USCIS Visa Bulletin May 2026: April vs May Comparison + Analysis

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πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Official Visa Bulletin

Visa Bulletin — May 2026

Employment-Based & Family-Sponsored Priority Dates · Published by U.S. Dept. of State

The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for May 2026, containing official Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for all preference immigrant visa categories. Charts below are sourced directly from travel.state.gov.

⚠️
Important: Visit uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to confirm whether USCIS has authorized use of the Dates for Filing chart this month for adjustment of status applications. "C" = Current (no backlog).

πŸ“Š Employment-Based — Final Action Dates

Employment-Based All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA
mainland born		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st C 01APR23 01APR23 C C
2nd C 01SEP21 15JUL14 C C
3rd 01JUN24 15JUN21 15NOV13 01JUN24 01AUG23
Other Workers 01FEB22 01FEB19 15NOV13 01FEB22 01NOV21
4th 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22
Certain Religious Workers 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22 15JUL22
5th Unreserved (C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) C 22SEP16 01MAY22 C C
5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) C C C C C
5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) C C C C C
5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) C C C C C

πŸ“Š Employment-Based — Dates for Filing

Employment-Based All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA
mainland born		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st C 01DEC23 01DEC23 C C
2nd C 01JAN22 15JAN15 C C
3rd C 01JAN22 15JAN15 C 01JAN24
Other Workers 01AUG22 01OCT19 15JAN15 01AUG22 01AUG22
4th 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23
Certain Religious Workers 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23 01JAN23
5th Unreserved (C5, T5, I5, R5) C 01MAR17 01MAY24 C C
5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) C C C C C
5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) C C C C C
5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) C C C C C

πŸ‘¨‍πŸ‘©‍πŸ‘§ Family-Sponsored — Final Action Dates

Family-Sponsored All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA
mainland born		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
F1 01SEP17 01SEP17 01SEP17 15AUG07 01MAY13
F2A 01AUG24 01AUG24 01AUG24 01AUG23 01AUG24
F2B 22MAY17 22MAY17 22MAY17 15FEB09 08APR13
F3 15FEB12 15FEB12 15FEB12 01MAY01 22NOV05
F4 15SEP08 15SEP08 01NOV06 08APR01 15JUL07

πŸ‘¨‍πŸ‘©‍πŸ‘§ Family-Sponsored — Dates for Filing

Family-Sponsored All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed		 CHINA
mainland born		 INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
F1 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT18 01OCT08 22APR15
F2A C C C C C
F2B 01JAN18 01JAN18 01JAN18 15MAY10 01OCT13
F3 08DEC12 08DEC12 08DEC12 15JUL01 08AUG06
F4 01SEP09 01SEP09 15DEC06 30APR01 22MAR08

🌍 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery — May 2026

Region Cut-off Number Except
AFRICA 55,000 Algeria 37,000 · Egypt 30,000
ASIA 35,000 Nepal 10,000
EUROPE 20,000 —
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) 50 —
OCEANIA 1,500 —
SOUTH AMERICA & CARIBBEAN 3,000 —

πŸ“ˆ April → May 2026: What Changed (Employment-Based)

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the Final Action Dates for the key employment-based categories.

Category Country April 2026 May 2026 Change
EB-1 All Except C C No change
EB-2 All Except C C Still CURRENT ✅
EB-2 China 01SEP21 01SEP21 Frozen 3rd month 🧊
EB-2 India 15JUL14 15JUL14 No change
EB-3 All Except 01JUN24 01JUN24 No change
Other Workers All Except 01NOV21 01FEB22 +3 months
EB-5 Unreserved China 01SEP16 22SEP16 +22 days

πŸ“ˆ April → May 2026: What Changed (Family-Sponsored)

Family-sponsored categories saw significant advances across the board this month — much more movement than the employment-based side.

Category Country April 2026 May 2026 Change
F1 All Except 01MAY17 01SEP17 +4 months
F2A All Except 01FEB24 01AUG24 +6 months πŸš€
F2B All Except 01JAN17 22MAY17 +5 months
F3 All Except 01OCT11 15FEB12 +4.5 months
F4 All Except 01SEP08 15SEP08 +15 days
F1 Mexico 15FEB07 15AUG07 +6 months

πŸ” My Analysis: What This Means for You

✅ EB-2 Remains CURRENT for All Chargeability

Great news — EB-2 for "All Chargeability Areas" stays CURRENT for the second consecutive month. If you're EB-2 and not from India or China, the window is still wide open. File your I-485 if you haven't already. But be aware: as we approach the end of the fiscal year (September 30), retrogression is always possible.

🧊 China EB-2: Frozen for 3 Consecutive Months

China EB-2 remains stuck at 01SEP21 for the third straight month (March, April, and now May). This is concerning — it suggests the State Department has hit a demand ceiling for this category. China-born EB-2 applicants with priority dates after September 2021 will need to continue waiting.

πŸ“Š Employment-Based: A Quiet Month

After last month's dramatic EB-2 CURRENT announcement and EB-3's 8-month jump, May is a stabilization month. Most EB categories held steady. The only notable EB movement was Other Workers advancing 3 months (01NOV21 → 01FEB22) and EB-5 Unreserved China inching forward 22 days.

πŸ‘¨‍πŸ‘©‍πŸ‘§ Family-Sponsored: Big Moves Across the Board

The real story this month is on the family side. F2A jumped 6 months (01FEB24 → 01AUG24), F1 advanced 4 months, F2B advanced 5 months, and F3 advanced 4.5 months. This is likely due to reduced visa issuance rates from certain countries (see the new Section D in the bulletin about administration actions), freeing up numbers for other applicants.

⚠️ New: Potential India EB-5 Retrogression Warning

The May bulletin includes a new Section E warning that increased demand from India in EB-5 unreserved categories may force a retrogression or make the category unavailable. If you're an India-born EB-5 investor, this is a red flag — act quickly while dates remain current.

✅ Action Items This Month

EB-2 (All Except China/India): Still CURRENT — if your I-140 is approved and you haven't filed I-485 yet, do it now. This window may not last through the fiscal year.

Family F2A (All Except Mexico): With the 6-month advance to 01AUG24, many more spouses/children of permanent residents are now eligible. Check your priority date against the new cutoff.

India EB-5 Investors: The retrogression warning is new this month. If you're India-born with an EB-5 petition, consult your attorney about filing I-485 before potential retrogression.

Everyone: We're now 5 months into FY2026. As we approach the second half (April–September), watch for potential retrogression in categories that have advanced rapidly. Bookmark the Visa Bulletin page and check back next month.

Source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin for May 2026
This post contains official data from the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for May 2026, with analysis and commentary by vibecheck. Always consult the official bulletin and a licensed immigration attorney for legal advice. Last updated: April 25, 2026.

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