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October 2026 Visa Bulletin · every bulletin since 2003

EB-2 China priority date: Oct 1, 2021 in October 2026

The EB-2 China final action date is Oct 1, 2021, the date for filing Jan 1, 2023. It moved forward 30 d 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 dateOct 1, 2021+30 d
Date for filingJan 1, 2023reaches final action in ~5 mo
Wait at the front5.0 yrbulletin month minus cut-off
Speed, 5 years7.8months of dates per year
Since 2003

EB-2 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 20071.5 years
January 2007July 20070.5 years
January 2008December 20113.9 years
January 2009February 20123.1 years
January 2010March 20122.2 years
January 2011April 20154.2 years
January 2012May 20153.3 years
January 2013June 20152.4 years
January 2014April 20184.2 years
January 2015August 20183.6 years
January 2016April 20193.2 years
January 2017June 20214.4 years
January 2018August 20213.6 years
January 2019January 20223.0 years
January 2020April 20244.2 years
January 2021October 20254.7 years
January 2022still waiting4.7 years so far
January 2023still waiting3.7 years so far
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-2 China moves, and when it falls back

Bulletin monthMoved forwardRetrogressedTypical advanceYears counted
October76 %14 %2.2 mo21
November75 %0 %44 d20
December71 %5 %47 d21
January81 %0 %31 d21
February71 %0 %38 d21
March73 %0 %47 d22
April64 %0 %46 d22
May55 %5 %38 d22
June60 %5 %2.5 mo20
July67 %5 %3.0 mo21
August60 %0 %2.5 mo20
September25 %10 %2.2 mo20

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-2 China month by month

BulletinFinal action dateDate for filingWait
October 2026Oct 1, 2021+30 dJan 1, 20235.0 yr
September 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20225.0 yr
August 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.9 yr
July 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.8 yr
June 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.7 yr
May 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.7 yr
April 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.6 yr
March 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.5 yr
February 2026Sep 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.4 yr
January 2026Sep 1, 2021+3.0 moJan 1, 20224.3 yr
December 2025Jun 1, 2021+2.0 moDec 1, 20214.5 yr
November 2025Apr 1, 2021Dec 1, 20214.6 yr
October 2025Apr 1, 2021+3.5 moDec 1, 20214.5 yr
September 2025Dec 15, 2020Jan 1, 20214.7 yr
August 2025Dec 15, 2020Jan 1, 20214.6 yr
July 2025Dec 15, 2020+14 dJan 1, 20214.5 yr
June 2025Dec 1, 2020+2.0 moJan 1, 20214.5 yr
May 2025Oct 1, 2020Nov 1, 20204.6 yr
April 2025Oct 1, 2020+4.8 moNov 1, 20204.5 yr
March 2025May 8, 2020+16 dOct 1, 20204.8 yr
February 2025Apr 22, 2020Oct 1, 20204.8 yr
January 2025Apr 22, 2020+31 dOct 1, 20204.7 yr
December 2024Mar 22, 2020Oct 1, 20204.7 yr
November 2024Mar 22, 2020Oct 1, 20204.6 yr
October 2024Mar 22, 2020+21 dOct 1, 20204.5 yr
September 2024Mar 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.5 yr
August 2024Mar 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.4 yr
July 2024Mar 1, 2020+29 dJun 1, 20204.3 yr
June 2024Feb 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.3 yr
May 2024Feb 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.2 yr
April 2024Feb 1, 2020+31 dJun 1, 20204.2 yr
March 2024Jan 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.2 yr
February 2024Jan 1, 2020Jun 1, 20204.1 yr
January 2024Jan 1, 2020+2.3 moJun 1, 20204.0 yr
December 2023Oct 22, 2019+21 dJan 1, 20204.1 yr
November 2023Oct 1, 2019Jan 1, 20204.1 yr

What this means if you are in the EB-2 China line

EB-2 is the employment-based category for professionals with an advanced degree, people of exceptional ability, and National Interest Waiver applicants. 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 (7.8 mo/yr), each year of priority dates takes about 1.5 years to clear. The table of real waits above shows what that has meant for earlier filers. The line has gone backwards 9 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 5 months later.

Every EB-2 China retrogression since 2003

FAQ

EB-2 China questions

What is the EB-2 China priority date now?

In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin the EB-2 China final action date is Oct 1, 2021 and the date for filing is Jan 1, 2023. It moved forward 30 d from the previous bulletin.

How long is the EB-2 China wait?

The cut-off is 5.0 years behind the bulletin month, which is what people reaching the front now have waited. Looking back, a priority date of January 2021 became current in October 2025, after 4.7 years. Priority dates from 2022 on are still waiting.

How fast does EB-2 China move?

6.0 mo/yr over the last year, 8.2 mo/yr over three years, 7.8 mo/yr over five and 11.6 mo/yr over ten (months of priority dates cleared per year; 12 keeps pace with time).

In which months does EB-2 China usually move?

Since 2003 it has moved forward most often in January bulletins (81 % of years) and gone backwards most often in October (14 %). 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-2 China, a date for filing has taken a median of 5 months to become the final action date (between 1 and 23 months in 120 bulletins since October 2015; 13 filing dates have not been reached yet).

Has EB-2 China ever retrogressed?

9 times since 2003, most recently in October 2019 (24.0 mo back). The largest was 95.4 mo in September 2015.

More

Other EB-2 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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