September 7Mon
5%
Retrieving official visa bulletin data and running analysis...
Retrieving official visa bulletin data and running analysis...
Prediction event
Most likely release window
The strongest signal is September 11 at 13%.
Each tile is a business day. Deeper shading means higher probability; the outlined tile is the strongest signal.
Official documents — September 2026
Official U.S. government source data
Paiqi (排期) is the Chinese term for the Visa Bulletin queue: the priority-date schedule that decides when a green card category becomes current. The forecast is trained on ten years of official DOS release history, counts business days only, and every cutoff figure links back to its government source.
Your green card tracker
See how your priority date compares to the current visa bulletin cutoff dates.
Cutoff analytics
Official DOS data through September 2026.
Chart A: Final Action Dates
Positive is advance. Negative is retrogression.
Indexable guides
These pages turn common filter states into crawlable references with cutoffs, movement history, USCIS chart links, FAQ, and official sources.
Official DOS chart
October 2026 is not published yet. Showing the latest official DOS bulletin for September 2026.
| Category | China-mainland bornPrevious → current | All chargeability areas except those listedPrevious → current |
|---|---|---|
EB-1 Priority workers, including extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers and executives. | Jul 1, 2023 No change | Current No change |
EB-2 Advanced degree professionals and persons of exceptional ability. | Sep 1, 2021 No change | Current No change |
EB-3 Skilled workers and professionals. | Jan 1, 2022 No change | Sep 1, 2024 No change |
Chart comparison
Side-by-side comparison of both official DOS charts for your selected area.
| Category | Final Action | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Jul 1, 2023 | Dec 1, 2023 |
| EB-2 | Sep 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2022 |
| EB-3 | Jan 1, 2022 | Jan 8, 2022 |
| Other Workers | May 1, 2019 | Oct 1, 2019 |
| EB-4 | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2023 |
| Certain Religious Workers | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2023 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Dec 1, 2016 | Mar 1, 2017 |
| EB-5 Rural | Current | — |
| EB-5 High Unemployment | Current | — |
| EB-5 Infrastructure | Current | — |
USCIS announces each month whether they will accept I-485 filings based on the Filing dates chart or the Final Action dates chart. When USCIS accepts Filing dates, you may be eligible to file your adjustment of status application sooner, even if your Final Action date is not yet current. Check the USCIS filing chart page for the current month's determination.
Read the guides
Long-form articles that explain the bulletin end-to-end: how to read it, how EB-2 vs EB-3 downgrades work in practice, what happens after your priority date becomes current, how approved I-140 priority-date retention works after a job change, when AC21 portability lets you switch jobs, what to do after an H-1B layoff, the full H-1B to green-card timeline, and country-specific reality checks for China and India applicants.
H-1B Program Overhaul
Two days before the $103,265 fee proposal hit the Federal Register, DHS submitted a separate H-1B overhaul rule to the White House for review. RIN 1615-AD00 targets cap exemption eligibility, employer violations, and third-party placements — program integrity questions that affect a different set of people than the fee.
Visa Enforcement 2026
U.S. officials confirmed on August 24 that the State Department is preparing to revoke the B-1/B-2 visas of up to 200,000 people who filed for asylum. This would be the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history. Here is who is in scope, who is not, and what the intersection with pending employment-based cases looks like.
H-1B Fee Proposal
On August 25, 2026, DHS published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would add $103,265 to every H-1B cap-subject petition — on top of every other fee employers already pay. This is not the $100,000 proclamation fee. It is a separate regulatory action with a broader scope, a different legal basis, and a 30-day comment window that closes in late September.
Official U.S. government source data
Short answers about October 2026 release timing, data sources, and what this site does and does not do.
Paiqi is the Chinese pinyin spelling of 排期 — literally "arranged schedule." In immigration usage it refers to the U.S. Visa Bulletin queue, also called the priority date schedule: the official line that decides when an employment- or family-based green card category becomes current. "Paiqi Calculator" is therefore a Visa Bulletin queue calculator.
It estimates the most likely Department of State release window for the October 2026 Visa Bulletin and pairs that forecast with official cutoff dates and USCIS filing-chart guidance.
Yes. Paiqi Calculator is a free Visa Bulletin prediction calculator: it forecasts the next DOS release date, shows official EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and family-category cutoff dates, and tracks USCIS filing-chart updates side by side.
Paiqi Calculator publishes October 2026 US Visa Bulletin predictions on its home page in English, Chinese, and Hindi, alongside the historical DOS release log and the current cutoff dates table.
The data comes from the Department of State Visa Bulletin archive, official bulletin PDFs and timestamps, and USCIS filing-chart pages.
The site publishes equivalent core content in English, Simplified Chinese, and Hindi so readers can compare the same Visa Bulletin information across three languages.
No. It is a source-backed tracking and forecasting tool. Filing decisions should still be confirmed against the official government bulletin and, when needed, a qualified immigration lawyer.
Green card guidance
Practical guidance for people waiting for their green card priority date to become current.
Source basis: DOS Visa Bulletin archive and USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts.
JSON APIOfficial release log
Historical dataOpen the month-by-month DOS release record, PDF timestamp basis, and source links.
| Issue | Release date | Pattern | Timestamp basis | DOS bulletin | Official PDF | USCIS filing chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2016 | Sep 8, 2016 | 2nd Thu | PDF ModDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2017 | Sep 12, 2017 | 2nd Tue | PDF ModDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2018 | Sep 10, 2018 | 2nd Mon | PDF ModDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2019 | Sep 18, 2019 | 3rd Wed | PDF CreationDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2020 | Sep 24, 2020 | 4th Thu | PDF ModDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2021 | Sep 13, 2021 | 2nd Mon | PDF CreationDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2022 | Sep 8, 2022 | 2nd Thu | PDF CreationDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2024 | Sep 11, 2024 | 2nd Wed | PDF CreationDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
| October 2025 | Sep 12, 2025 | 2nd Fri | PDF ModDate | Bulletin page | PDF metadata source | USCIS page |
Chart A: Final Action Dates
Left is the priority month. Right is the official bulletin month.
Other Workers Employment third preference other workers. | May 1, 2019 No change | Apr 1, 2022 No change |
EB-4 Certain special immigrants. | Dec 15, 2022 Advanced 61 days | Dec 15, 2022 Advanced 61 days |
Certain Religious Workers Special immigrant religious workers. | Dec 15, 2022 Advanced 61 days | Dec 15, 2022 Advanced 61 days |
EB-5 Unreserved Employment creation, unreserved immigrant investor visas. | Dec 1, 2016 No change | Current No change |
EB-5 Rural Employment creation rural set-aside visas. | Current No change | Current No change |
EB-5 High Unemployment Employment creation high unemployment set-aside visas. | Current No change | Current No change |
EB-5 Infrastructure Employment creation infrastructure set-aside visas. | Current No change | Current No change |
Category movement
EB-1: No changeEB-2: No changeEB-3: No changeOther Workers: No changeEB-4: Advanced 61 daysCertain Religious Workers: Advanced 61 daysEB-5 Unreserved: No changeEB-5 Rural: No changeEB-5 High Unemployment: No changeEB-5 Infrastructure: No changeIf your priority date is current under the chart USCIS is accepting, you can file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) if you are in the U.S., or proceed with consular processing at a U.S. embassy abroad. Prepare your documents: civil documents, medical exam (Form I-693), photos, and filing fees. The medical exam is valid for 2 years, so time it carefully. File as soon as you are eligible — dates can retrogress in future months.
The Visa Bulletin has two charts: Chart A (Final Action Dates) determines when a green card can actually be issued. Chart B (Dates for Filing) determines when you can submit your I-485 application. Chart B dates are typically further ahead. Each month, USCIS decides whether to accept filings based on Chart A or Chart B. When Chart B is accepted, you can file earlier and get benefits like an EAD work permit and Advance Parole travel document while waiting.
If you are already in the U.S. on a valid status, I-485 (Adjustment of Status) lets you stay while your case is processed, and you can get an EAD for work authorization and Advance Parole for travel. If you are abroad, consular processing at a U.S. embassy is typically faster. Key factors: your current location, ability to travel, desire for interim work authorization, and processing times at your local USCIS office vs. consulate.
If you have already filed your I-485 and dates retrogress, your pending application remains in the queue — it is not rejected. However, USCIS cannot approve your case until a visa number becomes available again. This is why filing as soon as you are eligible is important. Your EAD and Advance Parole benefits typically continue while your I-485 is pending, regardless of retrogression.
The Department of State publishes a new Visa Bulletin every month, typically around the middle of the month for the following month. For example, the May bulletin is usually released in mid-April. USCIS then publishes its determination of which chart (Final Action or Filing) it will accept for the coming month. Paiqi Calculator — "Paiqi" is Chinese pinyin for 排期, meaning the Visa Bulletin queue or priority date schedule — tracks both DOS and USCIS releases and predicts the next release date.
Green card glossary
Not sure what Chart A, Chart B, or PD means?Open a plain-language glossary for the most common green card terms and community shorthand.
Final Action Dates
The DOS cut-off chart used for final immigrant visa issuance or green card approval. A case is usually fully approvable only when the priority date is earlier than this line, or the category is current.
Dates for Filing
The DOS chart showing when applicants may start document collection or, if USCIS allows it for that month, file adjustment of status earlier than Chart A.
Priority Date
Your place in line for a numerically limited immigrant visa category. USCIS says this is generally the petition filing date, or the labor-certification filing date in cases that require labor certification.
Employment-based
A green card category based on work, such as EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3.
Family-sponsored / family-based
Common shorthand for family preference categories in the Visa Bulletin, such as F1, F2A, or F3.
Adjustment of Status
Applying for lawful permanent residence from inside the United States without leaving for visa processing abroad.
Consular Processing
Applying for the immigrant visa through a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad instead of filing adjustment of status in the United States.
Request for Evidence
A USCIS notice asking for more documents or explanation because required evidence was missing, expired, or not enough for an eligibility decision.
National Visa Center
The DOS stage that collects immigrant-visa fees and documents after petition approval and before a consular interview is scheduled.
Documentarily Qualified
Common shorthand for the DOS / NVC stage where the required immigrant-visa application, affidavit of support, fees, and supporting documents have been accepted as complete.
Current
The Visa Bulletin code meaning there is no cut-off date for that category and chargeability area in that bulletin month.
Cutoff date moves backward
When demand is higher than the number of visas available, DOS may move a cut-off date backward, pause it, or stop it from advancing.