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October 2026 Visa Bulletin · every bulletin since 2003

EB-3 China priority date: Jan 8, 2022 in October 2026

The EB-3 China final action date is Jan 8, 2022, the date for filing Apr 1, 2024. It moved forward 7 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 dateJan 8, 2022+7 d
Date for filingApr 1, 2024reaches final action in ~6 mo
Wait at the front4.7 yrbulletin month minus cut-off
Speed, 5 years7.2months of dates per year
Since 2003

EB-3 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 2008June 20135.4 years
January 2009September 20134.7 years
January 2010September 20133.7 years
January 2011December 20132.9 years
January 2012January 20142.0 years
January 2013March 20163.2 years
January 2014March 20173.2 years
January 2015April 20183.2 years
January 2016August 20193.6 years
January 2017August 20203.6 years
January 2018March 20213.2 years
January 2019August 20212.6 years
January 2020December 20233.9 years
January 2021October 20254.7 years
January 2022October 20264.7 years
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-3 China moves, and when it falls back

Bulletin monthMoved forwardRetrogressedTypical advanceYears counted
October83 %6 %4.0 mo18
November60 %5 %2.7 mo20
December76 %0 %44 d21
January81 %0 %2.0 mo21
February76 %0 %47 d21
March77 %0 %59 d22
April77 %5 %59 d22
May57 %0 %2.0 mo21
June55 %10 %2.0 mo20
July58 %11 %3.0 mo19
August61 %6 %47 d18
September44 %6 %4.0 mo18

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-3 China month by month

BulletinFinal action dateDate for filingWait
October 2026Jan 8, 2022+7 dApr 1, 20244.7 yr
September 2026Jan 1, 2022Jan 8, 20224.7 yr
August 2026Jan 1, 2022+10 dJan 8, 20224.6 yr
July 2026Dec 22, 2021+4.7 moJan 1, 20224.5 yr
June 2026Aug 1, 2021+47 dJan 1, 20224.8 yr
May 2026Jun 15, 2021Jan 1, 20224.9 yr
April 2026Jun 15, 2021+45 dJan 1, 20224.8 yr
March 2026May 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.8 yr
February 2026May 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.8 yr
January 2026May 1, 2021+30 dJan 1, 20224.7 yr
December 2025Apr 1, 2021+31 dJan 1, 20224.7 yr
November 2025Mar 1, 2021Jan 1, 20224.7 yr
October 2025Mar 1, 2021+3.0 moJan 1, 20224.6 yr
September 2025Dec 1, 2020Dec 22, 20204.8 yr
August 2025Dec 1, 2020Dec 22, 20204.7 yr
July 2025Dec 1, 2020+9 dDec 22, 20204.6 yr
June 2025Nov 22, 2020+21 dDec 22, 20204.5 yr
May 2025Nov 1, 2020Nov 15, 20204.5 yr
April 2025Nov 1, 2020+3.0 moNov 15, 20204.4 yr
March 2025Aug 1, 2020+31 dNov 15, 20204.6 yr
February 2025Jul 1, 2020+30 dNov 15, 20204.6 yr
January 2025Jun 1, 2020+2.0 moNov 15, 20204.6 yr
December 2024Apr 1, 2020Nov 15, 20204.7 yr
November 2024Apr 1, 2020Nov 15, 20204.6 yr
October 2024Apr 1, 2020−5.0 moNov 15, 20204.5 yr
September 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20214.0 yr
August 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.9 yr
July 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.8 yr
June 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.7 yr
May 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.7 yr
April 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.6 yr
March 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.5 yr
February 2024Sep 1, 2020Jul 1, 20213.4 yr
January 2024Sep 1, 2020+7.3 moJul 1, 20213.3 yr
December 2023Jan 22, 2020+21 dSep 1, 20203.9 yr
November 2023Jan 1, 2020Sep 1, 20203.8 yr

What this means if you are in the EB-3 China line

EB-3 is the employment-based category for skilled workers (two years of training or experience) and professionals with a bachelor's degree. 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 (7.2 mo/yr), each year of priority dates takes about 1.7 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 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 6 months later.

Every EB-3 China retrogression since 2003

FAQ

EB-3 China questions

What is the EB-3 China priority date now?

In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin the EB-3 China final action date is Jan 8, 2022 and the date for filing is Apr 1, 2024. It moved forward 7 d from the previous bulletin.

How long is the EB-3 China wait?

The cut-off is 4.7 years behind the bulletin month, which is what people reaching the front now have waited. Looking back, a priority date of January 2022 became current in October 2026, after 4.7 years. Priority dates from 2023 on are still waiting.

How fast does EB-3 China move?

10.3 mo/yr over the last year, 8.3 mo/yr over three years, 7.2 mo/yr over five and 10.8 mo/yr over ten (months of priority dates cleared per year; 12 keeps pace with time).

In which months does EB-3 China usually move?

Since 2003 it has moved forward most often in October bulletins (83 % of years) and gone backwards most often in July (11 %). 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-3 China, a date for filing has taken a median of 6 months to become the final action date (between 0 and 29 months in 132 bulletins since October 2015; 1 filing dates have not been reached yet).

Has EB-3 China ever retrogressed?

9 times since 2003, most recently in October 2024 (5.0 mo back). The largest was 87.0 mo in August 2015.

More

Other EB-3 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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