Final Action Dates generally control when an immigrant visa may be issued or a green card may be approved. According to the September 2026 Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State, the EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals dates are:
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed
September 1, 2024
China, mainland born
January 1, 2022
India
January 1, 2014
Mexico
September 1, 2024
Philippines
August 1, 2023
Your priority date must be earlier than the listed cutoff date to be current for final action. A priority date equal to the cutoff date is not yet current.
These dates apply to the EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals row. Professional nurses are generally sponsored in one of those EB-3 classifications, not under the separate Other Workers row.
The Dates for Filing chart indicates when an applicant may be able to begin submitting immigrant visa documents. For September 2026, the EB-3 dates are:
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed
Current
China, mainland born
January 8, 2022
India
January 15, 2015
Mexico
Current
Philippines
January 1, 2024
“Current” means the chart has no priority-date cutoff for that country and category. It does not necessarily mean a green card can be approved immediately.
For consular processing, the National Visa Center may use the Dates for Filing chart to determine when applicants can begin assembling and submitting documents after receiving instructions. For adjustment of status inside the United States, USCIS decides which chart applicants may use each month.
For September 2026, USCIS says applicants in all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart to determine whether they may file Form I-485. The more generous Dates for Filing chart cannot be used for employment-based adjustment filings that month. See the official USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts.
This distinction is especially important for applicants whose priority date falls between the two charts. For example, a Philippine EB-3 applicant with a priority date in late 2023 is earlier than the January 1, 2024 Date for Filing, but not earlier than the August 1, 2023 Final Action Date. That applicant cannot rely on the Dates for Filing chart to submit an employment-based I-485 in September 2026.
The September EB-3 dates are identical to August’s. The only movement since the July article occurred in the August bulletin.
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed
Advanced one month, from August 1, 2024 to September 1, 2024.
China, mainland born
Advanced ten days, from December 22, 2021 to January 1, 2022.
India
No change. The date remains January 1, 2014.
Mexico
Advanced one month, from August 1, 2024 to September 1, 2024.
Philippines
No change. The date remains August 1, 2023.
China’s EB-3 Date for Filing advanced from January 1, 2022 in July to January 8, 2022 in August and remains there in September. The other EB-3 Dates for Filing did not change between July and September.
The key takeaway is that the September bulletin provides no additional EB-3 movement from August. India and the Philippines remain the most relevant long-backlogged chargeability areas for many nurse applicants.
Registered nurses can qualify as Schedule A Group I workers. Under the USCIS EB-3 guidance and USCIS Policy Manual on Schedule A petitions, an employer may seek to classify a Schedule A nurse as an EB-3 skilled worker or professional.
Schedule A can remove the need for the employer to complete the standard Department of Labor recruitment process used in many permanent labor certification cases. It does not remove the worker from the EB-3 numerical limits or Visa Bulletin queue.
A nurse may have an employer sponsor, an approved I-140, the necessary professional credentials, and a case that is otherwise ready, but still have to wait for the priority date to become current.
For September 2026, the Philippines remains at:
Neither date changed from July or August. The July bulletin specifically warned that high demand could require the Philippines EB-3 Final Action Date to retrogress or become unavailable. That Philippines-specific warning is not repeated in the September bulletin, and the category remains available at the dates above.
However, September is the last month of fiscal year 2026. The State Department warns generally that a visa category may become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year if an annual, category, or prorated per-country limit is reached. Applicants should therefore treat the published date as current guidance, not a guarantee that a visa number will remain available throughout the entire month.
For September 2026, India remains at:
Both dates are unchanged from July and August. This reflects a much longer queue than the other chargeability areas shown in the EB-3 chart.
Indian-born applicants should not assume that employer sponsorship or approval of the I-140 means an immigrant visa is immediately available. The priority date must become current under the applicable chart, and the case must meet all other requirements.
For September 2026, China-mainland born remains at:
The Final Action Date moved forward by ten days from July to August, while the Date for Filing advanced by seven days. Neither date changed from August to September.
For Mexico and All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed, the September 2026 EB-3 dates are:
The Final Action Date advanced by one month from July to August and then stayed unchanged in September. Even though the Dates for Filing chart is current, employment-based adjustment applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart in September.
A priority date is an applicant’s place in the immigrant visa queue.
In many employment-based cases that require a Department of Labor labor certification, the priority date is generally the date the Department of Labor accepts the labor certification application for processing. For a Schedule A petition, the priority date is generally the date USCIS properly receives the I-140 petition because the Schedule A application is filed directly with USCIS rather than first being certified by the Department of Labor.
Applicants should confirm the priority date shown on their I-140 receipt or approval notice and review it with their attorney or immigration team.
A Final Action Date is the cutoff used to determine when a visa number is generally available for final immigrant visa issuance or green card approval.
If the listed Philippine EB-3 Final Action Date is August 1, 2023, a priority date of July 31, 2023 is earlier and may be current. A priority date of August 1, 2023 is not earlier than the cutoff and is not current.
Being current does not guarantee approval. The petition and application must still be approvable, a visa number must remain available, and all other legal and procedural requirements must be satisfied.
A Date for Filing is a separate cutoff that may allow an applicant to submit documents earlier than the Final Action Date would permit final approval.
For consular cases, this chart can guide when the National Visa Center may begin document collection. For applicants adjusting status in the United States, the Dates for Filing chart matters only when USCIS authorizes its use for that month and category.
Congress limits the number of employment-based immigrant visas available each fiscal year and also imposes category and per-country limits. The State Department sets cutoff dates based on reported demand and the numbers available.
The September bulletin sets the fiscal year 2026 worldwide employment-based preference level at 186,317. It also explains that if an annual limit is reached, the affected category must become unavailable and no further visa-number requests can be honored.
Visa Bulletin dates can therefore:
The new federal fiscal year begins on October 1, 2026. October dates may change when fiscal year 2027 visa numbers become available, but applicants should not assume that a particular category will advance until the October bulletin is published.
Confirm your priority date. Check the I-140 receipt notice, approval notice, or other case records.
Confirm your country of chargeability. This is usually the country of birth, not citizenship or current residence, although limited exceptions can apply.
Use the correct EB-3 row. Professional nurses generally use the Skilled Workers and Professionals row, not Other Workers.
Compare the priority date correctly. It must be earlier than the listed cutoff, not equal to it.
Check the USCIS chart before filing Form I-485. USCIS requires the Final Action Dates chart for September 2026 employment-based cases.
Keep documents and credentials current. Visa availability can change, but licensing, immigration records, identity documents, and employer paperwork should remain organized.
Ask qualified counsel about your case. Filing eligibility, maintenance of status, consular processing, adjustment of status, dependents, and chargeability can involve case-specific legal questions.
Flint helps eligible healthcare workers already in the United States connect with healthcare facilities that may offer employment-based green card sponsorship.
Flint may be relevant if you are:
Visa Bulletin movement can affect the timing of final green card approval, but the first step is still qualifying for a role and matching with a real employer sponsor.
Flint is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Applicants should speak with a qualified immigration attorney about how the Visa Bulletin applies to their individual circumstances.
Flint helps eligible healthcare workers already in the U.S. connect with healthcare facilities that may offer employment-based green card sponsorship.
For healthcare workers, Visa Bulletin movement can affect the green card timeline, but the first step is still matching with a real employer sponsor and qualifying role.
Flint may be relevant if you are:
Flint is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Applicants should speak with a qualified immigration attorney about how the Visa Bulletin affects their individual case.
The July 2026 Visa Bulletin shows continued EB-3 backlogs for India, China, and the Philippines.
EB-3 India remains heavily backlogged, with a Final Action Date of January 1, 2014.
EB-3 China advanced to December 22, 2021, but remains backlogged.
EB-3 Philippines remains at August 1, 2023, and the bulletin warns that future retrogression or unavailability may be possible.
EB-3 Mexico and All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed advanced to August 1, 2024.
Dates for Filing are different from Final Action Dates, and applicants in the U.S. must check which chart USCIS allows for adjustment of status.
For July 2026, employment-based adjustment applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart.
Healthcare workers may qualify for employer-sponsored EB-3 opportunities, but visa availability still affects the green card timeline.
Applicants should review their priority date, country of chargeability, and current chart before making immigration decisions.
If you are a healthcare worker already in the U.S. and looking for possible green card sponsorship, you can check whether you may be eligible for Flint’s current healthcare roles.
