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October 2026 Visa Bulletin · every bulletin since 2003

EB-3 Rest of world priority date: May 15, 2024 in October 2026

The EB-3 Rest of world final action date is May 15, 2024, the date for filing Aug 1, 2024. It retrogressed 3.6 mo 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 dateMay 15, 2024−3.6 mo
Date for filingAug 1, 2024reaches final action in ~5 mo
Wait at the front2.4 yrbulletin month minus cut-off
Speed, 5 years6.9months of dates per year
Since 2003

EB-3 Rest of world: final action date and date for filing

200020102020200420062008201020122014201620182020202220242026
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 2004January 2004no wait
January 2005January 2005no wait
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 2013January 20152.0 years
January 2014March 20151.2 years
January 2015June 20150.4 years
January 2016April 20160.2 years
January 2017April 20170.2 years
January 2018January 2018no wait
January 2019January 2019no wait
January 2020January 2020no wait
January 2021January 2021no wait
January 2022January 2022no wait
January 2023January 2023no wait
January 2024April 20262.2 years
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 Rest of world moves, and when it falls back

Bulletin monthMoved forwardRetrogressedTypical advanceYears counted
October55 %5 %6.0 mo20
November36 %0 %2.0 mo22
December43 %0 %31 d23
January57 %0 %31 d23
February50 %0 %40 d22
March52 %4 %3.0 mo23
April52 %4 %2.0 mo23
May38 %5 %3.0 mo21
June43 %5 %45 d21
July60 %10 %54 d20
August42 %11 %54 d19
September37 %11 %47 d19

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 Rest of world month by month

BulletinFinal action dateDate for filingWait
October 2026May 15, 2024−3.6 moAug 1, 20242.4 yr
September 2026Sep 1, 2024Current2.0 yr
August 2026Sep 1, 2024+31 dCurrent1.9 yr
July 2026Aug 1, 2024+2.0 moCurrent1.9 yr
June 2026Jun 1, 2024Current2.0 yr
May 2026Jun 1, 2024Current1.9 yr
April 2026Jun 1, 2024+8.0 moCurrent1.8 yr
March 2026Oct 1, 2023+4.0 moJan 15, 20242.4 yr
February 2026Jun 1, 2023+40 dOct 1, 20232.7 yr
January 2026Apr 22, 2023+7 dJul 1, 20232.7 yr
December 2025Apr 15, 2023+14 dJul 1, 20232.6 yr
November 2025Apr 1, 2023Jul 1, 20232.6 yr
October 2025Apr 1, 2023Jul 1, 20232.5 yr
September 2025Apr 1, 2023May 1, 20232.4 yr
August 2025Apr 1, 2023May 1, 20232.3 yr
July 2025Apr 1, 2023+52 dMay 1, 20232.3 yr
June 2025Feb 8, 2023+38 dMar 1, 20232.3 yr
May 2025Jan 1, 2023Mar 1, 20232.3 yr
April 2025Jan 1, 2023+31 dMar 1, 20232.2 yr
March 2025Dec 1, 2022Mar 1, 20232.2 yr
February 2025Dec 1, 2022Mar 1, 20232.2 yr
January 2025Dec 1, 2022+16 dMar 1, 20232.1 yr
December 2024Nov 15, 2022Mar 1, 20232.0 yr
November 2024Nov 15, 2022Mar 1, 20232.0 yr
October 2024Nov 15, 2022+23.5 moMar 1, 20231.9 yr
September 2024Dec 1, 2020−12.0 moFeb 1, 20233.8 yr
August 2024Dec 1, 2021Feb 1, 20232.7 yr
July 2024Dec 1, 2021−11.7 moFeb 1, 20232.6 yr
June 2024Nov 22, 2022Feb 1, 20231.5 yr
May 2024Nov 22, 2022Feb 1, 20231.4 yr
April 2024Nov 22, 2022+2.5 moFeb 1, 20231.4 yr
March 2024Sep 8, 2022+7 dFeb 1, 20231.5 yr
February 2024Sep 1, 2022+31 dFeb 1, 20231.4 yr
January 2024Aug 1, 2022+8.0 moFeb 1, 20231.4 yr
December 2023Dec 1, 2021Feb 1, 20232.0 yr
November 2023Dec 1, 2021Feb 1, 20231.9 yr

What this means if you are in the EB-3 Rest of world line

EB-3 is the employment-based category for skilled workers (two years of training or experience) and professionals with a bachelor's degree. This page covers every country without a column of its own in the Visa Bulletin – all except mainland China, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 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 (6.9 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 11 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-3 Rest of world retrogression since 2003

FAQ

EB-3 Rest of world questions

What is the EB-3 Rest of world priority date now?

In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin the EB-3 Rest of world final action date is May 15, 2024 and the date for filing is Aug 1, 2024. It went back 3.6 mo from the previous bulletin.

How long is the EB-3 Rest of world wait?

The cut-off is 2.4 years behind the bulletin month, which is what people reaching the front now have waited. Looking back, a priority date of January 2024 became current in April 2026, after 2.2 years. Priority dates from 2025 on are still waiting.

How fast does EB-3 Rest of world move?

13.5 mo/yr over the last year, 10.1 mo/yr over three years, 6.9 mo/yr over five and 9.5 mo/yr over ten (months of priority dates cleared per year; 12 keeps pace with time).

In which months does EB-3 Rest of world usually move?

Since 2003 it has moved forward most often in July bulletins (60 % of years) and gone backwards most often in August (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 Rest of world, a date for filing has taken a median of 5 months to become the final action date (between 0 and 33 months in 49 bulletins since October 2015; 1 filing dates have not been reached yet).

Has EB-3 Rest of world ever retrogressed?

11 times since 2003, most recently in October 2026 (3.6 mo back). The largest was 37.0 mo in March 2020.

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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