The U.S. Department of State has released the March 2026 Visa Bulletin. It includes updated green card cutoff dates for family-sponsored, employment-based, and diversity visa categories. The new charts show when applicants can proceed to final approval or begin submitting required documents.
March 2026 Visa Bulletin Announces New Cutoff Dates
The U.S. Department of State has published the March 2026 Visa Bulletin, confirming updated immigrant visa cutoff dates under annual limits set by the Immigration and Nationality Act. The bulletin includes both Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts, which determine when applicants may receive final approval or proceed with adjustment of status and consular processing.
Unless U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services specifies otherwise, applicants filing for adjustment of status must use the Final Action Dates chart. When there is more visa availability than expected demand, USCIS may allow the use of the Dates for Filing chart instead. March allocations were calculated based on demand reported through early February. Several categories still have high demand due to set limits.
Family-Based Green Card Cutoffs: Continued Backlogs
The annual global limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants remains at 226,000 for Fiscal Year 2026. Per-country limits still apply, with China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines seeing the highest demand.
In the Final Action Dates chart, most family-based categories remain backlogged. The F1 category for unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens uses a November 2016 cutoff for most countries, while Mexico’s cutoff is significantly earlier. The F2A category for spouses and children of permanent residents advances to February 2024 for most countries, except Mexico, which is subject to separate per-country limit rules.
The Dates for Filing chart shows modest forward movement in select categories, allowing certain applicants with earlier priority dates to begin submitting documentation to the National Visa Center. However, whether adjustment of status filings are permitted will depend on USCIS’s monthly guidance.
Employment-Based Green Card Updates: Mixed Movement
The annual employment-based immigrant visa limit remains at least 140,000 worldwide. Demand varies widely by country, especially in India and China, where some categories still have significant backlogs.
According to the Final Action Dates chart, the EB-1 category is current for most countries. However, India and China have a cutoff of March 2023. The EB-2 category has an October 2024 cutoff for most countries, but India is further behind. The EB-3 categories for professional and skilled workers show different priority dates depending on chargeability.
India continues to face earlier cutoffs compared to other areas. The EB-5 immigrant investor category is current for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside allocations for all countries. However, the unreserved EB-5 category has earlier cutoff dates for China and India.
The EB-4 category for certain religious workers remains available until September 30, 2026, following a recent extension. Diversity Visa (DV-2026) Cutoff Numbers Announced. The Diversity Visa program for DV-2026 has a lower annual allocation due to statutory adjustments under NACARA and recent changes in federal law. About 52,000 diversity visas are expected to be available this fiscal year.
In March, regional lottery rank cutoffs apply to Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America. Africa advances to rank 45,000, with lower limits for Algeria and Egypt. Asia reaches rank 30,000, and Nepal has a lower cap. DV-2026 eligibility is valid only until September 30, 2026. Visa issuance may end earlier if regional allocations are filled before the fiscal year closes.
Looking Ahead
The March 2026 Visa Bulletin shows ongoing changes in green card demand in both family and employment-based categories. While some cutoff dates have advanced, others remain constrained by annual and per-country limits. Further adjustments, including possible setbacks, may occur later in the fiscal year based on demand trends.
For continued neutral coverage of Visa Bulletin updates, priority date trends, employment-based retrogression analysis, family-based backlog developments, and Diversity Visa changes, visit ImmigrationQuestion.com.
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