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October 2026 Visa Bulletin · every bulletin since 2003

EB-1 China priority date: Jul 1, 2023 in October 2026

The EB-1 China final action date is Jul 1, 2023, the date for filing Jul 1, 2024. No movement this month. Below: the real wait of every filing year, the months in which this line moves, and every bulletin since 2003.

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Final action dateJul 1, 2023no change this month
Date for filingJul 1, 2024reaches final action in ~9 mo
Wait at the front3.3 yrbulletin month minus cut-off
Speed, 5 years4.5months of dates per year
Since 2003

EB-1 China: final action date and date for filing

20002010202020062008201020122014201620182020202220242026
Final action dateDate for filing

Cut-off date (y) in each month's bulletin (x). The gap between the lines is how early you can file before approval is possible.

Real waits

How long people with each priority date waited

Priority dateBecame currentWait
January 2006July 20060.5 years
January 2007January 2007no wait
January 2008January 2008no wait
January 2009January 2009no wait
January 2010January 2010no wait
January 2011January 2011no wait
January 2012January 2012no wait
January 2013January 2013no wait
January 2014January 2014no wait
January 2015January 2015no wait
January 2016January 2016no wait
January 2017January 2017no wait
January 2018January 2018no wait
January 2019December 20201.9 years
January 2020March 20211.2 years
January 2021April 20210.2 years
January 2022January 2022no wait
January 2023December 20252.9 years
January 2024still waiting2.7 years so far
January 2025still waiting1.7 years so far

The first bulletin in which the final action date passed 1 January of that year. Counted from the filing date: a line that was current when the petition was filed shows “no wait”.

By month of the year

When EB-1 China moves, and when it falls back

Bulletin monthMoved forwardRetrogressedTypical advanceYears counted
October41 %5 %9.0 mo22
November10 %0 %6.0 mo20
December24 %0 %3.4 mo21
January29 %5 %4.5 mo21
February14 %0 %4.0 mo21
March27 %0 %28 d22
April23 %5 %48 d22
May9 %0 %6.0 mo22
June10 %5 %12.0 mo21
July27 %0 %2.0 mo22
August10 %10 %5.6 mo21
September5 %5 %21 d21

Share of bulletins for that month, since 2003, in which the final action date advanced or went back; typical advance = the median of the months it moved. In fiscal-year order (October first).

36 months

EB-1 China month by month

BulletinFinal action dateDate for filingWait
October 2026Jul 1, 2023Jul 1, 20243.3 yr
September 2026Jul 1, 2023Dec 1, 20233.2 yr
August 2026Jul 1, 2023+30 dDec 1, 20233.1 yr
July 2026Jun 1, 2023+2.0 moDec 1, 20233.1 yr
June 2026Apr 1, 2023Dec 1, 20233.2 yr
May 2026Apr 1, 2023Dec 1, 20233.1 yr
April 2026Apr 1, 2023+31 dDec 1, 20233.0 yr
March 2026Mar 1, 2023+28 dDec 1, 20233.0 yr
February 2026Feb 1, 2023Aug 1, 20233.0 yr
January 2026Feb 1, 2023+10 dAug 1, 20232.9 yr
December 2025Jan 22, 2023+31 dMay 15, 20232.9 yr
November 2025Dec 22, 2022May 15, 20232.9 yr
October 2025Dec 22, 2022+37 dMay 15, 20232.8 yr
September 2025Nov 15, 2022Jan 1, 20232.8 yr
August 2025Nov 15, 2022Jan 1, 20232.7 yr
July 2025Nov 15, 2022+7 dJan 1, 20232.6 yr
June 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.6 yr
May 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.5 yr
April 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.4 yr
March 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.3 yr
February 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.2 yr
January 2025Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.1 yr
December 2024Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.1 yr
November 2024Nov 8, 2022Jan 1, 20232.0 yr
October 2024Nov 8, 2022+7 dJan 1, 20231.9 yr
September 2024Nov 1, 2022Jan 1, 20231.8 yr
August 2024Nov 1, 2022Jan 1, 20231.7 yr
July 2024Nov 1, 2022+2.0 moJan 1, 20231.7 yr
June 2024Sep 1, 2022Jan 1, 20231.7 yr
May 2024Sep 1, 2022Jan 1, 20231.7 yr
April 2024Sep 1, 2022+48 dJan 1, 20231.6 yr
March 2024Jul 15, 2022+14 dJan 1, 20231.6 yr
February 2024Jul 1, 2022Jan 1, 20231.6 yr
January 2024Jul 1, 2022+4.5 moJan 1, 20231.5 yr
December 2023Feb 15, 2022Aug 1, 20221.8 yr
November 2023Feb 15, 2022Aug 1, 20221.7 yr

What this means if you are in the EB-1 China line

EB-1 is the employment-based category for people of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, multinational executives and managers. People charged to China – normally those born there – have their own column because demand from China is above the 7 % per-country limit. Your green card can be approved in the month the final action date passes your priority date.

At the speed of the last five years (4.5 mo/yr), each year of priority dates takes about 2.7 years to clear; the last twelve months were faster than that. The table of real waits above shows what that has meant for earlier filers. The line has gone backwards 7 times since 2003 – most often near the end of the fiscal year – so a date that is close is not safe until it is passed.

When the date for filing passes your priority date and USCIS accepts chart B that month, you can file the I-485 and get a work permit and travel document while you wait; for this line the final action date has then arrived a median of 9 months later.

Every EB-1 China retrogression since 2003

FAQ

EB-1 China questions

What is the EB-1 China priority date now?

In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin the EB-1 China final action date is Jul 1, 2023 and the date for filing is Jul 1, 2024. It did not move from the previous bulletin.

How long is the EB-1 China wait?

The cut-off is 3.3 years behind the bulletin month, which is what people reaching the front now have waited. Looking back, a priority date of January 2023 became current in December 2025, after 2.9 years. Priority dates from 2024 on are still waiting.

How fast does EB-1 China move?

6.3 mo/yr over the last year, 5.6 mo/yr over three years, 4.5 mo/yr over five and 14.8 mo/yr over ten (months of priority dates cleared per year; 12 keeps pace with time).

In which months does EB-1 China usually move?

Since 2003 it has moved forward most often in October bulletins (41 % of years) and gone backwards most often in August (10 %). October is the start of the fiscal year, when new visa numbers arrive.

How long after the date for filing does the final action date catch up?

For EB-1 China, a date for filing has taken a median of 9 months to become the final action date (between 1 and 23 months in 65 bulletins since October 2015; 10 filing dates have not been reached yet).

Has EB-1 China ever retrogressed?

7 times since 2003, most recently in January 2023 (10.0 mo back). The largest was 78.0 mo in August 2016.

More

Other EB-1 lines and categories

Source: U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin (travel.state.gov), every monthly bulletin since 2003, parsed by 77.today. A bulletin can be revised after release; the State Department's page is the binding text. Not legal advice.

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