The U.S. State Department has released the February 2026 Visa Bulletin, revealing a notable advancement in the employment-based third preference (EB-3) category, while most other professional categories remained largely unchanged.
The bulletin indicates that for the EB-3 skilled worker and professional category, the “final action date” for most countries has moved forward to June 1, 2023. This reflects an advancement of more than five weeks compared to January, meaning applicants with a priority date before this cutoff can now proceed with their final immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies.
For those currently residing within the United States, the “date for filing” progressed by three months to Oct. 1, 2023, allowing a broader group of individuals to submit their green card applications (Form I-485).
In the employment-based first preference (EB-1) category, the status remains “current” for most of the world, maintaining the trend from previous months. Applicants in this tier can continue to file their green card applications alongside their initial petitions.
Despite the current status, administrative backlogs at various consulates may still cause significant wait times for international applicants.
The second preference (EB-2) category, which includes professionals with advanced degrees, saw no movement for the month of February. The final action date remains at April 1, 2024, while the filing date for U.S.-based applicants is held at Oct. 15, 2024, matching the dates established in January.
Similarly, the EB-3 category for “other workers” (unskilled) remained stagnant. The cutoff for filing green card applications stays at Dec. 1, 2021, and the final action date for visa issuance remains Sept. 1, 2021.
The bulletin also highlighted a stationary status for the special immigrant fourth preference (EB-4) category, with filing and final action dates held at March 15, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2021, respectively. Additionally, the department noted that visas for certain religious workers under this category are listed as “unavailable” for February.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
