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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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The State Department's March 2026 Visa Bulletin brings a clearer sense of momentum for some green card applicants after a relatively quiet February.
While many categories remain frozen in place, March introduces several meaningful forward moves—especially for employment‑based visas—and reverses one of February's biggest setbacks.
What To Know
The State Department's monthly visa bulletin is the central guide for green card applicants. It sets out when people can file their applications and when a green card can be approved.
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The March 2026 Visa Bulletin brings significant progress after February's limited movement.
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Employment‑based applicants—especially those in EB‑2, EB‑3, EB‑4 and religious worker categories—see the clearest gains. Family‑sponsored visas remain mostly stalled, though a handful of groups benefit from modest filing and approval advances.
For many applicants, March marks the strongest month of forward motion so far in the 2026 fiscal year.
The State Department's monthly visa bulletin uses two key benchmarks to show where green card cases stand.
Final Action Dates mark the point at which a green card can be issued.
Dates for Filing show when applicants are allowed to submit their paperwork.
If your priority date comes before the filing date, you can apply. If it comes before the Final Action Date, your case is eligible for approval because a visa number is available.
Here is what the State Department has changed for visas since February.
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Family‑Sponsored Visas
Most family‑based categories remain largely unchanged, but a few groups see modest progress.
F1 – Unmarried Adult Children of U.S. Citizens
There is no change in March for most countries. Mexico's Final Action Date remains at December 22, 2006, and filing dates hold steady across all regions.
F2A – Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents
Final Action Dates remain unchanged worldwide. However, Dates for Filing move forward by one month, from January 22, 2026, in February to February 22, 2026, in March for all countries. This allows more families to begin the paperwork process sooner, even though final approvals are still capped.
F2B – Unmarried Adult Children of Permanent Residents
No movement in March. Both Final Action Dates and Filing Dates remain where they were in February.
F3 – Married Adult Children of U.S. Citizens
Final Action Dates do not move. But the Philippines sees a notable Filing Date advance, jumping from February 1, 2006, to June 1, 2006, a four‑month improvement. All other regions remain unchanged.
F4 – Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens
Final Action Dates stay frozen for most countries. The exception is the Philippines, where the Final Action Date advances from July 22, 2006, to September 1, 2006, offering a small but meaningful step forward.
Employment‑Based Visas
March delivers far more movement on the employment side, with advances across multiple categories and countries.
EB‑1 – Priority Workers
China and India see their Final Action Dates move forward by one month, from February 1, 2023, to March 1, 2023. Filing Dates also jump significantly for both countries, advancing from August 1, 2023, to December 1, 2023.
All other regions remain current.
EB‑2 – Advanced Degrees and Exceptional Ability
Final Action Dates are mostly unchanged, but India moves forward by two months, from July 15, 2013, to September 15, 2013.
The biggest change appears in Dates for Filing:
- The category becomes current worldwide, including Mexico and the Philippines.
- India's Filing Date advances sharply, from December 1, 2013, to November 1, 2014.
This is one of the greatest improvements in the March bulletin.
EB‑3 – Skilled Workers and Professionals
This category sees broad progress.
Final Action Dates:
- Most countries move from June 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023.
- The Philippines advances from June 1, 2023, to August 1, 2023.
- China and India remain unchanged.
Dates for Filing:
- Most regions advance from October 1, 2023, to January 15, 2024.
- China and India again remain frozen.
EB‑3 – Other Workers
Final Action Dates advance by two months for most countries (all chargeability areas, Mexico and the Philippines), moving from September 1, 2021, to November 1, 2021. Other Final Action Dates remain unchanged.
Filing Dates also move forward significantly, from December 1, 2021, to June 22, 2022, but remain frozen for India and China.
EB‑4 – Special Immigrants
This category shows a major shift.
- Final Action Dates move forward from January 1, 2021, to July 15, 2021, across all categories.
- Dates for Filing jump dramatically from March 15, 2021, to January 1, 2023, across all categories.
Certain Religious Workers
After being unavailable in February, this category reopens in March.
- Final Action Dates are restored at July 15, 2021.
- Filing Dates reopen at January 1, 2023.
This reversal marks one of the most significant developments in the bulletin.
EB‑5 – Investor Visas
The EB‑5 category remains largely stable.
- Unreserved visas show a small Filing Date advance for China, moving from August 22, 2016, to October 1, 2016.
- India remains unchanged.
- All set‑aside categories stay current.
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