This analysis compares December 2025 (Visa Bulletin No. 9, Vol. XI) against January 2026 (Visa Bulletin No. 10, Vol. XI) using only the dates and notes contained in the text you provided.
How to read the charts (plain English)
- Final Action Dates (FAD): If your priority date (PD) is earlier than the listed date, a visa can be issued (consular processing) or an adjustment case can be approved (if otherwise eligible).
- Dates for Filing (DFF): If your PD is earlier than the listed date, you may be able to submit documents to NVC (consular) and, only if USCIS permits for that month, you may be able to file I-485 using the DFF chart (the bulletin text repeats that USCIS normally requires using Final Action Dates unless USCIS says otherwise).
“C” = Current (no cutoff; eligible regardless of PD).
A date movement forward generally means more people become eligible than the prior month (within that category/chargeability).
High-impact changes at a glance (December → January)
Employment-based (biggest practical movers)
- EB-1 India (FAD): 15MAR22 → 01FEB23 (advanced 10 months, 17 days).
- EB-4 (FAD, all countries): 01SEP20 → 01JAN21 (advanced 4 months).
- EB-5 Unreserved India (FAD): 01JUL21 → 01MAY22 (advanced 10 months).
- EB-5 Unreserved India (DFF): 01APR22 → 01MAY24 (advanced 25 months).
- EB-3 Other Workers China (FAD): 08DEC17 → 08DEC18 (advanced 1 year).
Family-sponsored (largest broad movements)
- F2A All Chargeability (FAD): 01MAR06 → 01SEP06 (advanced 6 months).
- F3 All Chargeability (FAD): 15MAY08 → 15NOV08 (advanced 6 months).
- F2A / F2B Filing Dates: generally advanced ~1 month in multiple columns (details below).
Procedural / publication differences (what changed in the bulletin setup)
- Demand snapshot date used for allocations
- December 2025: demand received by November 3rd
- January 2026: demand received by December 2nd
- Publication reference line
- December: CA/VO: November 3, 2025
- January: CA/VO: December 2, 2025
This does not change cutoffs directly, but it is the bulletin’s own statement of the demand data point used.
📊 Comparative Analysis
Visa Bulletin Comparison: January 2026 vs December 2025
Month-over-month changes in immigrant visa availability
25+
Categories Advanced
15+
No Change
0
Retrogression
Employment-Based Final Action Dates
Comparison of priority date cutoffs
| Category | All Chargeability Areas |
China (Mainland) |
India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 |
C
No change
|
22JAN23
→
01FEB23
+10 days
|
15MAR22
→
01FEB23
+10.5 mo
|
C
No change
|
C
No change
|
| EB-2 |
01FEB24
→
01APR24
+2 mo
|
01JUN21
→
01SEP21
+3 mo
|
15MAY13
→
15JUL13
+2 mo
|
01FEB24
→
01APR24
+2 mo
|
01FEB24
→
01APR24
+2 mo
|
| EB-3 |
15APR23
→
22APR23
+7 days
|
01APR21
→
01MAY21
+1 mo
|
22SEP13
→
15NOV13
+~2 mo
|
15APR23
→
22APR23
+7 days
|
15APR23
→
22APR23
+7 days
|
| Other Workers |
01AUG21
→
01SEP21
+1 mo
|
08DEC17
→
08DEC18
+1 year
|
22SEP13
→
15NOV13
+~2 mo
|
01AUG21
→
01SEP21
+1 mo
|
01AUG21
→
01SEP21
+1 mo
|
| EB-4 |
01SEP20
→
01JAN21
+4 mo
|
01SEP20
→
01JAN21
+4 mo
|
01SEP20
→
01JAN21
+4 mo
|
01SEP20
→
01JAN21
+4 mo
|
01SEP20
→
01JAN21
+4 mo
|
| EB-5 Investor Categories | |||||
| EB-5 Unreserved |
C
No change
|
15JUL16
→
15AUG16
+1 mo
|
01JUL21
→
01MAY22
+10 mo
|
C
No change
|
C
No change
|
| EB-5 Set Asides | All set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) remain Current for all countries | ||||
🎯 Key Employment-Based Highlights
EB-1 India: +10.5 months (largest EB advance)
EB-4 All: +4 months (all countries)
Other Workers China: +1 year
EB-5 India: +10 months
Employment-Based Filing Dates
Dates for Filing Applications comparison
| Category | All Chargeability Areas |
China (Mainland) |
India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 |
C
No change
|
15MAY23
→
01AUG23
+2.5 mo
|
15APR23
→
01AUG23
+3.5 mo
|
C
No change
|
C
No change
|
| EB-2 |
C
No change
|
15JUL24
→
15OCT24
+3 mo
|
01DEC21
→
01JAN22
+1 mo
|
01DEC13
No change
|
C
No change
|
| EB-3 |
15JUL24
→
15OCT24
+3 mo
|
01JUL23
No change
|
01JAN22
No change
|
15AUG14
No change
|
15JUL24
→
15OCT24
+3 mo
|
| Other Workers |
01JUL23
No change
|
01DEC21
No change
|
01OCT18
→
01OCT19
+1 year
|
15AUG14
No change
|
01JUL23
No change
|
| EB-4 |
15FEB21
→
15MAR21
+1 mo
|
01DEC21
No change
|
15FEB21
→
15MAR21
+1 mo
|
15FEB21
→
15MAR21
+1 mo
|
15FEB21
→
15MAR21
+1 mo
|
| EB-5 Unreserved |
C
No change
|
22JUL16
→
22AUG16
+1 mo
|
01APR22
→
01MAY24
+2 years
|
C
No change
|
C
No change
|
🎯 Key Filing Date Highlights
EB-5 India Filing: +2 years (massive advance!)
Other Workers India: +1 year
EB-3 All/Philippines: +3 months
Family-Sponsored Final Action Dates
Comparison of priority date cutoffs
| Category | All Chargeability Areas |
China (Mainland) |
India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 |
08NOV16
No change
|
08NOV16
No change
|
08NOV16
No change
|
01MAR06
→
01SEP06
+6 mo
|
15JUL06
→
22JUL06
+7 days
|
| F2A |
01FEB24
No change
|
01FEB24
No change
|
01FEB24
No change
|
22JAN13
→
01MAR13
+~5 wks
|
01FEB23
No change
|
| F2B |
01DEC16
No change
|
01DEC16
No change
|
01DEC16
No change
|
22DEC12
No change
|
01FEB24
No change
|
| F3 |
08SEP11
No change
|
08SEP11
No change
|
08SEP11
No change
|
15MAY08
→
15NOV08
+6 mo
|
08OCT12
→
22DEC12
+~2.5 mo
|
| F4 |
08JAN08
No change
|
08JAN08
No change
|
01NOV06
No change
|
08APR01
No change
|
01NOV04
→
01MAR05
+4 mo
|
🎯 Key Family-Based Highlights
F1 Mexico: +6 months
F3 Mexico: +6 months
F4 Philippines: +4 months
F3 Philippines: +2.5 months
Family-Sponsored Filing Dates
Dates for Filing Applications comparison
| Category | All Chargeability Areas |
China (Mainland) |
India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 |
01SEP17
No change
|
01SEP17
No change
|
01SEP17
No change
|
30APR01
No change
|
01JAN08
→
15JAN08
+14 days
|
| F2A |
22NOV25
→
22DEC25
+1 mo
|
22NOV25
→
22DEC25
+1 mo
|
22NOV25
→
22DEC25
+1 mo
|
22APR15
No change
|
01MAR07
→
01SEP07
+6 mo
|
| F2B |
08MAR17
→
15MAR17
+7 days
|
08MAR17
→
15MAR17
+7 days
|
08MAR17
→
15MAR17
+7 days
|
22NOV25
→
22DEC25
+1 mo
|
22NOV25
→
22DEC25
+1 mo
|
| F3 |
15MAY09
→
15NOV09
+6 mo
|
22JUL12
No change
|
22JUL12
No change
|
22JUL12
No change
|
01OCT13
No change
|
| F4 |
01MAR09
No change
|
01NOV05
→
01FEB06
+3 mo
|
01MAR09
No change
|
01JUL01
No change
|
15DEC06
No change
|
Diversity Visa (DV-2026) Cut-off Numbers
Regional lottery rank cut-off comparison
Regional Cut-off Comparison
| Region | DEC | JAN | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 17,500 | 35,000 | +17,500 |
| Algeria | 17,250 | 20,000 | +2,750 |
| Egypt | 16,000 | 16,000 | — |
| ASIA | 10,000 | 15,000 | +5,000 |
| Nepal | 6,000 | 6,000 | — |
| EUROPE | 7,750 | 8,500 | +750 |
| NORTH AMERICA | 20 | 20 | — |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | 1,100 | — |
| SOUTH AMERICA | 1,850 | 1,850 | — |
February 2026 Advance Notice
| Region | JAN | FEB | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 35,000 | 45,000 | +10,000 |
| Algeria | 20,000 | 37,000 | +17,000 |
| Egypt | 16,000 | 21,000 | +5,000 |
| ASIA | 15,000 | 30,000 | +15,000 |
| Nepal | 6,000 | 6,500 | +500 |
| EUROPE | 8,500 | 11,000 | +2,500 |
| NORTH AMERICA | 20 | 25 | +5 |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | 1,175 | +75 |
| SOUTH AMERICA | 1,850 | 2,000 | +150 |
⚠️ DV-2026 Important Reminders
Entitlement to DV status ends September 30, 2026. The DV-2026 annual limit is approximately 52,000 due to NACARA and NDAA provisions. Numbers could be exhausted before September 30.
Special Notices for January 2026
Critical updates and expiration notices
🔴 Religious Workers (SR) Category Expiration
H.R. 5371 extends the SR category until January 30, 2026. No SR visas may be issued after midnight January 29, 2026. All individuals must be admitted into the United States no later than midnight January 29, 2026. If no legislative action extends the category, it will become “Unavailable” as of January 30, 2026.
ℹ️ Filing Chart Usage
Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to check whether USCIS has authorized use of the Filing Dates chart for adjustment of status applications this month. Unless otherwise indicated, applicants must use Final Action Dates.
1) Family-Sponsored Categories (F1–F4)
1A. Final Action Dates — Family (December 2025 → January 2026)
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | All | 08NOV16 | 08NOV16 | No change |
| F1 | China | 08NOV16 | 08NOV16 | No change |
| F1 | India | 08NOV16 | 08NOV16 | No change |
| F2A | All | 01MAR06 | 01SEP06 | Advanced by 6 month(s) |
| F2A | China | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | No change |
| F2A | India | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | No change |
| F2A | Mexico | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | No change |
| F2A | Philippines | 22JAN13 | 01MAR13 | Advanced by 2 month(s) and 21 day(s) |
| F2B | All | 01FEB23 | 01FEB23 | No change |
| F2B | China | 01DEC16 | 01DEC16 | No change |
| F2B | India | 01DEC16 | 01DEC16 | No change |
| F2B | Mexico | 01DEC16 | 01DEC16 | No change |
| F2B | Philippines | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | No change |
| F3 | All | 15MAY08 | 15NOV08 | Advanced by 6 month(s) |
| F3 | China | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | No change |
| F3 | India | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | No change |
| F3 | Mexico | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | No change |
| F3 | Philippines | 08OCT12 | 22DEC12 | Advanced by 2 month(s) and 14 day(s) |
Practical meaning (Family FAD)
- F2A (All Chargeability) and F3 (All Chargeability) had the clearest “more people become eligible” movement (+6 months each).
- Most China/India/Mexico columns in these family categories were stable month-over-month, with movement concentrated in All Chargeability and Philippines for certain rows.
1B. Dates for Filing — Family (December 2025 → January 2026)
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | All | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | No change |
| F1 | China | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | No change |
| F1 | India | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | No change |
| F2A | All | 01MAR07 | 01SEP07 | Advanced by 6 month(s) |
| F2A | China | 22NOV25 | 22DEC25 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| F2A | India | 22NOV25 | 22DEC25 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| F2A | Mexico | 22NOV25 | 22DEC25 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| F2A | Philippines | 22APR15 | 22APR15 | No change |
| F2B | All | 22NOV25 | 22DEC25 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| F2B | China | 08MAR17 | 15MAR17 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
| F2B | India | 08MAR17 | 15MAR17 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
| F2B | Mexico | 08MAR17 | 15MAR17 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
| F2B | Philippines | 22NOV25 | 22DEC25 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| F3 | All | 15MAY09 | 15NOV09 | Advanced by 6 month(s) |
| F3 | China | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | No change |
| F3 | India | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | No change |
| F3 | Mexico | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | No change |
| F3 | Philippines | 01OCT13 | 01OCT13 | No change |
Practical meaning (Family DFF)
- F2A/F2B DFF advances can be very useful for document submission to NVC (and potentially I-485 filing only if USCIS allows using DFF for that month).
- The largest single-row DFF movements again appear in All Chargeability for F2A and F3 (+6 months each).
1C. Family F4 rows — formatting note (and what can still be compared)
In the text you provided, the F4 rows appear with more date entries than the standard 5 chargeability columns (likely due to line wrapping during copy/paste). To preserve data integrity, below is an “as-listed sequence” comparison (showing exactly what changed within the sequence).
F4 — Final Action Dates (sequence as listed)
| Bulletin | F4 dates shown (in order, exactly as pasted) |
|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 01MAY01 • 08JAN08 • 08JAN08 • 01NOV06 • 08APR01 • 01NOV04 |
| Jan 2026 | 01MAY01 • 08JAN08 • 08JAN08 • 01NOV06 • 08APR01 • 01MAR05 |
Observed change within the pasted sequence: 01NOV04 → 01MAR05 (advanced 4 months).
F4 — Dates for Filing (sequence as listed)
| Bulletin | F4 dates shown (in order, exactly as pasted) |
|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 01JUL01 • 01MAR09 • 01NOV05 • 01MAR09 • 15DEC06 • 30APR01 • 01JAN08 |
| Jan 2026 | 01JUL01 • 01MAR09 • 01FEB06 • 01MAR09 • 15DEC06 • 30APR01 • 15JAN08 |
Observed changes within the pasted sequence:
- 01NOV05 → 01FEB06 (advanced 3 months)
- 01JAN08 → 15JAN08 (advanced 15 days)
Everything else in that sequence remained the same.
2) Employment-Based Categories (EB-1–EB-5)
2A. Final Action Dates — Employment (December 2025 → January 2026)
EB-1 (Priority Workers) — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | All | C | C | No change |
| EB-1 | China | 22JAN23 | 01FEB23 | Advanced by 10 day(s) |
| EB-1 | India | 15MAR22 | 01FEB23 | Advanced by 10 month(s) and 17 day(s) |
| EB-1 | Mexico | C | C | No change |
| EB-1 | Philippines | C | C | No change |
Key point: EB-1 India’s advance is one of the largest month-over-month changes in either bulletin.
EB-2 (Advanced Degrees / Exceptional Ability) — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 | All | 01FEB24 | 01APR24 | Advanced by 2 month(s) |
| EB-2 | China | 01JUN21 | 01SEP21 | Advanced by 3 month(s) |
| EB-2 | India | 15MAY13 | 15JUL13 | Advanced by 2 month(s) |
| EB-2 | Mexico | 01FEB24 | 01APR24 | Advanced by 2 month(s) |
| EB-2 | Philippines | 01FEB24 | 01APR24 | Advanced by 2 month(s) |
Key point: Broad forward movement across all chargeability columns shown.
EB-3 (Skilled Workers / Professionals) — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 | All | 15APR23 | 22APR23 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
| EB-3 | China | 01APR21 | 01MAY21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-3 | India | 22SEP13 | 15NOV13 | Advanced by 1 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
| EB-3 | Mexico | 15APR23 | 22APR23 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
| EB-3 | Philippines | 15APR23 | 22APR23 | Advanced by 7 day(s) |
EB-3 Other Workers — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 Other Workers | All | 01AUG21 | 01SEP21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-3 Other Workers | China | 08DEC17 | 08DEC18 | Advanced by 1 year(s) |
| EB-3 Other Workers | India | 22SEP13 | 15NOV13 | Advanced by 1 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Mexico | 01AUG21 | 01SEP21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Philippines | 01AUG21 | 01SEP21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
EB-4 (Special Immigrants) — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-4 | All | 01SEP20 | 01JAN21 | Advanced by 4 month(s) |
| EB-4 | China | 01SEP20 | 01JAN21 | Advanced by 4 month(s) |
| EB-4 | India | 01SEP20 | 01JAN21 | Advanced by 4 month(s) |
| EB-4 | Mexico | 01SEP20 | 01JAN21 | Advanced by 4 month(s) |
| EB-4 | Philippines | 01SEP20 | 01JAN21 | Advanced by 4 month(s) |
EB-5 Unreserved — Final Action Dates
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-5 Unreserved | All | C | C | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | China | 15JUL16 | 15AUG16 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-5 Unreserved | India | 01JUL21 | 01MAY22 | Advanced by 10 month(s) |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Mexico | C | C | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Philippines | C | C | No change |
EB-5 Set-Aside (Rural / High Unemployment / Infrastructure) — Final Action Dates
All listed as C in both December 2025 and January 2026 for all chargeability areas shown (no cutoff changes).
2B. Dates for Filing — Employment (December 2025 → January 2026)
EB-1 — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | All | C | C | No change |
| EB-1 | China | 15MAY23 | 01AUG23 | Advanced by 3 month(s) and 14 day(s) |
| EB-1 | India | 15APR23 | 01AUG23 | Advanced by 4 month(s) and 14 day(s) |
| EB-1 | Mexico | C | C | No change |
| EB-1 | Philippines | C | C | No change |
EB-2 — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 | All | C | C | No change |
| EB-2 | China | 15JUL24 | 15OCT24 | Advanced by 3 month(s) |
| EB-2 | India | 01DEC21 | 01JAN22 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-2 | Mexico | 01DEC13 | 01DEC13 | No change |
| EB-2 | Philippines | C | C | No change |
EB-3 — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 | All | 15JUL24 | 15OCT24 | Advanced by 3 month(s) |
| EB-3 | China | 01JUL23 | 01JUL23 | No change |
| EB-3 | India | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | No change |
| EB-3 | Mexico | 15AUG14 | 15AUG14 | No change |
| EB-3 | Philippines | 15JUL24 | 15OCT24 | Advanced by 3 month(s) |
EB-3 Other Workers — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 Other Workers | All | 01JUL23 | 01JUL23 | No change |
| EB-3 Other Workers | China | 01DEC21 | 01DEC21 | No change |
| EB-3 Other Workers | India | 01OCT18 | 01OCT19 | Advanced by 12 month(s) |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Mexico | 15AUG14 | 15AUG14 | No change |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Philippines | 01JUL23 | 01JUL23 | No change |
EB-4 — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-4 | All | 01DEC21 | 01DEC21 | No change |
| EB-4 | China | 15FEB21 | 15MAR21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-4 | India | 01DEC21 | 01DEC21 | No change |
| EB-4 | Mexico | 15FEB21 | 15MAR21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-4 | Philippines | 15FEB21 | 15MAR21 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
EB-5 Unreserved — Dates for Filing
| Category | Chargeability | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-5 Unreserved | All | C | C | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | China | 22JUL16 | 22AUG16 | Advanced by 1 month(s) |
| EB-5 Unreserved | India | 01APR22 | 01MAY24 | Advanced by 25 month(s) |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Mexico | C | C | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Philippines | C | C | No change |
EB-5 Set-Aside (Rural / High Unemployment / Infrastructure) — Dates for Filing
All listed as C in both months for all chargeability areas shown (no cutoff changes).
3) Country-specific snapshots (what changed for key chargeability areas)
India
- EB-1 (FAD): 15MAR22 → 01FEB23 (large advance).
- EB-2 (FAD): 15MAY13 → 15JUL13 (advance).
- EB-3 (FAD): 22SEP13 → 15NOV13 (advance).
- EB-4 (FAD): 01SEP20 → 01JAN21 (advance).
- EB-5 Unreserved (FAD): 01JUL21 → 01MAY22 (advance).
- EB-5 Unreserved (DFF): 01APR22 → 01MAY24 (very large advance).
Family (as cleanly presented in your pasted tables): F1/F2B unchanged for India, F2A/F3 “All Chargeability” moved, and India-specific rows largely held steady where explicitly shown.
China (mainland born)
- EB-1 (FAD): 22JAN23 → 01FEB23 (advance).
- EB-2 (FAD): 01JUN21 → 01SEP21 (advance).
- EB-3 (FAD): 01APR21 → 01MAY21 (advance).
- EB-3 Other Workers (FAD): 08DEC17 → 08DEC18 (advance by 1 year).
- EB-2 (DFF): 15JUL24 → 15OCT24 (advance).
- EB-1 (DFF): 15MAY23 → 01AUG23 (advance).
Family China rows shown for F1/F2A/F2B/F3 were mostly unchanged, except DFF movement in F2A (+1 month) and F2B (+7 days).
Mexico
- Employment: EB-1 remains C; EB-2/EB-3 advanced in line with “All chargeability” movements; EB-4 advanced.
- Family: F2A/F2B/F3 show several DFF advances (+1 month or +7 days) where explicitly listed; F2A/F3 “All Chargeability” FAD advances matter for worldwide applicants.
Philippines
- Family: notable advances appear in the Philippines column for F2A (FAD) and F3 (FAD), while F2A (DFF) stayed the same and F2B/F2A filing dates advanced in specific rows.
- Employment: EB-2/EB-3 Final Action Dates advanced (same pattern as All), EB-1 is C, EB-5 is C, EB-4 advanced.
4) Diversity Visa (DV-2026) — December month vs January month cutoffs
DV cutoffs available during the month (December 2025 vs January 2026)
| Region/Exception | Dec 2025 Cutoff (DV-2026) | Jan 2026 Cutoff (DV-2026) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRICA (general) | 17500 | 35000 | 17500 |
| AFRICA – Algeria | 17250 | 20000 | 2750 |
| AFRICA – Egypt | 16000 | 16000 | 0 |
| ASIA (general) | 10000 | 15000 | 5000 |
| ASIA – Nepal | 6000 | 6000 | 0 |
| EUROPE | 7750 | 8500 | 750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (Bahamas) | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| OCEANIA | 1100 | 1100 | 0 |
| SOUTH AMERICA & CARIBBEAN | 1850 | 1850 | 0 |
Key point: January’s DV-2026 cutoffs are higher than December’s in Africa, Asia, and Europe, while several exceptions remain unchanged (e.g., Egypt, Nepal).
5) Special notes that changed between the two bulletins
Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR)
- December 2025 bulletin: framed as an extension, and explicitly states: “For December, the applicable SR final action date will be 01SEP20 for all countries.”
- January 2026 bulletin: reframes as a scheduled expiration warning. It states SR is extended until January 30, 2026, and emphasizes that no SR visas may be issued / final action taken after January 29, 2026 (and the category becomes Unavailable if not extended further). It also states SR is subject to the same final action dates as EB-4 for January.
This matters because EB-4 final action dates advanced in January (to 01JAN21), and SR is stated to track EB-4 dates in January.
6) Actionable checklist for applicants (based strictly on what the dates mean)
- Identify your category (e.g., EB-2, F2A) and chargeability (India, China, etc.).
- Compare your priority date to:
- the Final Action Date (for approval/issuance), and
- the Dates for Filing (for document submission and possible I-485 filing if USCIS allows DFF usage that month).
- If your PD falls between December’s cutoff and January’s newer cutoff, January’s bulletin indicates you may now be within range (subject to meeting all other requirements).
- For any category marked C, the bulletin indicates there is no cutoff date for that category/chargeability in that chart.
