and covered Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco among others. A federal court in New York vacated it on August 21, 2026 in CLINIC v. Rubio, and the State Department said it would comply. The government has appealed, so the pause could return if the appeals court stays the ruling. Details are in our guide to the 75-country pause.
- Proclamation 10998 still blocks immigrant visas for nationals of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Mauritania and for Palestinian Authority document holders, apart from limited exceptions. A Yemeni family can have a current date and still not be issued a visa at the consulate.
Nationals of these countries who are already in the US were also hit by USCIS holds on some applications. Courts have ordered those holds lifted, and the litigation continues.
Common mistakes
- Reading the wrong column. Someone born in an Arab country reads "All Chargeability Areas," even if they hold another nationality.
- Mixing up the charts. The filing date lets you file or start documents; the final action date is when a visa or green card can actually be issued.
- Forgetting your category can change. If an F2B beneficiary marries, the petition is lost. If the green card holder parent naturalizes, the case usually converts to F1 or to immediate relative.
- Ignoring the National Visa Center. If you do not act within one year of being notified that a visa is available, the registration can be terminated.
What next
New to the bulletin? Start with our guide to reading the Visa Bulletin. If your relative has not filed yet, read the I-130 family petition guide, because your priority date only starts on the day it is filed.
The November 2026 bulletin usually comes out in mid-October or later, and we will update this page when it does. Always check the official bulletin on the State Department site and the USCIS filing charts page before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Did F4 move in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?
No. For All Chargeability Areas, the F4 final action date stayed at October 22, 2011 and the filing date at November 1, 2011, unchanged from September 2026.
Which chart does USCIS use in October 2026?
USCIS says all family-sponsored categories must use the Dates for Filing chart for I-485 adjustment filings in October 2026; employment categories use the same chart.
Why is there no column for Egypt or Syria?
Separate columns are only for countries whose demand exceeds the per-country limit, currently mainland China, India, Mexico and the Philippines. Arab countries fall under All Chargeability Areas, based generally on country of birth.
Is F2A current right now?
F2A is current on the Dates for Filing chart, and its final action date is September 22, 2026, so it is effectively current for most applicants in October 2026.
My date is current but I am Yemeni. Will my visa be issued?
Not necessarily. Proclamation 10998 still blocks immigrant visas for nationals of Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Mauritania and Palestinian Authority document holders, apart from limited exceptions.
When will the November 2026 bulletin come out?
Bulletins usually appear around the middle of the previous month or later. The November 2026 bulletin had not been published as of October 7, 2026.
Official sources we reviewed
- US Department of State — Visa Bulletin for October 2026 (official; site blocks automated access, values cross-checked in the secondary sources below) ↗
- USCIS — Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin ↗
- Federal Register (govinfo) — Proclamation 10998 ↗
- AILA — DOS Announces Compliance with Court Order Halting IV Issuance Pause for Nationals of 75 Countries (secondary) ↗
- Murthy Law Firm — October 2026 Visa Bulletin (secondary) ↗
- Visa Lawyer Blog — October 2026 Visa Bulletin (secondary) ↗