EB-4 Visa Bulletin: special immigrants, every cut-off since 2002
EB-4 is for special immigrants: religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain broadcasters, Afghan and Iraqi translators, retired international organisation employees and others. In the October 2026 bulletin the final action date is Dec 15, 2022 for most countries, Dec 15, 2022 for China, Dec 15, 2022 for India, Dec 15, 2022 for Mexico, Dec 15, 2022 for Philippines.
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EB-4 by country: dates, speed and wait
| Country | Final action | Dates for filing | Last move | Wait now | Speed 1 / 3 / 5 yr | Retrogressions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All other countries | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2025 | 3.8 yr | 29.5 mo/yr · 16.3 mo/yr · 1.5 mo/yr | 4 | |
| China (mainland-born) | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2025 | 3.8 yr | 29.5 mo/yr · 16.3 mo/yr · 1.5 mo/yr | 4 | |
| India | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2025 | 3.8 yr | 29.5 mo/yr · 16.3 mo/yr · 1.5 mo/yr | 7 | |
| Mexico | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2025 | 3.8 yr | 29.5 mo/yr · 16.3 mo/yr · 6.7 mo/yr | 7 | |
| Philippines | Dec 15, 2022 | Jan 1, 2025 | 3.8 yr | 29.5 mo/yr · 16.3 mo/yr · 1.5 mo/yr | 4 |
Wait now = bulletin month minus the cut-off. Speed = months of priority dates cleared per year (12 = keeps pace with time, 6 = a year of the queue takes two years); current months are left out of the speed.
EB-4 final action dates since 2002
Final action date (y) in each month's bulletin (x). When a line is current it is drawn at the bulletin month itself.
EB-4 month by month
| Bulletin | All countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 |
| September 2026 | Dec 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Dec 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Dec 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Dec 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Dec 15, 2022+2.0 mo |
| August 2026 | Oct 15, 2022+30 d | Oct 15, 2022+30 d | Oct 15, 2022+30 d | Oct 15, 2022+30 d | Oct 15, 2022+30 d |
| July 2026 | Sep 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Sep 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Sep 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Sep 15, 2022+2.0 mo | Sep 15, 2022+2.0 mo |
| June 2026 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 |
| May 2026 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 | Jul 15, 2022 |
| April 2026 | Jul 15, 2022+12.0 mo | Jul 15, 2022+12.0 mo | Jul 15, 2022+12.0 mo | Jul 15, 2022+12.0 mo | Jul 15, 2022+12.0 mo |
| March 2026 | Jul 15, 2021+6.4 mo | Jul 15, 2021+6.4 mo | Jul 15, 2021+6.4 mo | Jul 15, 2021+6.4 mo | Jul 15, 2021+6.4 mo |
| February 2026 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 |
| January 2026 | Jan 1, 2021+4.0 mo | Jan 1, 2021+4.0 mo | Jan 1, 2021+4.0 mo | Jan 1, 2021+4.0 mo | Jan 1, 2021+4.0 mo |
| December 2025 | Sep 1, 2020+2.0 mo | Sep 1, 2020+2.0 mo | Sep 1, 2020+2.0 mo | Sep 1, 2020+2.0 mo | Sep 1, 2020+2.0 mo |
| November 2025 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 |
| October 2025 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 |
| September 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| August 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| July 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| June 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| May 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| April 2025 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| March 2025 | Aug 1, 2019−17.0 mo | Aug 1, 2019−17.0 mo | Aug 1, 2019−17.0 mo | Aug 1, 2019−17.0 mo | Aug 1, 2019−17.0 mo |
| February 2025 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 |
| January 2025 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 |
| December 2024 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 |
| November 2024 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2021 |
Every EB-4 retrogression since 2002
- All other countries: December 2022 (4.3 months), March 2023 (4.6 months), April 2023 (41.0 months), March 2025 (17.0 months)
- China (mainland-born): December 2022 (4.3 months), March 2023 (4.6 months), April 2023 (41.0 months), March 2025 (17.0 months)
- India: August 2016 (78.0 months), July 2017 (21.6 months), August 2018 (28.7 months), December 2022 (4.3 months), March 2023 (15.7 months), April 2023 (30.0 months), March 2025 (17.0 months)
- Mexico: July 2016 (77.0 months), December 2016 (15.6 months), July 2018 (8.4 months), July 2019 (27.0 months), March 2023 (45 days), April 2023 (23.0 months), March 2025 (17.0 months)
- Philippines: December 2022 (4.3 months), March 2023 (4.6 months), April 2023 (41.0 months), March 2025 (17.0 months)
Who can use EB-4
EB-4 is the employment-based preference for special immigrants: religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain broadcasters, Afghan and Iraqi translators, retired international organisation employees and others. Its annual limit is 7.1 % of the employment limit (about 10,000). Most cases start with a PERM labor certification and Form I-140; the priority date is normally the PERM filing date, or the I-140 date where no labor certification is needed.
Your column is your country of chargeability, normally the country of birth. A green card in EB-4 becomes possible in the month the final action date for your column passes your priority date; until then the case waits at USCIS or the National Visa Center.
What the history says about the next months
A line's past speed is the best simple guide to its future, and the State Department itself plans with it. Over the last five years the EB-4 line for most countries cleared 1.5 mo/yr. Speeds change when demand changes – a surge of new petitions, a change in the law, unused numbers falling from another category in October – so treat any projection as a range, not a date.
EB-4 questions
What is the EB-4 final action date in October 2026?
All other countries: Dec 15, 2022; China (mainland-born): Dec 15, 2022; India: Dec 15, 2022; Mexico: Dec 15, 2022; Philippines: Dec 15, 2022.
Who qualifies for EB-4?
EB-4 is for special immigrants: religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain broadcasters, Afghan and Iraqi translators, retired international organisation employees and others. Annual limit: 7.1 % of the employment limit (about 10,000).
How fast does EB-4 move?
All other countries: 29.5 mo/yr over the last year, 1.5 mo/yr over five years; China (mainland-born): 29.5 mo/yr over the last year, 1.5 mo/yr over five years; India: 29.5 mo/yr over the last year, 1.5 mo/yr over five years; Mexico: 29.5 mo/yr over the last year, 6.7 mo/yr over five years; Philippines: 29.5 mo/yr over the last year, 1.5 mo/yr over five years. "mo/yr" = months of priority dates the line clears in a year; 12 means it keeps pace with time.
Has EB-4 retrogressed?
All other countries: 4 times, last in March 2025; China (mainland-born): 4 times, last in March 2025; India: 7 times, last in March 2025; Mexico: 7 times, last in March 2025; Philippines: 4 times, last in March 2025.
How long is the EB-4 wait?
The longest EB-4 line in October 2026 is All other countries, whose cut-off is 3.8 years behind the bulletin month. That is the wait people reaching the front now have had; if the line keeps its five-year speed (1.5 mo/yr), a priority date filed today would take longer than that. Use the calculator for your own date.
Other 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.