United States Visa Bulletin for April 2026

This bulletin summarises the availability of immigrant visa numbers for April for both the “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to prepare and submit necessary documents to the National Visa Center (NVC).

Unless otherwise noted on the website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants adjusting status (AOS) with USCIS must use the “Final Action Dates” chart below to determine when they may file.

Statutory preference immigrant visas

Family-sponsored preference categories

Section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for the allocation of family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows:

First (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for the fourth preference.

Second: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents: 114,200 plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers. Includes: 2A (F2A) – Spouses and children of permanent residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit; 2B (F2B) – Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of permanent residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third (F3): Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required by the first and second preferences.

Fourth (F4): Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens: 65,000 plus any numbers not required by the first three preferences.

Final action dates – family-sponsored preferences

Category	All chargeability areas	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	1 May 2017	1 May 2017	1 May 2017	15 February 2007	1 May 2013
F2A	1 February 2024	1 February 2024	1 February 2024	1 February 2023	1 February 2024
F2B	22 May 2017	22 May 2017	22 May 2017	15 February 2009	8 April 2013
F3	22 December 2011	22 December 2011	22 December 2011	1 May 2001	1 July 2005
F4	8 June 2008	8 June 2008	1 November 2006	8 April 2001	1 February 2007

For April, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limits are authorised for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01/02/2023. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limits are authorised for issuance to applicants from all countries EXCEPT MEXICO, with priority dates from 01/02/2023 to before 01/02/2024. All F2A numbers for MEXICO are exempt from per-country limits.

Dates for filing – family-sponsored preferences

Category	All chargeability areas	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	1 March 2018	1 March 2018	1 March 2018	15 April 2008	22 April 2015
F2A	C	C	C	C	C
F2B	8 August 2017	8 August 2017	8 August 2017	15 May 2010	1 October 2013
F3	22 November 2012	22 November 2012	22 November 2012	1 July 2001	15 July 2006
F4	15 May 2009	15 May 2009	15 December 2006	30 April 2001	22 March 2008

Employment-based preferences

Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes the preference categories for allocating employment-based immigrant visas as follows:

• First Preference: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based level, plus any numbers not required for Fourth and Fifth Preferences.
• Second Preference (members of the professions holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability): 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by First Preference.
• Third Preference (skilled workers, professionals, and other workers): 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by First and Second Preferences, with no more than 10,000 allocated to “other workers”.
• Fourth Preference (certain special immigrants): 7.1% of the worldwide level.
• Fifth Preference (EB-5 employment creation): 7.1% of the worldwide level, of which 32% are reserved as follows — 20% for investors in rural areas, 10% for investors in high-unemployment areas, and 2% for investors in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% are unreserved and allocated to all other qualifying investors.

Final action dates — employment-based preferences

Category	All chargeability areas	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
First Preference	C	1 April 2023	1 April 2023	C	C
Second Preference	C	1 September 2021	15 July 2014	C	C
Third Preference	1 June 2024	15 June 2021	15 November 2013	1 June 2024	1 August 2023
Other workers	1 November 2021	1 February 2019	15 November 2013	1 November 2021	1 November 2021
Fourth Preference	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022
Religious workers	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022	15 July 2022
EB-5 Unreserved	C	1 September 2016	1 May 2022	C	C
EB-5 reserved: rural (20%)	C	C	C	C	C
EB-5 reserved: high unemployment (10%)	C	C	C	C	C
EB-5 reserved: infrastructure (2%)	C	C	C	C	C

Dates for filing — employment-based preferences

Category	All chargeability areas	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
First Preference	C	1 December 2023	1 December 2023	C	C
Second Preference	C	1 January 2022	15 January 2015	C	C
Third Preference	C	1 January 2022	15 January 2015	C	1 January 2024
Other workers	1 August 2022	1 October 2019	15 January 2015	1 August 2022	1 August 2022
Fourth Preference	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023
Religious workers	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023	1 January 2023
EB-5 unreserved	C	1 October 2016	1 May 2024	C	C
EB-5 reserved: rural (20%)	C	C	C	C	C
EB-5 reserved: high unemployment (10%)	C	C	C	C	C
EB-5 reserved: infrastructure (2%)	C	C	C	C	C

Diversity Visa (DV) category for April 2026

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year for additional immigration opportunities to natives of countries with historically low rates of immigration during the previous 5 years. The DV-2026 annual limit, following adjustments, is set at approximately 52,000.

For April, DV visa numbers are available to qualified DV-2026 applicants by region as follows:

Area	Cut-off rank
Africa	55,000 (except: Algeria 37,000; Egypt 30,000)
Asia	35,000 (except: Nepal 10,000)
Europe	20,000
North America (Bahamas)	50
Oceania	1,500
South America and the Caribbean	3,000

Entitlement to DV immigrant status lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2026 programme ends on 30/09/2026. DV visas cannot be issued to DV-2026 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2026 selectees are only entitled to derivative DV status until 30/09/2026.

Cut-off numbers for the DV category applicable in May 2026

Area	Cut-off rank
Africa	55,000 (except: Algeria 37,000; Egypt 30,000)
Asia	35,000 (except: Nepal 10,000)
Europe	20,000
North America (Bahamas)	50
Oceania	1,500
South America and the Caribbean	3,000

Availability of family-sponsored and employment-based visas

Immigrant visa issuance rates for nationals of certain countries have dropped because of several administrative measures to safeguard national security and public safety. Consequently, to maximise the use of available visa numbers in the 2026 fiscal year, filing dates and final action dates have been advanced across multiple immigrant visa categories. Note that as additional immigrant visa demand develops or administrative measures are revised, retrogressions may be necessary to keep issuances within the annual numerical limits.