If you are tracking a PERM case, an approved I-140, or a pending adjustment of status, you already know the drill: the State Department drops a new bulletin, and within minutes your team, your attorney, and half of LinkedIn are parsing two tables for a single number that could change your next two years.
September carries extra weight. It is the last bulletin of the federal fiscal year, and fiscal year-end mechanics inside the immigrant visa system behave differently than any other month. That makes September both the best opportunity and the biggest risk for movement on your priority date.
This is an analysis of publicly available signals and historical patterns, not a forecast you should bank a filing strategy on. Treat every date below as directional. The only numbers that matter are the ones published on travel.state.gov and confirmed by your attorney.
Why September Is the Bulletin's Most Volatile Month
The employment-based green card system operates on an annual numerical limit set by Congress, allocated by category and by country under INA sections 201 and 202. Those visa numbers expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Numbers not used by then are gone for that category-country combination, though unused numbers can fall down to other preference categories or roll to the next fiscal year under specific statutory rules.
Because of that expiration pressure, the State Department has historically tried to use as many authorized numbers as possible before the fiscal year closes. That often shows up as the Dates for Filing chart advancing faster than usual in the July through September bulletins, giving more people the ability to submit an I-485 adjustment of status application and pull a visa number off the shelf before it disappears.
Then October arrives with a new fiscal year and a fresh, smaller pool of numbers. Categories that advanced aggressively in September have, in past years, retrogressed or held flat in October while the system resets. This pattern is not guaranteed every year, but it has repeated often enough that immigration attorneys build client expectations around it.
What Recent Bulletins Signal Heading Into September
Rather than quoting a specific date that may already be outdated by the time you read this, look at the direction embedded in the July and August 2026 bulletins for your category and country of chargeability. Ask your attorney or check the bulletin directly for three things:
- Whether the Dates for Filing chart moved forward, held steady, or retrogressed month over month for EB-2 and EB-3 India, EB-2 and EB-3 China, and the EB-3 worldwide row.
- Whether USCIS announced it would accept I-485 filings based on the Dates for Filing chart or require the more conservative Final Action Dates chart for the relevant month. USCIS makes this determination separately from the bulletin itself, usually announced in the weeks before the month begins.
- Any commentary in the bulletin's narrative section about visa number usage running ahead of or behind projections. The State Department sometimes flags when a category is approaching its annual allocation early, which is itself a signal of upcoming retrogression.
None of these signals guarantees a specific outcome. They describe pressure building in one direction. Confirm the current state of each chart directly on travel.state.gov before making any filing decision.
Dates for Filing vs. Final Action Dates: Why the Distinction Matters in September
Every monthly bulletin publishes two charts. Consultants sometimes conflate them, which leads to real filing mistakes.
| Chart | What it controls | Why September behavior differs |
|---|---|---|
| Dates for Filing | The earliest priority date that may submit an I-485 application, when USCIS designates this chart as usable for the month | Historically advances faster in the final months of the fiscal year to help use up remaining visa numbers |
| Final Action Dates | The date USCIS must reach before it can actually approve an I-485 and issue a green card | Tends to move more conservatively and is the chart that resets hardest in October |
USCIS decides, month by month, which chart applies for filing purposes. That decision is published on the USCIS website, typically shortly before the new bulletin month begins. If your priority date is current under Dates for Filing but not yet under Final Action Dates, you may be able to file the I-485 and gain access to an interim EAD and advance parole while your final adjudication waits behind the Final Action line.
What This Means for Your Next 90 Days
If your priority date is close to either chart, September is a month to actively track rather than passively wait on. A few concrete implications for consultants on H-1B, PERM, and I-140 timelines:
- H-1B six-year limit consultants. If you are approaching your sixth year on H-1B, having a PERM filed 365 days before your sixth anniversary, or an approved I-140, can unlock one-year or three-year extensions under AC21. Movement in the bulletin does not change these AC21 eligibility rules, but it can change whether your I-485 filing window opens sooner.
- H-4 EAD holders. Eligibility generally ties to the principal's H-1B extension status or a pending/approved I-485, not directly to bulletin movement. Still, a filed adjustment of status can open additional dependent benefit pathways worth reviewing with counsel.
- PERM and I-140 filers waiting to reach the front of the queue. A September advance in Dates for Filing, even a temporary one, can be a real window to submit an I-485 before a likely October correction closes it again. Employers and attorneys sometimes describe this as a use-it-or-wait-a-year situation.
- Consultants mid-project on assignment. Filing an I-485 does not require pausing client work, but it does typically require a medical exam, biometrics, and coordination with your employer's immigration counsel on timing. Build that into your schedule now rather than during the last week of the filing window.
This is general information about how the visa bulletin process works, not legal advice. Your priority date, category, country of chargeability, and case history are specific to you. Confirm your situation and any filing decision with a licensed immigration attorney before acting.
How to Prepare Before the September Bulletin Drops
- Confirm your exact priority date, preference category, and country of chargeability with your attorney or HR immigration contact.
- Set a reminder to check travel.state.gov when the new bulletin is typically released, usually in the second or third week of the prior month.
- Ask your employer's counsel which chart USCIS has designated for I-485 filing purposes for September, since this is announced separately from the bulletin.
- If you are near a filing window, have your medical exam, passport-style photos, and supporting documents ready in advance so you are not scrambling if the date opens briefly.
- Track your H-1B extension timeline independently of the green card process. The two run on different clocks and different rules.
The team at Josh Pros LLC works alongside technology consultants managing exactly this kind of timeline pressure, from H-1B transfers to PERM-stage planning. If you want a second set of eyes on how a September bulletin move could affect your specific case, reach out to contact@joshpros.com or visit https://joshpros.com.
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This is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change and outcomes depend on your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that affects your case with a licensed immigration attorney.
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