Visa Bulletin for January 2026

What the State Department said

Scheduled expiration of the employment fourth religious workers (SR) category

H.R. 5371, signed on November 12, 2025, extends the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until January 30, 2026. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight January 29, 2026, as the law requires individuals issued SR visas must be admited to the United States before the program expiration date. Visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until January 29, 2026, and all individuals seeking admission in the non-minister special immigrant category must be admitted (repeat admitted) into the United States no later than midnight January 29, 2026.

The SR category is available and subject to the same final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability for January. In the event there is no legislative action extending the category beyond January 30, 2026, the category will immediately become “Unavailable” as of January 30, 2026. In the event there is legislative action extending the category beyond January 30, the published dates will continue to be in effect for the remainder of January.

U.s. government employee special immigrant visas (SIVS)

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, may affect certain current and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad, as well as certain surviving spouses and children of deceased employees of the U.S. government abroad, applying for SIVs or adjustment of status, as described in section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA. This does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs. Applicants should contact the consular section at which they filed their Form DS‑1884 for further information on the impact of that law on their case.