The February 2026 US visa bulletin update shows some forward movement for certain employment and family-based categories.
The monthly Visa Bulletin let US immigrants know about the potential wait time for applying for the green card. (FE Online)
The U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for February 2026 has been released. The monthly Visa Bulletin let US immigrants know about the potential wait time for applying for a green card. A green card provides lawful permanent residence status to immigrants in the US.
The February 2026 update indicates some progress for certain employment and family-based categories, while the majority of green card wait times remain unchanged.
The “Final Action Dates” or “Dates for Filing” are used by USCIS to determine whether applicants who are already residents of the United States should submit their “adjustment of status” applications each month. The “Dates for Filing” table for both family-based and employment-based categories must be followed by applicants in February.
The F-2A category, which includes spouses and minor children of green card holders, saw the biggest progress, advancing by one month for all countries.
Employment-based (EB) Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing largely remain unchanged for February 2026.
All Other Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines saw a three-month gain in the EB-3 category for professionals and skilled workers. All other employment-based categories, such as EB-2, EB-4, and EB-5, saw no change, although EB-1 saw a minor two-week retrogression for China and India.
There were no adjustments brought about by the bulletin for EB-5 investors. China’s unreserved categories are still set for August 15, 2016, India’s are set for May 1, 2022, while the others are current. For all nations, the designated categories—rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure—remain relevant.
The fiscal year 2026 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.
Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by January 5th.
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES
B. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS
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