Visa Bulletin: what changes and what permanent residency applicants need to know in 2026
The monthly update of the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for January 2026 was recently published and is a key reference for those awaiting a green card (permanent residence). This bulletin shows which priority dates have become “current” or available, indicating who can move forward in their residency applications or file certain adjustment-of-status forms.
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This edition shows modest forward movement in some family-based and employment-based categories, but many other waiting lines remain unchanged. For example, the dates for spouses and minor children of green card holders (category F-2A) moved slightly forward, as did certain categories for Mexico and other countries, offering some progress for those applicants.
On the employment side, some categories such as EB-1 and EB-2 showed movement, especially for applicants from China and India, although most groups still have retrogressed priority dates due to high global demand for visas. This means that, while there is progress in some cases, many applicants will continue waiting several months or years before their turn arrives.
The Visa Bulletin is an essential tool because it also influences when applicants can submit forms or expect their case to be processed by the National Visa Center or by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), depending on whether they are inside or outside the U.S. Following these bulletins each month helps better plan the immigration process and understand the expected timelines for permanent residence.
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