Visa Bulletin September 2026 Is Your Golden Chance to File

Every month you wait on a US green card is another month your life stays on hold. You delay the move, the business expansion, the school decision for your kids. The Visa Bulletin September 2026 lists EB-1 and EB-2 as “Current” for almost every country, and for many founders, executives, and skilled professionals, that means the wait could end this month.

For some of you, this is the month to file. For others, a travel proclamation, a paused interview queue or a new public charge rule still stands between that chart and a green card in your hand. This guide uses the September 2026 Visa Bulletin to show you which group you’re in and what to do before the window closes on September 30.

Read Also: August 2026 Visa Bulletin Is Your Green Light

What the Visa Bulletin September 2026 Says for EB-1 and EB-2

The State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin every month. It sets a cutoff date for each green card category and country. Your priority date is usually the date USCIS received your I-140 petition. If your priority date is earlier than the cutoff, or the chart shows “C” for Current, a visa number is available to you.

The bulletin has two charts. The Final Action Dates chart shows when USCIS or a consulate can approve your green card. The Dates for Filing chart shows when you can start the paperwork. For September, USCIS requires employment-based applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart and family-based applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart.

Here are the Final Action Dates for the employment categories most founders and skilled workers use.

Category	All other countries	China	India
EB-1	Current	Jul 1, 2023	Oct 15, 2022
EB-2 (includes NIW)	Current	Sep 1, 2021	Unavailable
EB-3	Sep 1, 2024	Jan 1, 2022	Jan 1, 2014
EB-5 Unreserved	Current	Dec 1, 2016	Unavailable

“All other countries” covers every country the bulletin doesn’t list separately, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, the UK, and Canada.

Two things matter here. First, EB-1 and EB-2 didn’t move from August, so the window you had last month is still open. Second, Section F of the bulletin warns that EB-2 may retrogress or become unavailable before the fiscal year ends on September 30. Treat the Current label as something that can disappear at short notice.

If you also have a family petition, the family charts moved further this month than in any other month of the fiscal year. The F3 Final Action Date jumped more than two years to October 22, 2014, and F4 moved to October 22, 2011. Check your I-797 notice against the bulletin.

For a refresher on how the charts moved last month, read our August 2026 Visa Bulletin article.

Your Column Depends on Where You Were Born

The bulletin sorts people by country of birth, not citizenship. A Nigerian-born founder with a British passport still uses the “All other countries” column.

Country of birth mostly works against people born in India or China. There’s one rule worth knowing if that’s you. When your spouse was born in a different country, you can often use your spouse’s country of birth instead, as long as you immigrate together. An India-born engineer married to someone born in Kenya, for example, can often use the Kenya column, where EB-2 is Current. This rule is called cross-chargeability, and it comes from Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Why “Current” Doesn’t Mean You Can Get a Visa Today

This is the part most visa bulletin articles skip. In 2026, four separate government actions affect whether a Current date turns into a green card. Each one works differently, so check each against your situation.

1. Proclamation 10998. Since January 1, 2026, the State Department has suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of countries on the travel restriction lists. The partial list includes Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Benin, Gabon, The Gambia, and Angola, among others. The full list includes countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Niger, Chad and Sierra Leone. This suspension is still in effect. It has exceptions, including dual nationals who apply with a passport from a country not on the list. Read the State Department notice.
2. The 75-country immigrant visa pause. In January, the State Department paused immigrant visas for 75 countries, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Uganda, and Rwanda. A federal court struck it down, and the pause ended on August 21, 2026. If your country was on this list and isn’t covered by Proclamation 10998, this is good news for you. Nigeria was on both lists, and the court ruling didn’t lift the proclamation.
3. The interview pause. Starting August 25, US embassies and consulates began canceling and rescheduling immigrant visa interviews so officers could train on new public charge rules. Some posts have started interviewing again. The State Department hasn’t announced one restart date, so follow your own embassy’s emails and your case status on CEAC.
4. USCIS processing inside the US. USCIS had placed holds on applications from nationals of travel ban countries. Federal courts blocked those holds in June and again in August, and USCIS said it would comply. Proclamation 10998 restricts visa issuance and entry. By its own terms, it doesn’t stop USCIS from deciding a green card application filed inside the US.

So the split is simple. If you’re in the US in valid status, September gives you a real filing window. If you’re abroad and hold a restricted passport, the consular route is closed for now, and your time goes into preparing your case.

If You’re in the US, Here’s What to Do Before September 30

1. Confirm your date. Compare your priority date with the Final Action Dates chart. EB-1 and EB-2 are Current for everyone except people born in China and India.
2. File your I-140 and I-485 together if you haven’t filed yet. When your category is Current, you can submit your I-140 petition and your I-485 green card application at the same time. This is called concurrent filing, and it puts your green card application in the queue now. Our [internal link: EB-2 NIW guide] explains the petition side.
3. Use the new I-485 edition. Since September 18, USCIS only accepts the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485. It rejects older editions with no grace period, and a rejected application doesn’t keep your filing date.
4. Prepare for the new public charge review. A new public charge rule took effect on September 18. It gives officers broader discretion and lets them consider a wider range of public benefits. Show your income, savings, health insurance, education, and business or job activity clearly.
5. File for work and travel permits. Add Form I-765 and Form I-131 so you can keep working and traveling while your case is pending.
6. Check your children’s ages. The section below explains why.
7. Submit a complete package. Speed matters this month. A missing signature or wrong fee can send your package back after the window has closed.

What Happens If EB-2 Retrogresses After You File

If you file while EB-2 is Current and the date later moves back, USCIS doesn’t deny your application for that reason. Your I-485 stays pending. You can keep working and traveling on your approved permits and renew them. USCIS simply can’t approve your green card until your date becomes current again. Filing now still puts you in line with a pending application and the protections that come with it.

Protect Your Children’s Place

Children who turn 21 can lose their place as your dependents. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) protects many of them by subtracting the time your petition was pending from their age.

USCIS freezes a child’s CSPA age on the later of two dates: the day your petition is approved or the day your priority date becomes current on the Final Action Dates chart. USCIS has used that chart for CSPA since August 2025. Your child then generally has one year to apply. If your child is 19 or 20, work out their CSPA age now, before a missed deadline costs them their place.

If You’re Outside the US

1. Keep your National Visa Center case moving. Submit your documents and fees so your case becomes documentarily qualified. Only documentarily qualified cases can be scheduled for an interview when your post resumes.
2. Check the dual national exception. If you hold a second citizenship from a country not on the restriction lists, you may be able to apply with that passport. Confirm this with the embassy handling your case.
3. Consider the O-1 as a bridge. The O-1 visa for people with extraordinary ability has no annual cap and isn’t part of the Visa Bulletin. The partial restrictions under Proclamation 10998 cover immigrant visas and B, F, M, and J visas, so they don’t block the O-1, although consulates may issue it with shorter validity. A pending or approved green card petition isn’t, by itself, a reason to deny an O-1. Once you’re in the US, you may be able to file for your green card from inside the country. If your country is on the full restriction list, this route is closed too.
4. Build your EB-1A or EB-2 NIW evidence now. Published work, media coverage, awards, judging roles, and expert letters take months to gather. Start before you need them. Our [internal link: EB-1A requirements article] lists the criteria.

A Note for Diversity Visa Applicants

The bulletin lists DV-2026 cutoffs, including 101,250 for Africa. However, the State Department’s current guidance says it isn’t issuing Diversity Visas, and DV-2026 visas can’t be issued after September 30, 2026. If you were selected, follow instructions from your embassy and the Kentucky Consular Center closely.

When a US Queue Isn’t Your Best Route

The Visa Bulletin only covers US green cards. If your passport is restricted or you’d rather not wait on US policy, these routes run on their own rules.

• UK Global Talent visa. It’s for leaders and emerging leaders in fields such as digital technology, research, and arts and culture. You need an endorsement instead of a job offer, and it can lead to settlement. See gov.uk/global-talent.
• Canada Global Talent Stream and C10. The Global Talent Stream lets Canadian employers hire highly skilled workers with faster processing. The C10 “significant benefit” work permit can suit founders and professionals whose work brings clear economic, social or cultural benefit to Canada.
• Australia National Innovation visa (subclass 858). This permanent visa is for people with an internationally recognized record of exceptional achievement in their field. You start with an Expression of Interest.

How Veripass Helps You Act on the Visa Bulletin September 2026

Reading the bulletin is the easy part. Knowing which route your passport, location, and profile allow is harder, and a wrong move can cost you months.

Veripass is an immigration advisory that works with founders, executives, and skilled professionals on O-1, EB-1A, and EB-2 NIW cases in the US, and on the UK Global Talent, Canada, and Australia National Innovation routes. Here’s how we help.

1. Route assessment. We look at your nationality, where you live, and your current status, then map which options are open to you under today’s rules, including Proclamation 10998 and the interview pause.
2. Case positioning. We shape your achievements into the argument officers look for, whether that’s the EB-1A criteria or the three-part NIW test.
3. Evidence building. We help you gather recommendation letters, press coverage, and proof of impact. We also write and publish articles under your name to build a documented record of your expertise.
4. Support from start to finish. We stay with you from the first assessment through filing, keeping you updated on deadlines and policy changes that affect your case.

The September window closes on September 30. If you want a clear answer on where you stand and what to file, book a free discovery call with Veripass. You’ll leave the call knowing your best route and your next step.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules have changed often in 2026, so confirm the current rules on the official sites linked above before you file.