Who this is for: Applicants born in mainland China whose family member filed an I-130 for them (or who filed one for a family member) in the F1, F2A, F2B, F3 or F4 categories and want to know "where is the line now, and when can I submit documents or file the I-485?" Employment categories are read the same way, and the mainland China employment dates are included too.
⚠️ Dates change monthly. The dates here come from the State Department's October 2026 Visa Bulletin (published September 4, 2026) and the USCIS "which chart this month" page updated October 1, 2026. As of October 14, 2026 the November 2026 bulletin has not been published (the site shows "Coming Soon"); once it is, follow the new bulletin.
1. The process in one picture
Flow: File the I-130 (the date on the receipt is your priority date, PD) → I-130 approved → in China: the case goes to the NVC; once your PD is earlier than Chart B you can pay fees and submit documents, and once it's earlier than Chart A you can be scheduled for the Guangzhou interview. In the U.S.: check whether USCIS uses Chart A or Chart B this month; once your PD is earlier than that date you can file the I-485, and the green card can be approved only once your PD is earlier than Chart A
- Immediate relatives (spouses of U.S. citizens, unmarried children under 21, parents of citizens 21 or older) don't need the visa bulletin; see Bringing your parents and Marriage green card.
- The categories that wait are the "preference categories":
| Category | Who | Annual statutory numbers (worldwide) |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Unmarried children 21+ of U.S. citizens | 23,400 + unused F4 numbers |
| F2A | Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders | 77% of F2 |
| F2B | Unmarried children 21+ of green card holders | 23% of F2 |
| F3 | Married children of U.S. citizens | 23,400 + unused numbers from above |
| F4 | Siblings of U.S. citizens age 21+ | 65,000 + unused numbers from above |
F2 totals 114,200 plus any carryover. Each country (by place of birth) is generally limited to 7% of combined family and employment numbers (25,620). Mainland China, India, Mexico and the Philippines are oversubscribed and listed in separate columns.
2. Three key terms
1. Priority Date (PD)
For family cases it's generally the date USCIS received the I-130, shown on the I-797 receipt or approval notice and visible in CEAC. For employment cases that require labor certification, it's the date the Department of Labor accepted the PERM.
2. Chart A: Final Action Dates
Only when your PD is earlier than the Chart A date can an immigrant visa be issued or a green card approved this month. "Earlier than" means the same day doesn't count.
3. Chart B: Dates for Filing
- Consular processing: once your PD is earlier than Chart B, the NVC notifies you to pay fees, file the DS-260 and upload documents (getting ready so the interview can be scheduled once Chart A is reached).
- Adjustment in the U.S.: USCIS decides each month whether the I-485 uses Chart A or Chart B (see section 4).
Letters in the chart
- C (Current): no wait; numbers are available to all qualified applicants.
- U (Unauthorized): no numbers this month.
- Dates are written day-month-year:
22SEP26is September 22, 2026.
3. Latest mainland China-born dates (October 2026) ⚠️
Family categories
| Category | Chart A (can be approved) | Chart B (can file) | All other countries, Chart A |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 2020-01-22 | 2020-02-01 | 2020-01-22 |
| F2A | 2026-09-22 | C | 2026-09-22 |
| F2B | 2019-08-22 | 2019-09-01 | 2019-08-22 |
| F3 | 2014-10-22 | 2014-11-01 | 2014-10-22 |
| F4 | 2011-10-22 | 2011-11-01 | 2011-10-22 |
For family categories the mainland China column currently matches "all other countries" (India F4, Mexico and the Philippines have slower dates).
About F2A: in October 2026, F2A applicants with priority dates before March 22, 2026 use numbers exempt from per-country limits; those from March 22, 2026 to September 22, 2026 use per-country-limited numbers (except Mexico). For mainland China applicants, just look at the Chart A date of September 22, 2026.
Employment categories (read the same way)
| Category | Chart A | Chart B |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | 2023-07-01 | 2024-07-01 |
| EB-2 | 2021-10-01 | 2023-01-01 |
| EB-3 | 2022-01-08 | 2024-04-01 |
| EB-3 other workers | 2019-10-01 | 2020-10-01 |
| EB-4 | 2022-12-15 | 2025-01-01 |
| EB-5 unreserved | 2016-12-01 | 2021-03-01 |
| EB-5 rural/high unemployment/infrastructure | C | C |
In the first bulletin of the new fiscal year (FY2027, starting October 1, 2026), the State Department noted several categories advancing, but some "all other countries" employment categories retrogressed (for example worldwide EB-2 Chart A went from C back to January 1, 2025), with further adjustments to come as needed.
4. Which chart is USCIS using this month?
This is where people adjusting in the U.S. most often go wrong.
The rule (USCIS):
- When USCIS determines there are more visas available this fiscal year than known applicants, it announces that "Chart B can be used"; otherwise Chart A must be used.
- Exception: if a category is C on Chart A, or Chart A is later than Chart B, you can file by Chart A that month.
- USCIS usually announces its choice within a week of the State Department bulletin.
October 2026: USCIS says both family and employment categories use Chart B (page updated October 1, 2026).
Examples (born in mainland China):
- F2A, PD August 1, 2026, in the U.S. in lawful status: Chart B is C, so you can file the I-485 in October; Chart A's September 22, 2026 also covers you, so it can be approved.
- F1, PD January 25, 2020: earlier than Chart B (February 1, 2020), so you can file the I-485 in October; but later than Chart A (January 22, 2020), so you wait for Chart A to advance before approval.
- F3, PD May 1, 2016: neither chart has reached you; keep waiting.
⚠️ USCIS makes this decision again every month. Which chart applies in November 2026 will be known once the November bulletin is out and USCIS updates its page.
5. How consular cases use the bulletin
- After I-130 approval the case goes to the NVC. Once your PD is earlier than Chart B, the NVC notifies you and you can pay in CEAC: immigrant visa application fee (family) $325 per person, affidavit of support review fee $120 (⚠️ State Department fee page, checked October 14, 2026).
- Submit the DS-260, I-864 and Chinese notarial documents until the NVC finds the case "documentarily complete."
- Only once your PD is earlier than Chart A can the NVC schedule an interview. The State Department says even complete cases can't be scheduled without an available number, and when dates retrogress, complete cases also wait.
- Then the Guangzhou interview queue: ⚠️ the State Department tool updated October 7, 2026 shows Guangzhou scheduling family preference cases that became complete in March 2025. So after Chart A reaches you, you still wait in Guangzhou's interview queue.
- For the interview see Consular processing and The Guangzhou interview.
6. Place of birth, cross-chargeability and age-out protection
- Chargeability follows place of birth, not nationality. People born in mainland China are in the mainland China column even if they've naturalized elsewhere.
- Using a spouse's place of birth: when a couple immigrates together and one spouse's country has faster dates, the other can sometimes be charged to the spouse's country (cross-chargeability). Mainland China family dates currently match worldwide, so this matters more for employment categories. Check official guidance or ask a lawyer whether it applies to you.
- Derivative beneficiaries: in F2B, F3, F4 and similar categories, the principal's spouse and unmarried children under 21 can wait in line as accompanying family with the same PD (INA 203(d)).
- Age-out protection (CSPA): a child who turns 21 while waiting doesn't necessarily "age out"; there's a special age calculation. The rules are complicated; see the USCIS CSPA page or consult a lawyer.
7. 2025–2026 changes to know
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | FY2027 begins with new numbers; in October USCIS uses Chart B for family and employment |
| October 2026 bulletin | Mainland China EB-3 Chart B jumps to 2024-04-01, ahead of EB-2 Chart B (2023-01-01); worldwide EB-2 and EB-3 Chart A retrogress |
| 2026-09-18 | New public charge rule takes effect for I-485s filed after that date |
| 2026-10-01 | Only the new I-864 edition (08/24/26) is accepted |
| 2025-11-01 | Immigrant visa interviews follow the consular district of residence (Guangzhou for mainland China residents) |
8. Interviews
There's no interview tied to the bulletin itself, but once your date is reached:
- Consular processing: the Guangzhou interview. Family preference applicants are often asked about the relationship (parents' names on the notarial birth certificate, sibling relationships), family members, where they'll live in the U.S. and who supports them. Accompanying spouses may be asked about the marriage.
- Adjustment in the U.S.: the USCIS interview covers the I-485 yes/no questions, maintenance of status and the affidavit of support.
9. What applicants report (since 2025)
Summaries of individual experiences and discussions from public forums and Chinese-language information sites, not guarantees.
- October is a "window month": forums widely observe that USCIS often opens Chart B in the first months of a new fiscal year and may switch back to Chart A later. In October 2026 mainland China EB-3 Chart B jumped more than 800 days, and many rushed to file I-485s in October. Lesson: have documents ready and file as soon as the window opens.
- Big jumps get corrected: some recalled the 2021 "great leap," when people predicted green cards within a few years, then the dates stalled for years. The consensus: don't predict future speed from one big jump.
- How F4 and F3 feel: sibling and married-child categories are measured in "decades," and in many families the beneficiaries' own children grow up while waiting, so watch age-out protection closely.
- NVC fees follow Chart B; interviews follow Chart A: one of the most-asked questions on forums. When Chart B is reached, submit everything; when Chart A is reached, you still wait for Guangzhou's interview queue.
- The State Department chart alone isn't enough: people in the U.S. must check the USCIS page each month for which chart applies; quite a few people looked only at Chart B and thought they could file, when USCIS had specified Chart A that month.
10. FAQ
1. My priority date is the same as the date in the chart. Is it current? No. It must be "earlier than" the date.
2. If Chart B is reached but Chart A isn't, what's the point of filing the I-485? You enter the processing queue and can usually apply for a work permit (EAD, Form I-765) and advance parole (Form I-131), but the green card waits until Chart A reaches you.
3. Can dates go backward? Yes. When numbers run short, the State Department moves dates back. Filed I-485s generally keep waiting, but you need to maintain status.
4. Consular processing: Chart A or Chart B? Chart B decides when you can pay fees and submit documents; Chart A decides when an interview can be scheduled.
5. If my sponsor naturalizes or I marry, does my category change? Yes. Family changes can upgrade, downgrade or invalidate a category (for example, an F1 beneficiary who marries moves to F3; if a green card holder who petitioned for a spouse naturalizes, the case can become an immediate relative case). Follow USCIS rules and consult a lawyer early when things change.
6. When does next month's bulletin come out? The State Department usually publishes next month's bulletin around mid-month, but there's no fixed date (the October 2026 bulletin was issued September 4). USCIS usually announces which chart to use within a week after.
7. I was born in Hong Kong. Do I use the mainland China column? The column says "mainland China-born." People born in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan aren't in this column; check official guidance or ask a lawyer which column applies to you.
8. Do parents need to check the visa bulletin? No. Parents of U.S. citizens 21 or older are immediate relatives with no wait.
11. Official links
- Visa Bulletin home (updated monthly): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
- Visa Bulletin for October 2026: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2027/visa-bulletin-for-october-2026.html
- USCIS: which chart to use this month: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/adjustment-of-status-filing-charts-from-the-visa-bulletin
- USCIS on the two charts and priority dates (2015, concepts still apply): https://www.uscis.gov/news/uscis-announces-revised-procedures-determining-visa-availability-applicants-waiting-file-adjustment-status
- Guangzhou interview scheduling tool: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/iv-wait-times.html
- State Department visa fees: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html
Disclaimer: This guide is general information only and not legal advice. Visa bulletin dates change monthly; follow the latest State Department bulletin and USCIS pages, and talk to a licensed immigration attorney about complicated cases. The "what applicants report" section reflects individual experiences on public forums and is not a guarantee.