What this bulletin is

The Visa Bulletin for January 2026 describes immigrant visa availability under two separate timelines:

• Final Action Dates: the priority date must be earlier than the listed date for a visa number to be authorized for issuance (or for final approval of an adjustment case).
• Dates for Filing Applications: the priority date must be earlier than the listed date for applicants to be able to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center (and, only if USCIS permits, potentially file adjustment of status using this chart).

The bulletin also states that unless USCIS indicates otherwise, adjustment applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart for determining when they can file.

1) Key legal/operational context provided in the bulletin

A) Annual numerical limits (FY 2026)

• Family-sponsored preference limit: 226,000
• Employment-based preference worldwide level: at least 140,000
• Per-country limit (7% of combined family + employment preference limits): 25,620
• Dependent area limit (2%): 7,320

B) How cut-off dates are set (important mechanics)

• Allocation is based on reported demand received by December 2 (as stated in the bulletin).
• When demand exceeds supply for a category/country, it becomes oversubscribed and a cut-off date is established.
• If a date must be retrogressed during allocation, supplemental requests are only honored if the priority date is within the new (retrogressed) date.

C) Oversubscribed chargeability areas (as stated)

The bulletin says the per-country/oversubscription provisions currently apply to:

• China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines

2) How to read the tables (simple rule)

For any category and country:

• If your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date → a visa number is authorized (subject to normal processing).
• If your priority date is earlier than the Date for Filing → you may begin the documentation stage (and possibly file AOS only if USCIS permits use of the filing chart that month).

“C” means Current (no cut-off date).
“U” means Unauthorized (no numbers authorized).

PART A — FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4)

3) Family-Sponsored: Final Action Dates (January 2026)

Your pasted Final Action table is partially wrapped, but several rows are clearly readable. I am presenting the values exactly as they appear in your text.

F1 — Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 08NOV16
• China (mainland born): 08NOV16
• India: 08NOV16
• Mexico: 01SEP06
• Philippines: 01MAR13

Practical implications

• F1 is significantly more backlogged for Mexico (2006) than for the worldwide/China/India level (2016).
• The Philippines cut-off (2013) sits between Mexico and the worldwide/China/India date.

F2A — Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents (Critical special note included)

The bulletin includes a special authorization rule for F2A that is more detailed than a single cut-off date:

• F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit: authorized for applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01FEB23.
• F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit: authorized for applicants chargeable to all countries except Mexico, with priority dates beginning 01FEB23 and earlier than 01FEB24.
• Mexico: “All F2A numbers provided for Mexico are exempt from the per-country limit.”

Why this matters (in plain English)

• F2A is treated in two layers:
  • A broad “earlier-than 01FEB23” tranche that is explicitly “exempt.”
  • An additional “01FEB23 up to (but not including) 01FEB24” tranche that is explicitly “subject” (except Mexico).
• This is a major practical detail because it explains how the January 2026 system will authorize numbers in F2A beyond what a single chart date can convey.

F2B / F3 / F4 (Final Action table as pasted)

In your excerpt, the following lines appear (with country columns implied by the header order). I am reproducing them exactly:

• F2B: 01FEB23 | 01DEC16 | 01DEC16 | 01DEC16 | 01FEB24
• F3: 15NOV08 | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | 22DEC12
• F4: 01MAY01 | 08JAN08 | 08JAN08 | 01NOV06 | 08APR01 | 01MAR05

Accuracy note (important)

• F2B and F3 lines contain five dates (matching five chargeability columns).
• The F4 line contains six date tokens in your pasted text. Because the bulletin table should have five columns after the category label, I cannot safely assign those six values without risking a wrong statement. I therefore:
  • keep them verbatim, and
  • avoid “cleaning” them into a possibly incorrect table.

4) Family-Sponsored: Dates for Filing (January 2026)

F1 — Filing Dates

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 01SEP17
• China (mainland born): 01SEP17
• India: 01SEP17
• Mexico: 01SEP07
• Philippines: 22APR15

Practical implications

• Filing eligibility opens substantially later than Mexico’s Final Action position, meaning Mexico applicants can often start steps earlier than they can finish.
• Philippines has a later filing date than Mexico (2015 vs 2007), consistent with the idea that the filing chart is about when cases should begin the near-term pipeline.

F2A — Filing Dates

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 22DEC25
• China (mainland born): 22DEC25
• India: 22DEC25
• Mexico: 22DEC25
• Philippines: 22DEC25

Practical implications

• This is unusually straightforward: F2A filing is opened very close to the bulletin publication timeframe (late 2025), allowing many applicants to prepare the case pipeline quickly, even though Final Action authorization follows the rules explained earlier (with the 01FEB23 / 01FEB24 framework).

F2B and F3 — Filing Dates (as clearly shown)

Your pasted lines show:

• F2B: 22DEC25 | 15MAR17 | 15MAR17 | 15MAR17 | 22DEC25
• F3: 15NOV09 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 01OCT13

Practical implications

• These show meaningful separation between “can start submitting” and “can be issued,” which is the core role of the filing chart.

F4 — Filing Dates (as pasted; formatting ambiguity)

Your excerpt shows:

• F4: 01JUL01 | 01MAR09 | 01FEB06 | 01MAR09 | 15DEC06 | 30APR01 | 15JAN08

Accuracy note

• This contains more than five date tokens after “F4,” so I cannot map each one to a specific country column without risking an error. I am keeping it verbatim and not “fixing” the mapping.

PART B — EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES (EB-1 to EB-5)

Unlike the family tables, your employment-based Final Action table is cleanly readable and supports detailed, reliable analysis.

5) Employment-Based: Final Action Dates (January 2026)

EB-1 (Priority Workers)

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: C
• China: 01FEB23
• India: 01FEB23
• Mexico: C
• Philippines: C

What this means

• EB-1 is current for most countries, but China and India have a cut-off at Feb 1, 2023—meaning applicants from China/India must have priority dates earlier than that for final issuance/approval.

EB-2 (Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability)

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 01APR24
• China: 01SEP21
• India: 15JUL13
• Mexico: 01APR24
• Philippines: 01APR24

Data-driven insight (relative backlog by country)

• Compared to the “All chargeability areas” date (Apr 1, 2024):
  • China EB-2 is ~2 years 7 months behind (Sep 1, 2021 vs Apr 1, 2024).
  • India EB-2 is ~10 years 8 months behind (Jul 15, 2013 vs Apr 1, 2024).
• The gap between India and China in EB-2 Final Action is very large: roughly 8 years 1 month (Jul 2013 vs Sep 2021).

Practical implications

• EB-2 India remains one of the most delayed lines in the entire bulletin.
• EB-2 for Mexico/Philippines aligns with the “All chargeability” date for Final Action this month.

EB-3 (Skilled Workers / Professionals)

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 22APR23
• China: 01MAY21
• India: 15NOV13
• Mexico: 22APR23
• Philippines: 22APR23

Data-driven insight

• Compared to “All chargeability areas” (Apr 22, 2023):
  • China EB-3 is ~1 year 11 months behind (May 1, 2021 vs Apr 22, 2023).
  • India EB-3 is ~9 years 5 months behind (Nov 15, 2013 vs Apr 22, 2023).
• India EB-3 is also far behind China EB-3: roughly 7 years 5 months.

Practical implications

• For Mexico and the Philippines, EB-3 Final Action matches the worldwide (“All chargeability”) cut-off.
• India’s EB-3 Final Action cut-off is in 2013, indicating significantly longer waiting lines.

EB-3 “Other Workers”

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: 01SEP21
• China: 08DEC18
• India: 15NOV13
• Mexico: 01SEP21
• Philippines: 01SEP21

Data-driven insight

• “Other Workers” is more backlogged than EB-3 skilled/professional for the worldwide group:
  • Worldwide EB-3 is 22APR23, while Other Workers is 01SEP21 (about 19 months earlier).
• Compared to worldwide Other Workers (Sep 1, 2021):
  • China Other Workers is ~2 years 8 months behind (Dec 8, 2018).
  • India Other Workers is ~7 years 9 months behind (Nov 15, 2013).

NACARA note (as stated in bulletin)
The bulletin explains the EW (“Other Workers”) annual limit reduction mechanics tied to NACARA and states that for FY 2026, the reduction will be limited to approximately 150.

EB-4 (Certain Special Immigrants)

• All Chargeability Areas / China / India / Mexico / Philippines: 01JAN21

EB-4 Certain Religious Workers

• All Chargeability Areas / China / India / Mexico / Philippines: 01JAN21

Practical implications

• For January 2026, EB-4 Final Action is uniform across the listed countries, using Jan 1, 2021.

EB-5 (Employment Creation / Investors)

EB-5 Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU)

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed: C
• China: 15AUG16
• India: 01MAY22
• Mexico: C
• Philippines: C

Data-driven insight

• China EB-5 Unreserved remains far back at Aug 15, 2016.
• India EB-5 Unreserved is at May 1, 2022.
• The China vs India gap in EB-5 unreserved is roughly 5 years 8 months.

EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural / High Unemployment / Infrastructure)

• All listed as C for all chargeability areas (including China and India).

Practical implication

• The bulletin’s data clearly distinguishes between:
  • Unreserved EB-5, where China and India have cut-offs, and
  • Set-aside EB-5, which is Current across the board in January 2026.

6) Employment-Based: Dates for Filing (January 2026) — what is clearly stated

The filing table in your excerpt is readable for several key rows; I am listing them exactly as shown.

EB-1 Filing

• All chargeability: C
• China: 01AUG23
• India: 01AUG23
• Mexico: C
• Philippines: C

Practical meaning

• China/India EB-1 applicants can file documentation (and possibly AOS if allowed) up to Aug 1, 2023—even though Final Action is Feb 1, 2023. That creates a filing “pipeline window.”

EB-2 Filing (as shown)

• All chargeability: C
• China: 15OCT24
• India: 01JAN22
• (One additional date token appears: 01DEC13)
• Mexico: C
• Philippines: C

Accuracy note
Your EB-2 filing row in the paste contains one extra token beyond what clean column alignment would typically require. I am therefore not reassigning that extra date to a country column.

EB-3 Filing (as shown)

• 15OCT24 | 01JUL23 | 01JAN22 | 15AUG14 | 15OCT24

EB-3 Other Workers Filing (as shown)

• 01JUL23 | 01DEC21 | 01OCT19 | 15AUG14 | 01JUL23

EB-4 Filing (as shown; repeated tokens)

Your excerpt shows multiple repeated tokens around EB-4 and certain religious workers filing (e.g., several “15MAR21” entries). I will not “clean” those into a potentially incorrect mapped table.

EB-5 Unreserved Filing

• All chargeability: C
• China: 22AUG16
• India: 01MAY24
• Mexico: C
• Philippines: C

EB-5 Set-Asides Filing

• All listed as C across the board.

PART C — DIVERSITY VISA (DV-2026)

7) DV category: January 2026 rank cut-offs (must be BELOW the cut-off)

For January 2026, DV numbers are available as follows:

• Africa: 35,000
  • Except Algeria: 20,000
  • Except Egypt: 16,000
• Asia: 15,000
  • Except Nepal: 6,000
• Europe: 8,500
• North America (Bahamas): 20
• Oceania: 1,100
• South America & the Caribbean: 1,850

Time limit (critical reminder in bulletin)
DV-2026 entitlement ends September 30, 2026; DV visas cannot be issued after that date, and numbers may be exhausted earlier.

8) DV category: February 2026 rank cut-offs (provided in January bulletin)

For February 2026, the bulletin provides higher cut-offs:

• Africa: 45,000
  • Algeria: 37,000
  • Egypt: 21,000
• Asia: 30,000
  • Nepal: 6,500
• Europe: 11,000
• Bahamas: 25
• Oceania: 1,175
• South America & Caribbean: 2,000

What changed from January to February (purely from your data)

• Africa: +10,000 (35,000 → 45,000)
• Asia: +15,000 (15,000 → 30,000)
• Europe: +2,500 (8,500 → 11,000)
• Nepal: +500 (6,000 → 6,500)
• Oceania: +75 (1,100 → 1,175)
• South America/Caribbean: +150 (1,850 → 2,000)

PART D — SPECIAL NOTICES WITH DIRECT PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES

9) Scheduled expiration: EB-4 Certain Religious Workers (SR)

The bulletin states:

• H.R. 5371, signed November 12, 2025, extends the SR category until January 30, 2026.
• No SR visas may be issued overseas, and no final action may be taken on adjustment cases after midnight January 29, 2026.
• Individuals issued SR visas must be admitted to the U.S. before the program expiration date; visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until January 29, 2026.
• If there is no legislative action extending beyond Jan 30, the category becomes Unavailable as of January 30, 2026.

Practical implication
SR applicants face a hard operational deadline in late January 2026, independent of the cut-off date mechanics.

10) U.S. Government employee SIV note (INA 101(a)(27)(D))

The bulletin states the FY 2024 NDAA (signed Dec 22, 2023) may affect certain current/former U.S. Government employees abroad and certain survivors applying for SIVs or adjustment under that section, but it does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs.

PART E — CLEAR TAKEAWAYS FOR APPLICANTS (based strictly on the bulletin’s data)

11) Employment-based lines with the largest country gaps

From the January 2026 Final Action chart:

• EB-2 India is dated 15JUL13, while worldwide is 01APR24 (a very large gap).
• EB-3 India is 15NOV13, while worldwide is 22APR23.
• EB-5 Unreserved China is 15AUG16, while many other countries are “Current,” and India is 01MAY22.

These differences reflect how demand and numerical limits interact for oversubscribed countries.

12) EB-5 Set-Asides are “Current” across the board (in this bulletin)

For January 2026, Rural / High Unemployment / Infrastructure set-asides are all “C,” meaning there is no cut-off date listed for any country group in those set-aside categories.

13) DV rank cut-offs expand from January to February (already previewed here)

The January bulletin itself provides February cut-offs and they are higher in every listed region/category shown.