The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for May 2026. Below are the official Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for all preference categories, plus a month-over-month comparison with April 2026.
Important: Visit uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to confirm whether USCIS has authorized use of the Dates for Filing chart this month for adjustment of status applications. “C” = Current (no backlog).
April → May: Key Changes at a Glance
EB-2 India (Final Action)
15JUL14
No change from April
EB-3 Other Workers (All)
01FEB22
↑ From 01NOV21 (+3 months)
EB-5 China Unreserved
22SEP16
↑ From 01SEP16 (+3 weeks)
F2A Mexico (Final Action)
01AUG23
↑ From 01JAN23 (+7 months)
Employment-Based — Final Action Dates
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01APR23 | 01APR23 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01SEP21 | 15JUL14 | C | C |
| EB-3 | 01JUN24 | 15JUN21 | 15NOV13 | 01JUN24 | 01AUG23 |
| Other Workers | 01FEB22 | 01FEB19 | 15NOV13 | 01FEB22 | 01NOV21 |
| EB-4 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 | 15JUL22 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | C | 22SEP16 | 01MAY22 | C | C |
| EB-5 Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 High Unemp. (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Employment-Based — Dates for Filing
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01DEC23 | 01DEC23 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | C |
| EB-3 | C | 01JAN22 | 15JAN15 | C | 01JAN24 |
| Other Workers | 01AUG22 | 01OCT19 | 15JAN15 | 01AUG22 | 01AUG22 |
| EB-4 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 | 01JAN23 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | C | 01MAR17 | 01MAY24 | C | C |
| EB-5 Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 High Unemp. (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| EB-5 Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Family-Sponsored — Final Action Dates
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 15AUG07 | 01MAY13 |
| F2A | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 01AUG24 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG24 |
| F2B | 22MAY17 | 22MAY17 | 22MAY17 | 15FEB09 | 08APR13 |
| F3 | 15FEB12 | 15FEB12 | 15FEB12 | 01MAY01 | 22NOV05 |
| F4 | 15SEP08 | 15SEP08 | 01NOV06 | 08APR01 | 15JUL07 |
Family-Sponsored — Dates for Filing
| Category | All Areas | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT18 | 01OCT08 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 01MAR25 | 01MAR25 | 01MAR25 | 01MAR24 | 01MAR25 |
| F2B | 01APR18 | 01APR18 | 01APR18 | 01APR10 | 01MAY15 |
| F3 | 01AUG13 | 01AUG13 | 01AUG13 | 01JAN03 | 01JAN08 |
| F4 | 01MAY10 | 01MAY10 | 01MAY10 | 01NOV02 | 01JAN09 |
Analysis: What Changed April → May
EB-3 Other Workers (All chargeability): Advanced 3 months from 01NOV21 to 01FEB22. Small but consistent progress.
EB-5 China Unreserved: Advanced about 3 weeks from 01SEP16 to 22SEP16. Minimal movement.
F2A Mexico: Significant jump — advanced 7 months from 01JAN23 to 01AUG23. If you’re in this category with a Mexican charge, this is meaningful.
EB-2 India: Held at 15JUL14. No movement for this month — a priority date from July 2014 is still required for Final Action.
EB-1 China/India: Held at 01APR23 for both. No regression, but no progress either.
Overall: May 2026 is a quiet month with no major retrogression. A few modest advances, primarily in EB-3 Other Workers and F2A Mexico. India EB-2 and EB-3 remain deeply backlogged with no significant movement expected in the near term.
