Today, we saw the biggest jump in the Visa Bulletin for the Special Immigrant category, Religious Worker, and Special Immigrant Juvenile cases.
After a long wait, there’s good news. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin advanced the EB-4 category to January 1, 2025, and USCIS has confirmed it will accept adjustment of status applications this month based on the Date of Filing chart. If your priority date falls before that cutoff, you may now be able to file your Form I-485 and take the final step toward your green card.
Visa bulletin movement is not guaranteed to last. Cutoff dates can stall or even move backward (called “retrogression”) when demand exceeds the annual visa supply, sometimes with only a month’s notice. Applicants who file while their date is current are in line. Those who wait may find the window has closed and face months or years more of waiting.
Filing early also brings real benefits while your case is pending. You can apply for a work permit (EAD) and travel document (advance parole), which give you and your family more flexibility. Employment-based applicants whose I-485 has been pending for 180 days may be able to change to a same or similar job under AC21 portability. For families with children approaching 21, filing promptly can be critical to protecting a child’s eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act.
You may be eligible to file this month if your priority date is earlier than January 1, 2025 in your specific category and for all countries, you are physically present in the United States, and you are otherwise eligible to adjust status (for example, you’ve maintained lawful status or qualify for an exception). Your priority date is usually the date your Form I-360 petition, PERM labor certification was filed, or the date your I-130 or I-140 was filed if no labor certification was required. You can find it on your I-797 approval notice.
A complete filing avoids delays and requests for evidence. Start collecting your passport and I-94 record, birth certificate, evidence of lawful status, your underlying petition approval notice, and civil documents for family members filing with you. Schedule your immigration medical exam with a USCIS-designated civil surgeon right away: the sealed Form I-693 must be submitted with your I-485, and appointments fill up quickly when the bulletin moves.
Every case is different, and small details such as your category, chargeability, prior status violations, or dependents’ ages can change what you should do. If your priority date is before January 1, 2025, contact our office at 612 465 0060 to review your eligibility and get your application prepared and filed timely.