The September 2026 Bulletin, Briefed

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program. Visa numbers made available to NACARA applicants in FY 2025 will result in reduction of the DV-2026 annual limit to 54,883. Section 5104 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 amended the NACARA’s provisions on the DV program such that the number of visas made available under the NDAA each fiscal year will be deducted from the 55,000 DVs annually allocated. These amendments will further reduce the DV-2026 annual limit to 52,101. DVs are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.

For September, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2026 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut- off number:

Region All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately AFRICA 101,250 Except: Algeria 85,000 Egypt 50,000 ASIA 40,000 Except: Nepal 13,500 EUROPE 47,500 NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) Current OCEANIA 3,000 SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN 4,750 Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2026 program ends as of September 30, 2026. DVs may not be issued to DV-2026 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2026 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2026. DV availability through the end of FY-2026 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.

Immigrant visa issuance rates have decreased in FY 2026, in part due to the policies the President has put in place since January 2025 to protect national security and the integrity of our immigration process, as well as the impact of posts that have faced limited or suspended visa operations in response to global events. Consequently, to make visas available in accordance with sections 201-203 of the INA to sufficient prospective immigrants to use immigrant visa numbers that are available in FY 2026, dates for filing and final action dates have been advanced across various immigrant visa categories throughout recent months. Note that as additional immigrant visa demand materializes, or administration actions are amended, retrogression may become necessary in the coming weeks to keep issuances within annual limits. Visa categories may become “Unavailable” prior to the end of the fiscal year if annual limits, category limits, or pro-rated per-country limits are reached. This situation is being continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.

The State Department is required to make the determination of the worldwide numerical limitations, as outlined in Section 201(c) and (d) of the INA, on an annual basis. These calculations are based in part on data provided by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the number of immediate relative adjustments in the preceding year and the number of aliens paroled into the United States under Section 212(d)(5) in the second preceding year. Without this information, it is impossible to make an official determination of the annual limits. To avoid delays in processing while waiting for the USCIS data, the Visa Office (VO) bases allocations on reasonable estimates of the anticipated amount of visa numbers to be available under the annual limits, in accordance with Section 203(g) of the INA. On July 24th, USCIS provided the required data to the VO.

The Department of State has determined the Family and Employment preference numerical limits for FY- 2026 in accordance with the terms of Section 201 of the INA. These numerical limitations for FY-2026 are as follows:

Worldwide Family-Sponsored preference limit: 226,000 Worldwide Employment-Based preference limit: 186,317 Under INA Section 202(a)(2), the per-country limit is fixed at 7% of the combined total family and employment annual limits. For FY-2026 the per-country limit is therefore 28,862. The dependent area annual limit is 2%, or 8,247. Note that these figures do not account for carryover provisions in accordance with INA 203(b)(5)(B). With these carryover visa numbers included, the per-country limit is 29,136 and the dependent area limit is 8,325.

High demand and number use by aliens chargeable to India in the EB-1 visa category may necessitate making the category unavailable in the coming weeks if India’s pro-rated limit in the EB-1 category is reached before the fiscal year ends. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.

Sufficient demand and increased number use in the EB-2 visa category may make it necessary to retrogress the final action date or make the category unavailable before the end of the fiscal year to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY 2026 annual limit. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.

Sufficient demand and number use in the EB-5 unreserved visa category may make it necessary to retrogress the final action date or make the category unavailable before the end of the fiscal year to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY 2026 annual limit. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, may affect certain current and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad, as well as certain surviving spouses and children of deceased employees of the U.S. government abroad, applying for SIVs or adjustment of status, as described in section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA. This does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs. Applicants should contact the consular section at which they filed their Form DS-1884 for further information on the impact of that law on their case.