PROJECTEDProjected — the official bulletin has not been published yet. We will update this page on release.
Not submitted for search indexing yet. This page is not submitted for indexing yet. It is the second or third bulletin ahead of the last published one, so its projected ranges are wide and much of its explanatory content is shared with the nearer month. It becomes indexable automatically once it is the nearest unpublished bulletin, or once the official bulletin is released — the URL does not change either way. The November 2026 projection is the nearer one.
Historical movement scenario — not a probability interval and not a prediction. Actual dates may fall outside this range in either direction, including through retrogression or a category becoming unavailable.
The newest bulletin the Department of State has published is October 2026. Every figure below in an amber column is this site’s arithmetic over the published archive, shown as a range with its method and sample size. None of it is a government figure. This page becomes the official December 2026 bulletin page, at this same address, on release.
December 2026 visa bulletin: projected India EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 movement
Projected India EB-2 final action: 1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014, from a published October 2026 cutoff of Nov 1, 2013. EB-3: 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014. EB-1: 1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023. Ranges, not dates — December 2026 is 2 bulletins beyond the last published one, and the floor of every range is no movement. Across 5 Decembers in the archive it advanced in 3, held still in 1, went backwards in 1. The median December advance, counting only the months it moved, is 44 days.
- EB-1 Indiaprojected1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023from Feb 1, 2023 · n=12
- EB-2 Indiaprojected1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014from Nov 1, 2013 · n=8
- EB-3 Indiaprojected1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014from Jan 1, 2014 · n=12
- Chart USCIS acceptsNot determined for December 2026Tracked determination covers October 2026
Informational only, not legal advice. This page explains how a government process works and what the published rules say. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. For advice on your own facts, speak to a licensed immigration attorney — here is what one typically costs.
Twelve published bulletins, and where the projection starts
Solid lines are published cutoffs. The shaded band to the right of the dashed line is the projected range for December 2026. A gap in a line is a month the category was Current or Unavailable — states rather than dates, and excluded from the arithmetic entirely.
data/visa-bulletin/, which is derived from the official Department of State bulletins. The band to the right of the dashed line is this site’s projection, not a published figure.Where these ranges come from
Trailing 12 published bulletins, with every month the category was Current or Unavailable excluded because those are states rather than dates. The floor of each range is no movement; the ceiling applies the 75th-percentile observed advance across the horizon and holds it at the bulletin’s own month. The November 2026 page sets the method out in full, including a worked example and why the floor is what it is. The per-row basis for December 2026 is below.
| Category | Sample | Basis depth | How this range was built |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 India | 12 pairs0 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 109 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 218 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 1 Feb 2023, giving 1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023. That rests on 12 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 5 advanced, 5 held still, 2 went backwards — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. Note that the backwards months are excluded from the band shown: the floor is no movement, so the band cannot express the retrogression this row has actually had.This row has moved backwards or become unavailable inside the trailing 12 bulletins (2 months of retrogression). A range with a floor of "no movement" does not capture that. Retrogression and a category going Unavailable are both live possibilities, and neither is forecastable from a trend. |
| EB-2 India | 8 pairs4 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 62 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 124 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 1 Nov 2013, giving 1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014. That rests on 8 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 4 advanced, 3 held still, 1 went backwards, and 4 were Current or Unavailable and so excluded — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. Note that the backwards months are excluded from the band shown: the floor is no movement, so the band cannot express the retrogression this row has actually had.This row has moved backwards or become unavailable inside the trailing 12 bulletins (1 month of retrogression) and (4 months Current or Unavailable). A range with a floor of "no movement" does not capture that. Retrogression and a category going Unavailable are both live possibilities, and neither is forecastable from a trend. |
| EB-3 India | 12 pairs0 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 31 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 62 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 1 Jan 2014, giving 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014. That rests on 12 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 4 advanced, 8 held still — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. The floor is no movement, so the band cannot express retrogression. |
| EB-3 Other Workers India | 12 pairs0 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 31 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 62 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 1 Jan 2014, giving 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014. That rests on 12 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 4 advanced, 8 held still — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. The floor is no movement, so the band cannot express retrogression. |
| EB-4 India | 12 pairs0 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 195 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 390 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 15 Dec 2022, giving 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024. That rests on 12 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 7 advanced, 5 held still — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. The floor is no movement, so the band cannot express retrogression. |
| EB-5 Unreserved India | 8 pairs4 excluded as C or U | Full window | For December 2026, 2 bulletins out: 304 days of 75th-percentile historical advance per bulletin, compounded to 608 days and applied to the published October 2026 cutoff of 1 Dec 2023, giving 1 Dec 2023 – 31 Jul 2025. That rests on 8 comparable month-over-month pairs in the trailing 12 bulletins — 2 advanced, 6 held still, and 4 were Current or Unavailable and so excluded — which is a dozen observations, not a statistical sample. The floor is no movement, so the band cannot express retrogression.This row has moved backwards or become unavailable inside the trailing 12 bulletins (4 months Current or Unavailable). A range with a floor of "no movement" does not capture that. Retrogression and a category going Unavailable are both live possibilities, and neither is forecastable from a trend. |
Where December 2026 sits in the fiscal year — month 3 of FY2027
December is where the archive says this series actually moves, and where its only reversal sits. India EB-2 final action changed in four of the last five Decembers — and one of those four went backwards, in December 2022. That combination is what makes December the least predictable of the three months: the base rate of movement is high and the direction is not guaranteed. By December the fiscal year's first quarter of demand is also behind the Department of State, which is the first point at which its own issuance data can inform a cutoff rather than a prior-year pattern.
Which chart applies in December 2026?
Nobody knows yet, including us
The determination this site tracks covers October 2026 — not December 2026. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo before filing, and read what the two charts control.
Check your priority date against the published bulletin
The same checker that runs on /tools/priority-date-checker. It reads the published October 2026 cutoffs, not the projections on this page — deliberately, because a checker that told you where you stood against a forecast would be worse than useless. Nothing is stored.
Priority Date Checker
Where does your priority date stand?
Compare your priority date against the October 2026 visa bulletin data.
Bulletin data last updated: 2026-09-29 · Source: official visa bulletin
Employment-based: every category and country
The two amber columns are scenarios. The two plain columns are the published October 2026 figures they are built from. India rows are highlighted. Historical movement scenario — not a probability interval and not a prediction. Actual dates may fall outside this range in either direction, including through retrogression or a category becoming unavailable.
| Category | Country | Last publishedOctober 2026, official | Scenariofinal action — not official, not a probability interval | Last publisheddates for filing | Scenariodates for filing — not official, not a probability interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | India | Feb 1, 2023 | 1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023up to 218 days of movement | Jul 1, 2024 | 1 Jul 2024 – 31 Aug 2025up to 426 days of movement |
| EB-1 | China (mainland) | Jul 1, 2023 | 1 Jul 2023 – 1 Sep 2023up to 62 days of movement | Jul 1, 2024 | 1 Jul 2024 – 31 Aug 2025up to 426 days of movement |
| EB-1 | Mexico | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| EB-1 | Philippines | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| EB-1 | All other countries | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| EB-2 | India | Nov 1, 2013 | 1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014up to 124 days of movement | Jan 15, 2015 | 15 Jan 2015 – 15 Nov 2016up to 670 days of movement |
| EB-2 | China (mainland) | Oct 1, 2021 | 1 Oct 2021 – 3 Apr 2022up to 184 days of movement | Jan 1, 2023 | 1 Jan 2023 – 31 Dec 2024up to 730 days of movement |
| EB-2 | Mexico | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 30 Jan 2026up to 394 days of movement | Mar 15, 2026 | 15 Mar 2026 – 15 Sep 2026up to 184 days of movement |
| EB-2 | Philippines | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 30 Jan 2026up to 394 days of movement | Mar 15, 2026 | 15 Mar 2026 – 15 Sep 2026up to 184 days of movement |
| EB-2 | All other countries | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 30 Jan 2026up to 394 days of movement | Mar 15, 2026 | 15 Mar 2026 – 15 Sep 2026up to 184 days of movement |
| EB-3 | India | Jan 1, 2014 | 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014up to 62 days of movement | Jan 15, 2015 | 15 Jan 2015 – 17 Nov 2015up to 306 days of movement |
| EB-3 | China (mainland) | Jan 8, 2022 | 8 Jan 2022 – 12 Apr 2022up to 94 days of movement | Apr 1, 2024 | 1 Apr 2024 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1628 days of movement |
| EB-3 | Mexico | May 15, 2024 | 15 May 2024 – 14 Jan 2025up to 244 days of movement | Aug 1, 2024 | 1 Aug 2024 – 1 Mar 2025up to 212 days of movement |
| EB-3 | Philippines | Aug 15, 2023 | 15 Aug 2023 – 3 Nov 2023up to 80 days of movement | Jan 1, 2024 | 1 Jan 2024 – 3 Jul 2024up to 184 days of movement |
| EB-3 | All other countries | May 15, 2024 | 15 May 2024 – 14 Jan 2025up to 244 days of movement | Aug 1, 2024 | 1 Aug 2024 – 1 Mar 2025up to 212 days of movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | India | Jan 1, 2014 | 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014up to 62 days of movement | Jan 15, 2015 | 15 Jan 2015 – 17 Nov 2015up to 306 days of movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | China (mainland) | Oct 1, 2019 | 1 Oct 2019 – 2 Aug 2020up to 306 days of movement | Oct 1, 2020 | 1 Oct 2020 – 3 Oct 2022up to 732 days of movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Mexico | Jan 1, 2022 | 1 Jan 2022 – 3 May 2022up to 122 days of movement | Jun 1, 2022 | 1 Jun 2022 – 12 Jul 2023up to 406 days of movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Philippines | Jan 1, 2022 | 1 Jan 2022 – 4 Mar 2022up to 62 days of movement | Jun 1, 2022 | 1 Jun 2022 – 12 Jul 2023up to 406 days of movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | All other countries | Jan 1, 2022 | 1 Jan 2022 – 3 May 2022up to 122 days of movement | Jun 1, 2022 | 1 Jun 2022 – 12 Jul 2023up to 406 days of movement |
| EB-4 | India | Dec 15, 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024up to 390 days of movement | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1462 days of movement |
| EB-4 | China (mainland) | Dec 15, 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024up to 390 days of movement | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1462 days of movement |
| EB-4 | Mexico | Dec 15, 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024up to 390 days of movement | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1462 days of movement |
| EB-4 | Philippines | Dec 15, 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024up to 390 days of movement | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1462 days of movement |
| EB-4 | All other countries | Dec 15, 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 – 9 Jan 2024up to 390 days of movement | Jan 1, 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1462 days of movement |
| EB-5 Unreserved | India | Dec 1, 2023 | 1 Dec 2023 – 31 Jul 2025up to 608 days of movement | May 1, 2024 | 1 May 2024 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 1522 days of movement |
| EB-5 Unreserved | China (mainland) | Dec 1, 2016 | 1 Dec 2016 – 20 Apr 2017up to 140 days of movement | Mar 1, 2021 | 1 Mar 2021 – 28 Dec 2021up to 302 days of movement |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Mexico | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Philippines | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| EB-5 Unreserved | All other countries | Current | Currenta state, not a date | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
Family-sponsored: every category and country
Family-sponsored cases have their own USCIS chart determination, which is often different from the employment-based one in the same month.
| Category | Country | Last publishedOctober 2026, official | Scenariofinal action — not official, not a probability interval | Last publisheddates for filing | Scenariodates for filing — not official, not a probability interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | India | Jan 22, 2020 | 22 Jan 2020 – 17 Oct 2021up to 634 days of movement | Feb 1, 2020 | 1 Feb 2020 – 4 Apr 2021up to 428 days of movement |
| F1 | China (mainland) | Jan 22, 2020 | 22 Jan 2020 – 17 Oct 2021up to 634 days of movement | Feb 1, 2020 | 1 Feb 2020 – 4 Apr 2021up to 428 days of movement |
| F1 | Mexico | Sep 8, 2008 | 8 Sep 2008 – 5 Sep 2009up to 362 days of movement | Dec 1, 2008 | 1 Dec 2008 – 4 Nov 2009up to 338 days of movement |
| F1 | Philippines | Nov 1, 2013 | 1 Nov 2013 – 4 Nov 2014up to 368 days of movement | Apr 22, 2015 | 22 Apr 2015 |
| F1 | All other countries | Jan 22, 2020 | 22 Jan 2020 – 17 Oct 2021up to 634 days of movement | Feb 1, 2020 | 1 Feb 2020 – 4 Apr 2021up to 428 days of movement |
| F2A | India | Sep 22, 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 364 days of movement | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| F2A | China (mainland) | Sep 22, 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 364 days of movement | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| F2A | Mexico | Mar 22, 2026 | 22 Mar 2026 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 424 days of movement | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| F2A | Philippines | Sep 22, 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 364 days of movement | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| F2A | All other countries | Sep 22, 2026 | 22 Sep 2026 – 1 Dec 2026, or Currentup to 364 days of movement | Current | Currenta state, not a date |
| F2B | India | Aug 22, 2019 | 22 Aug 2019 – 31 Jul 2020up to 344 days of movement | Sep 1, 2019 | 1 Sep 2019 – 19 Jun 2020up to 292 days of movement |
| F2B | China (mainland) | Aug 22, 2019 | 22 Aug 2019 – 31 Jul 2020up to 344 days of movement | Sep 1, 2019 | 1 Sep 2019 – 19 Jun 2020up to 292 days of movement |
| F2B | Mexico | May 15, 2010 | 15 May 2010 – 18 May 2011up to 368 days of movement | Mar 22, 2011 | 22 Mar 2011 – 24 Mar 2012up to 368 days of movement |
| F2B | Philippines | Oct 1, 2013 | 1 Oct 2013 – 3 May 2014up to 214 days of movement | Oct 1, 2014 | 1 Oct 2014 – 30 Sep 2016up to 730 days of movement |
| F2B | All other countries | Aug 22, 2019 | 22 Aug 2019 – 31 Jul 2020up to 344 days of movement | Sep 1, 2019 | 1 Sep 2019 – 19 Jun 2020up to 292 days of movement |
| F3 | India | Oct 22, 2014 | 22 Oct 2014 – 20 May 2015up to 210 days of movement | Nov 1, 2014 | 1 Nov 2014 – 5 Jul 2015up to 246 days of movement |
| F3 | China (mainland) | Oct 22, 2014 | 22 Oct 2014 – 20 May 2015up to 210 days of movement | Nov 1, 2014 | 1 Nov 2014 – 5 Jul 2015up to 246 days of movement |
| F3 | Mexico | Jul 1, 2001 | 1 Jul 2001 – 1 Sep 2001up to 62 days of movement | Dec 1, 2002 | 1 Dec 2002 – 4 Sep 2005up to 1008 days of movement |
| F3 | Philippines | Jul 22, 2006 | 22 Jul 2006 – 6 May 2007up to 288 days of movement | Oct 22, 2006 | 22 Oct 2006 – 24 Apr 2007up to 184 days of movement |
| F3 | All other countries | Oct 22, 2014 | 22 Oct 2014 – 20 May 2015up to 210 days of movement | Nov 1, 2014 | 1 Nov 2014 – 5 Jul 2015up to 246 days of movement |
| F4 | India | Dec 15, 2006 | 15 Dec 2006 – 13 Mar 2007up to 88 days of movement | Feb 1, 2007 | 1 Feb 2007 – 8 May 2007up to 96 days of movement |
| F4 | China (mainland) | Oct 22, 2011 | 22 Oct 2011 – 19 Feb 2013up to 486 days of movement | Nov 1, 2011 | 1 Nov 2011 – 14 Jun 2012up to 226 days of movement |
| F4 | Mexico | Apr 22, 2001 | 22 Apr 2001 – 20 May 2001up to 28 days of movement | Apr 30, 2001 | 30 Apr 2001 |
| F4 | Philippines | May 15, 2008 | 15 May 2008 – 17 Mar 2009up to 306 days of movement | Mar 22, 2009 | 22 Mar 2009 – 22 Mar 2011up to 730 days of movement |
| F4 | All other countries | Oct 22, 2011 | 22 Oct 2011 – 19 Feb 2013up to 486 days of movement | Nov 1, 2011 | 1 Nov 2011 – 14 Jun 2012up to 226 days of movement |
What is specific about a December bulletin
December is where the archive says this series actually moves, and where its only reversal sits. India EB-2 final action changed in four of the last five Decembers — and one of those four went backwards, in December 2022. That combination is what makes December the least predictable of the three months: the base rate of movement is high and the direction is not guaranteed. By December the fiscal year's first quarter of demand is also behind the Department of State, which is the first point at which its own issuance data can inform a cutoff rather than a prior-year pattern.
That is not a forecast, it is a base rate, and it is the part of this page that could not be written about any other month. The three India EB categories have behaved differently in a December too, so here is each of them across every December in the archive:
EB-1 India in a December
Across 5 Decembers in the archive it advanced in 1, held still in 2, was Current or Unavailable in 2. The median December advance, counting only the months it moved, is 28 days.
EB-2 India in a December
Across 5 Decembers in the archive it advanced in 3, held still in 1, went backwards in 1. The median December advance, counting only the months it moved, is 44 days.
EB-3 India in a December
Across 5 Decembers in the archive it advanced in 3, held still in 2. The median December advance, counting only the months it moved, is 31 days.
data/visa-bulletin/, derived from the official Department of State bulletins. Months the category was Current or Unavailable are shown as state changes rather than as a number of days, because they are states and not dates.EB-1 India — final action, every December
| December | From | To | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Current | Current | became current |
| December 2022 | Current | Current | became current |
| December 2023 | Jan 1, 2017 | Jan 1, 2017 | no movement |
| December 2024 | Feb 1, 2022 | Feb 1, 2022 | no movement |
| December 2025 | Feb 15, 2022 | Mar 15, 2022 | advanced 28 days |
EB-2 India — final action, every December
| December | From | To | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Dec 1, 2011 | May 1, 2012 | advanced 152 days |
| December 2022 | Apr 1, 2012 | Oct 8, 2011 | retrogressed 176 days |
| December 2023 | Jan 1, 2012 | Jan 1, 2012 | no movement |
| December 2024 | Jul 15, 2012 | Aug 1, 2012 | advanced 17 days |
| December 2025 | Apr 1, 2013 | May 15, 2013 | advanced 44 days |
EB-3 India — final action, every December
| December | From | To | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Jan 15, 2012 | Jan 15, 2012 | no movement |
| December 2022 | Apr 1, 2012 | Jun 15, 2012 | advanced 75 days |
| December 2023 | May 1, 2012 | May 1, 2012 | no movement |
| December 2024 | Nov 1, 2012 | Nov 8, 2012 | advanced 7 days |
| December 2025 | Aug 22, 2013 | Sep 22, 2013 | advanced 31 days |
Final action dates only, one row per year in the archive. Source: the snapshot archive in data/visa-bulletin/, derived cell by cell from the official Department of State bulletins. A month the category was Current or Unavailable is shown as a state change rather than as a number of days.
What to do in December 2026
If a date is current and you can file, file. December and January are also when USCIS office workloads shift around the holidays, so a package that goes in early in the month is not competing with the same queue as one that goes in at the end of it. If your date is close rather than current, this is the month to have everything assembled, because a two-month advance in December would reach dates a November advance would not.
How much weight this projection deserves
Two bulletins past the last published one, so the range is roughly twice as wide as November's and deserves proportionately less weight. Two months of compounding is also where a projection built on a median advance diverges most from reality, in either direction.
What this would mean for you
Four worked cases against the ranges above. Each one assumes the projection lands somewhere inside its band, which is an assumption and not a forecast — and the weight that assumption deserves in December 2026 specifically is two bulletins past the last published one, so the range is roughly twice as wide as November's and deserves proportionately less weight. Two months of compounding is also where a projection built on a median advance diverges most from reality, in either direction.
| Your situation | Against the projected range | What to actually do |
|---|---|---|
| EB-2 India, priority date in 2015 | The projected final action range tops out at Mar 5, 2014, so a 2015 date is not reached in December 2026 on any point in this band. | Dates for Filing is the chart that matters to you first — check whether your date is current on it, because that is what lets you file the I-485 package with the EAD and advance parole. |
| EB-2 India, priority date in late 2013 | This is the live edge of the range: the floor is Nov 1, 2013 and the ceiling Mar 5, 2014. | If a date is current and you can file, file. December and January are also when USCIS office workloads shift around the holidays, so a package that goes in early in the month is not competing with the same queue as one that goes in at the end of it. If your date is close rather than current, this is the month to have everything assembled, because a two-month advance in December would reach dates a November advance would not. |
| EB-3 India, considering a downgrade from EB-2 | Projected EB-3 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014 against EB-2 1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014. Compare the floors, not the ceilings. | A downgrade is a strategy with real costs and a dependence on which chart USCIS accepts. Read the downgrade guide before acting on one month's movement. |
| EB-1 India, I-140 approved | Projected 1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023, from Feb 1, 2023. | EB-1 India has both advanced and retrogressed inside the last twelve bulletins, which is why its downside note is on this page. Watch the trend across the chart rather than the single month. |
Other months
Published bulletins carry real figures. Projected months carry ranges.
Published
Projected
The monthly update hub carries the full index, and the visa bulletin guide is the place to start if this is your first month reading one.
Frequently asked questions
Has the December 2026 visa bulletin been published?
Not when this page was last updated. The latest bulletin the Department of State has published is October 2026. DOS normally releases the next month's bulletin in the second or third week of the preceding month. Everything on this page below the banner is a projection built from the published archive, not a published figure — and this page becomes the official December 2026 bulletin page, at this same URL, on release.
What are the projected India EB dates for December 2026?
EB-2 India final action is projected at 1 Nov 2013 – 5 Mar 2014, from a published October 2026 cutoff of Nov 1, 2013. EB-3 India is projected at 1 Jan 2014 – 4 Mar 2014. EB-1 India is projected at 1 Feb 2023 – 7 Sep 2023. These are ranges rather than dates, their floor is no movement, and they are this site's arithmetic rather than a government figure. Verify against the Department of State once the bulletin is out.
Does December 2026 usually move?
Across 5 Decembers in the archive it advanced in 3, held still in 1, went backwards in 1. The median December advance, counting only the months it moved, is 44 days. December is where the archive says this series actually moves, and where its only reversal sits. India EB-2 final action changed in four of the last five Decembers — and one of those four went backwards, in December 2022. That combination is what makes December the least predictable of the three months: the base rate of movement is high and the direction is not guaranteed. By December the fiscal year's first quarter of demand is also behind the Department of State, which is the first point at which its own issuance data can inform a cutoff rather than a prior-year pattern. That is a base rate from the archive rather than a forecast, and it is the most useful single thing to know about a December bulletin before the figures arrive.
What should I be doing in December 2026?
If a date is current and you can file, file. December and January are also when USCIS office workloads shift around the holidays, so a package that goes in early in the month is not competing with the same queue as one that goes in at the end of it. If your date is close rather than current, this is the month to have everything assembled, because a two-month advance in December would reach dates a November advance would not.
How much weight does a December 2026 projection deserve?
Two bulletins past the last published one, so the range is roughly twice as wide as November's and deserves proportionately less weight. Two months of compounding is also where a projection built on a median advance diverges most from reality, in either direction.
Which chart will USCIS accept for filing in December 2026?
We do not know, and no honest page can tell you. USCIS makes that determination month by month and publishes it separately from the bulletin. The determination tracked site-wide covers October 2026, where the answer is: Dates for Filing. That is a different month from this one. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo before you file — using the wrong chart gets an I-485 rejected rather than held.
Could the dates retrogress in December 2026 instead?
Yes, and the ranges on this page do not capture it — a range with a floor of "no movement" cannot. December is where the archive says this series actually moves, and where its only reversal sits. India EB-2 final action changed in four of the last five Decembers — and one of those four went backwards, in December 2022. That combination is what makes December the least predictable of the three months: the base rate of movement is high and the direction is not guaranteed. By December the fiscal year's first quarter of demand is also behind the Department of State, which is the first point at which its own issuance data can inform a cutoff rather than a prior-year pattern. India EB-2 is the live example from the last fiscal year: it advanced to 15 July 2014 by April 2026, retrogressed in June, and went Unavailable from July through September before resetting at 1 November 2013 in the October 2026 bulletin. Retrogression and a category going Unavailable are both real possibilities and neither is forecastable from a trend.
Sources, method and status
The December 2026 bulletin has not been published. Every published figure on this page comes from the October 2026 bulletin via the snapshot archive in data/visa-bulletin/, which is derived cell by cell from the official Department of State bulletins. The projected ranges are this site's arithmetic over that archive, derived in code, with the sample size shown for every row. Verify against the Department of State on release.
Informational only, not legal advice. This page explains how a government process works and what the published rules say. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. For advice on your own facts, speak to a licensed immigration attorney — here is what one typically costs.
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