For family-sponsored green card priority dates in August 2026, the filing question comes first: USCIS says family-sponsored adjustment-of-status applicants should use the Dates for Filing chart (Table B) for August, and F2A is Current there, so eligible applicants can file now instead of waiting on Table A. [1]
Table A Still Matters
Table A is the separate reference point for actual visa availability, which is why the size of the August jump matters even when filing is already open on Table B. August does not collapse those two charts into one; it makes the gap between filing eligibility and final action more visible.
What Moved In August
- F1 advanced 317 days, or 10.5 months, to December 15, 2018. [2]
- F2A advanced 567 days, or 18.5 months, to July 22, 2026, the largest single-month movement in FY 2026. [2]
- F2B advanced 40 days to January 1, 2018. [2]
- F3 advanced 1 month to June 1, 2012. [2]
- F4 advanced 243 days, or 8 months, to September 1, 2009. [2]
The F2A move is the headline because it is not just large; it is larger than any other family-sponsored monthly advance in FY 2026, and it sits alongside strong F1 and F4 movement rather than replacing them. That pattern points to the State Department using remaining FY 2026 numbers aggressively after reduced issuance under Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998. [2]
Why F2A Needs Careful Reading
F2A is the category most likely to trip up a rushed read because a Current filing chart does not mean the same thing as a final-action date, and it does not erase the separate allocation logic behind the category. The practical result is simple enough: Table B opens the filing window now, but Table A still controls where the line really stands. [1][2]
Country Pockets Do Not Move Together
- Mexico gained only in F2A and F3; F2B stayed at February 15, 2009, and F4 stayed at April 22, 2001. [2]
- The Philippines showed no movement in F1, F3, or F4; only F2A and a modest F2B advance moved. [2]
- India advanced in F1-F3, but F4 stayed stuck at November 1, 2006. [2]
- China and All Other Areas saw the broadest gains across all five categories, including F4 to September 1, 2009. [2]
That is the part a country-neutral roundup flattens too much. The headline advance is real, but the size of the gain depends heavily on chargeability, and some applicants are looking at a true opening while others are still looking at a narrow step forward.
The Year-End Ceiling
The State Department's warning is the limit that keeps August from turning into prediction theater: immigrant visa issuance has declined for nationals of certain countries because of Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998, dates were advanced to use available FY 2026 numbers, and any category may become unavailable before September 30 if an annual, category, or per-country limit is reached. [2]
That makes August a filing window, not a promise of continued forward movement into September. If Table B makes an applicant eligible today, the cleanest posture is to file now and treat the next bulletin as a fresh decision point, not an extension of this one. [1][2]
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