On September 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of State published the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027. The new fiscal year released a fresh supply of immigrant visa numbers, and for EB-5 the movement was notable, especially for applicants from China and India. Here is what changed, and what it means for investors weighing their timing.1
A quick refresher: two charts, reserved and unreserved
The Visa Bulletin publishes two charts each month. The Final Action Dates chart, often called Chart A, governs when a visa can actually be issued or a green card approved. The Dates for Filing chart, or Chart B, governs when an applicant may submit paperwork ahead of that final step. USCIS decides each month which chart adjustment-of-status applicants may use, so applicants planning to file should confirm the current guidance first.2
Since the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, the EB-5 category is also split into two tracks: the unreserved category and three set-aside categories, for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects. The set-aside categories have their own pool of visa numbers, which is central to the October movement below.
What moved in October 2026
These moves follow the start of a new federal fiscal year. On October 1, the annual supply of EB-5 visa numbers resets, and the October bulletin is the first place that fresh allocation appears. The movement for India and China is the kind of reset the industry anticipated once the new year’s numbers became available.
In the unreserved category, the headline was the return of availability for India and a large filing-date jump for China:
- India, unreserved: the Final Action Date returned at December 1, 2023, after the category had been listed as unavailable late in the prior fiscal year. The Dates for Filing held at May 1, 2024.
- China, unreserved: the Final Action Date held steady at December 1, 2016, while the Dates for Filing advanced sharply to March 1, 2021, a jump of roughly four years.
- Set-aside categories (rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure): current for every country, including China and India.
The China filing-date movement is the kind of shift that makes a large share of earlier Chinese investors eligible to file their applications, even though actual visa issuance in the unreserved category still tracks the earlier Final Action Date.3
Why the set-aside categories still matter most for new investors
For an investor from China or India who is considering EB-5 now, the unreserved category still carries a multi-year queue. The set-aside categories do not. Because rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure remained current for all countries in October, an investor in one of these project types is not waiting behind a per-country backlog for a visa number.
This is the practical reason many investors from backlogged countries choose set-aside projects. The reserved visa pool was created by the Reform and Integrity Act precisely to keep these categories moving, and the October bulletin shows that design working as intended. CanAm’s infrastructure and rural offerings sit squarely in these set-aside categories, which is one reason they tend to appeal to investors from China and India.
What it means for Chinese investors
For Chinese investors who filed years ago, the advance in the Dates for Filing chart is welcome: many can now take the next step in the process. For those considering EB-5 today, the unreserved path remains long, which is why the set-aside categories are the faster route to a visa number and, ultimately, to permanent residency.
What it means for Indian investors
The return of India unreserved availability is a positive signal after a period when the category was unavailable. In practical terms, immigrant visa processing and interview appointments can resume for applicants whose dates are current, after a stretch when they had effectively paused. Even so, the dates still reflect a wait measured in years. As with China, Indian investors beginning the process now generally find the set-aside categories the more direct path, since those categories remained current.
The bigger timing picture
The Visa Bulletin is one of several moving pieces this year. The Regional Center program remains authorized through September 30, 2027, the grandfathering window for filing closed on September 30, 2026, and the qualifying investment amounts adjust with inflation beginning January 1, 2027. Investors deciding when to act are weighing all of these together, and the category a project falls into, reserved or unreserved, shapes how the visa timeline fits into that picture.
What to do next
- Confirm which category a project falls under, reserved or unreserved, and how that aligns with the applicant’s country and timeline.
- Check the current Visa Bulletin and USCIS filing-chart guidance before filing, since the dates move every month.
- Work with an immigration attorney on the specifics of an individual case.
Considering a Set-Aside EB-5 Project?
CanAm Enterprises has operated at the forefront of the EB-5 program for over 20 years, part of a track record in investment-linked immigration that reaches back to 1987. CanAm has raised more than $4.3 billion in EB-5 capital across more than 75 projects and has returned more than $2.5 billion to investors. Its work has helped facilitate more than 9,500 permanent green cards for families from over 90 countries. CanAm operates 11 regional centers across more than 30 states, and its affiliated broker-dealer, CanAm Investor Services, is FINRA-registered.
To learn how CanAm’s reserved-category projects line up with a specific country and timeline, reach out to the CanAm team.
This article is general information and is not legal or immigration advice. Visa Bulletin dates change monthly and individual eligibility depends on the facts of each case. Investors should consult a qualified immigration attorney and confirm the current bulletin before acting.
Notes
- U.S. Department of State, “October 2026 Visa Bulletin,” published September 29, 2026, the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027. Available at travel.state.gov.
- EB-5 Final Action Dates (Chart A) and Dates for Filing (Chart B) are drawn from the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. The same figures and the characterization of the movement were reported in contemporaneous analyses by Invest in the USA (IIUSA), WR Immigration, and Fragomen.
- USCIS, “Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin,” which indicates each month whether adjustment-of-status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart. Available at uscis.gov.
