October 2026 Visa Bulletin for China, Family-Based: F2A 2026-09-22
How long family-sponsored green cards (F1–F4, F2A) take for people born in mainland China. Data from the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin and USCIS, updated monthly.
October 2026 at a glance
- China this month: F2A up 1 month to 2026-09-22; other categories unchanged.
- For I-485s filed in October 2026, USCIS uses the Dates for Filing chart.
- The new public charge rule and the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485 took effect on 18 Sep 2026 with no grace period; older editions are rejected. Source
- Immigrant visa interviews have been paused worldwide since about 25 Aug, with no official resumption date yet (see NVC and Guangzhou). →
October 2026 family-based Visa Bulletin chart (born in mainland China)
| Category | Final Action | Dates for Filing | vs last month | All countries (Final Action) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 2020-01-22 | 2020-02-01 | No change | 2020-01-22 |
| F2A | 2026-09-22 | Current | ▲ Up 1 month | 2026-09-22 |
| F2B | 2019-08-22 | 2019-09-01 | No change | 2019-08-22 |
| F3 | 2014-10-22 | 2014-11-01 | No change | 2014-10-22 |
| F4 | 2011-10-22 | 2011-11-01 | No change | 2011-10-22 |
The last 13 months
Show all data
How to read these numbers
Your priority date is the day USCIS received your I-130, printed on the receipt notice (I-797C). If the date in the table is later than your priority date, your turn has come; categories marked “Current” have no wait.
Final Action Dates decide when a green card or immigrant visa can be issued; Dates for Filing decide when you can file an I-485, or pay fees and send documents to NVC. If you are adjusting status in the U.S., also check which chart USCIS uses each month.
People born in mainland China use the China column. If your spouse was born in another country, you may be able to use your spouse’s country instead (cross-chargeability), which is sometimes much faster.
Spouses, parents and unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens are immediate relatives: they have no wait and are not in this chart. For them, see green card processing times and NVC and Guangzhou.
Common questions
Which chart do I use to file an I-485 in the U.S. this month?
The one USCIS picks each month, shown in this month’s summary on this page. In months when USCIS accepts Dates for Filing you can file much earlier, along with a work permit and travel document.
Can dates move backwards?
Yes. When numbers run short the State Department moves dates back (retrogression). Pending I-485s keep being processed but can only be approved once the date is current again, so don’t extrapolate from one big jump.
My child is close to 21. Will they age out?
Calculate the CSPA age: actual age minus the time the I-130 was pending, and the child must seek to acquire the green card within a year of the date becoming available. See the Visa Bulletin guide, and talk to a lawyer if it is close.
What happens when a green card holder naturalizes?
An F2A spouse or minor child automatically becomes an immediate relative with no wait; an F2B son or daughter converts to F1 (for China, F1 is sometimes slower, and you can opt out of the conversion).
Related policies
| Policy | Status | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| New public charge rule and new I-485 | In effect | Effective 2026-09-18 | Only the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485 is accepted, with no grace period; older editions are rejected. Scrutiny of benefits use and finances is stricter. |
| New I-864 affidavit of support | In effect | From 2026-10-01 | Only the 08/24/26 edition is accepted; it includes consent to a credit check. |
| Immigrant visa interviews paused worldwide | Paused | Since about 2026-08-25 | The State Department told reporters it is training officers on public charge screening; no written notice or resumption date. Guangzhou is affected. |
Real experiences
Big jumps are often followed by stalls; don’t extrapolate from one month
People recall the big 2021 advance: many predicted green cards within a few years, and then dates stalled for years. The forum consensus is not to project future speed from a single big jump, and to plan around the long-term trend of Final Action Dates.
Forum: Visa Bulletin & timelines →Consular processing: NVC documents follow Dates for Filing, interviews follow Final Action Dates
One of the most-asked forum questions. Once Dates for Filing is current you can pay fees and submit documents to NVC; once Final Action Dates is current you still wait in Guangzhou’s interview queue. If you are adjusting status in the U.S., check each month which chart USCIS uses: many people saw Dates for Filing and assumed they could file, when USCIS had picked Final Action Dates that month.
Forum: Family-based →F3 and F4 waits run over a decade, so children can age out
Married sons and daughters (F3) and siblings (F4) wait in terms of decades, and in many families the beneficiary’s children grow up while waiting. If a child is close to 21, learn early how the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) calculates age.
Forum: Family-based →From the forum
Related guides
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