April 2026 Visa Bulletin: Priority Dates, Analysis, and What It Means

The State Department released the April 2026 Visa Bulletin on March 4, 2026, and April makes March look modest. EB-2 Worldwide goes fully Current. EB-4 Special Immigrants jumps an entire year. And family categories, which barely moved in March, post gains of up to six months.

The driver is the same as last month: Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, along with updated immigrant visa processing guidance for high-risk nationalities, have reduced the rate of visa issuances at U.S. consulates abroad. Unused visa numbers flow back into the system, and the State Department is pushing dates forward to use them before the fiscal year ends September 30, 2026.

But the retrogression warning is back too. The bulletin says explicitly that if demand picks up or administration policies change, dates could move backward. If your date is now current, file quickly.

What Changed This Month

April has some of the biggest employment-based advances in years, and family categories moved in ways that March simply did not.

Employment-Based — Month-Over-Month Changes:

Family-Sponsored — Month-Over-Month Changes:

These family gains are unusual. March saw almost no family movement. April is pushing family categories forward at a rate more typical of the employment-based side.

Employment-Based Categories: All Final Action Dates

EB-2 Worldwide: Now Fully Current

In February, EB-2 Worldwide was stuck at April 1, 2024. In March it jumped to October 15, 2024. Now in April it's Current — no backlog for most countries. If you have an approved EB-2 I-140 petition from any country except China or India, you can file your I-485 adjustment of status application now regardless of your priority date.

This is the direct result of reduced consular visa issuance. The State Department has extra visa numbers and is making them available. Whether this holds through September is another question, and the retrogression warning in the bulletin is there for a reason.

EB-2 China and EB-2 India remain on separate tracks because of the per-country limit under INA Section 202. China EB-2 stays at September 1, 2021 with no movement this month.

EB-2 India: A 10-Month Jump

EB-2 India moved from September 15, 2013 to July 15, 2014. That's a 10-month advance in a single bulletin — one of the largest India EB-2 jumps we've seen. The India employment-based backlog still stretches over a decade, but this matters for applicants with priority dates now within reach.

EB-3 India stays flat at November 15, 2013, which means the gap between EB-2 and EB-3 India has widened to about seven months, with EB-2 ahead. That changes the math on whether downgrading from EB-2 to EB-3 makes sense for Indian nationals. With EB-2 now seven months ahead and moving faster this month, staying in EB-2 looks like the better bet.

EB-3 Worldwide: Eight More Months

EB-3 Worldwide gained eight months, from October 1, 2023 to June 1, 2024. Combined with March's four-month jump, EB-3 Worldwide has advanced a full year in just two bulletins. Mexico EB-3 matched this advance. Philippines EB-3 held steady at August 1, 2023. China EB-3 gained about six weeks.

EB-4 and Religious Workers: A Full Year Forward

EB-4 Special Immigrants jumped an entire year — from July 15, 2021 to July 15, 2022 — across all countries. The Certain Religious Workers subcategory matched that move. This is the biggest single-month EB-4 jump we've tracked, and it comes from the same visa redistribution that's driving EB-2 and EB-3 forward.

The Religious Workers program was extended through September 30, 2026 when Congress passed H.R. 7148 in February. That extension holds.

EB-5 and EB-1: Modest Movement

EB-1 China and India each moved one month forward to April 1, 2023. China EB-5 Unreserved moved forward slightly to September 1, 2016. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) remain Current for all countries, including China and India.

Family-Sponsored Categories: All Final Action Dates

After March's near-freeze, April delivers real family gains. F1, F2B, F3, and F4 all moved forward for most countries.

F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) jumped about 5.5 months for worldwide, China, and India — from November 8, 2016 to May 1, 2017. Philippines F1 gained two months. Mexico F1 gained about two months.

F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents, age 21+) moved similarly, up 5.7 months for worldwide applicants. F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens) advanced five months for worldwide and Philippines.

F2A stayed largely flat at February 1, 2024. For April, the F2A numbers exempt from the per-country limit are available for all countries with priority dates before February 1, 2023. For numbers subject to the per-country limit, they're available for all countries except Mexico with dates between February 1, 2023 and February 1, 2024.

Which Chart Should You Use in April?

USCIS decides each month whether you can use the Dates for Filing chart or must use Final Action Dates. Check USCIS.gov/visabulletininfo at the start of April to see which chart applies.

If USCIS allows the Dates for Filing chart, here's what it looks like for employment-based categories:

EB-2 Worldwide, EB-3 Worldwide, and EB-3 Mexico are all Current on the Dates for Filing chart. EB-3 India moved five months forward on the filing chart, from August 15, 2014 to January 15, 2015.

For family-sponsored Dates for Filing in April:

F2A is fully Current on the Dates for Filing chart, so anyone with a pending F2A petition can file their I-485 if USCIS allows it. Filing early lets you get an EAD (work permit) and Advance Parole travel documents while waiting for final approval.

Why Are Dates Moving So Fast Right Now?

Section D of the April bulletin spells this out. Three administration actions have reduced immigrant visa issuance rates at U.S. consulates:

• Presidential Proclamation 10949
• Presidential Proclamation 10998
• Updated immigrant visa processing guidance for certain nationalities

When embassies issue fewer visas, those numbers don't disappear. Under INA Sections 201 through 203, unused numbers flow to other preference categories and applicants. The State Department advances dates to make sure those numbers go to use before September 30.

The per-country limit under INA Section 202 caps how many visas can go to any single country at 7% of the annual total. That's why China and India move more slowly than worldwide categories regardless of how many numbers free up overall.

Your Priority Date Is Current. Now What?

If you're in the U.S.: File Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence) with USCIS. Include your medical exam on Form I-693, identity documents, and employment or family petition materials. If you're filing on an employment petition, confirm your I-140 is approved and your job offer is still valid.

If you're abroad: Your case goes through the National Visa Center, which will schedule an immigrant visa interview when your date is current. Consular processing timelines vary widely right now because of the same proclamations driving domestic date advances.

If you already filed I-485: Your case may now be ready for adjudication. Make sure your USCIS case status is current, your address is updated, and your medical exam hasn't expired.

Gather documents now. Birth certificates, tax returns, employment letters, and translations take longer to pull together than most people expect. Our biometrics appointment guide can help you understand what happens after you file.

On filing fees: USCIS stopped accepting personal checks in October 2025. Pay your USCIS filing fees through Pay.gov or with a money order.

For permanent residents watching family categories: If you're eligible to naturalize, this is a good time to revisit your timeline. The 3-year naturalization rule may let you apply sooner than the standard 5-year path if you're married to a U.S. citizen. You can use our N-400 Residence Calculator to check your physical presence and continuous residence, and explore the complete N-400 guide for the full process.

What to Expect for May 2026

The redistribution pattern will likely continue into May. The proclamations are still in effect, consular issuance is still reduced, and the State Department has a quota to fill before September 30.

But a few things could change the picture.

EB-2 Worldwide going Current changes the filing math. When a category goes Current, more people can file I-485 applications than the State Department anticipated. A surge in filings could trigger retrogression in a future month. The bigger the advance, the more likely a partial correction.

India and China will likely stay slow. The per-country limit is a structural constraint. Single-month jumps of 10 months like EB-2 India saw this month are unusual. Smaller advances are more typical.

Family categories may hold or keep moving. The same factors driving employment-based advances also pushed family categories forward in April, which was unexpected. Whether that pattern continues depends on how the Department manages the remaining visa numbers before September 30.

The May 2026 bulletin should be released in mid-April. You can read our March 2026 visa bulletin analysis and February 2026 visa bulletin analysis to track the pattern over recent months. For a full explanation of how the visa system works, our complete visa bulletin guide is the place to start.

Official Sources

This guide is based on the April 2026 Visa Bulletin released by the U.S. Department of State on March 4, 2026. All information was verified against these official sources as of March 2026:

Department of State

• Visa Bulletin for April 2026
• Visa Bulletin Archive
• Immigrant Visa Processing Updates

USCIS Resources

• USCIS Visa Bulletin Information — check which chart applies each month
• USCIS Filing Fees
• USCIS Processing Times
• Form I-485 Instructions
• Form I-693 Medical Exam

Federal Law

• Immigration and Nationality Act, Sections 201-203 — visa allocation and preference categories
• INA Section 202 — per-country limits (7% cap)
• Presidential Proclamation 10949
• Presidential Proclamation 10998
• H.R. 7148 — Religious Workers program extension through September 30, 2026

Immigration law changes frequently. We monitor USCIS and State Department updates and revise this guide when regulations change.