For September F2A, the State Department explains that numbers exempt from the per-country limit are available to priority dates before August 22, 2025, and for applicants subject to the per-country limit (except Mexico) to priority dates from August 22, 2025 to before August 22, 2026. For applicants charged to Korea, this is a very favorable environment.

Applicants with priority dates around F1: early 2019–2020, F2B: 2018–2019, F3: 2012–2014, F4: 2009–2011 should re-check whether their case now falls within the Final Action or Filing range. In long-waiting categories, rather than simply waiting on the dates, review the following together.

For three employment categories, the September Visa Bulletin flags possible retrogression or Unavailability before the fiscal year ends. The EB-5 Unreserved warning in particular is new in September and was not in the August Bulletin.

EB-1 remains Current for applicants charged to Korea. For those in the Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professor/Researcher, and Multinational Manager/Executive subcategories, it is still a favorable environment. (For reference, EB-1 for those born in India sits at October 15, 2022, and the State Department has warned it could go Unavailable this year if India's limit is reached.)

EB-2 is likewise Current for Korea and very favorable, including NIW. However, the State Department again flagged in September a possible EB-2 retrogression or Unavailability before FY2026 ends. If your case is eligible, rather than delaying simply because it is "Current now," it is prudent to promptly review whether the petition and Adjustment of Status can be filed.

EB-1A and EB-2 NIW allow you to self-petition without an employer sponsor or PERM. Approval, however, is not decided by degree or experience alone — the key is objectively documenting achievements, industry impact, research/publications, awards, media coverage, recommendation letters, and prospective contribution to the U.S. economy, industry, science, and technology.

The EB-3 (skilled/professional) Final Action Date for applicants charged to Korea is September 1, 2024, the same as August, and Other Workers held at April 1, 2022. On the Dates for Filing chart, standard EB-3 is Current and Other Workers is August 1, 2022.

In the U.S., unless USCIS permits Dates for Filing, Final Action Dates are the default standard. So an EB-3 applicant's ability to file turns on whether their priority date is before the Final Action Date (Skilled/Prof 09/01/2024 / Other Workers 04/01/2022) — and you should still check that month's USCIS chart before filing.

The EB-4 (Special Immigrant) Final Action Date advanced two months to December 15, 2022. EB-4 covers several Special Immigrant types, and Certain Religious Workers share the same date on the Visa Bulletin. However, certain non-minister religious-worker programs may be subject to a separate statutory sunset or extension, so do not judge filing eligibility from the Visa Bulletin alone.

In September, EB-5 for applicants charged to Korea remains Current (C) across all categories — Unreserved · Rural · High Unemployment · Infrastructure. The numbers themselves are in good shape.

But starting in September a new official State Department warning was added for EB-5 Unreserved: sufficient demand and increased number use may require retrogressing the Unreserved Final Action or making it Unavailable before FY2026 ends — an item that was not in the August Bulletin. Applicants pursuing EB-5 Unreserved, or preparing the next step after I-526/I-526E approval on an Unreserved case, cannot take September's Current lightly. By contrast, the Rural · High Unemployment · Infrastructure set-aside categories are not the direct target of this warning and remain Current on the September chart.

The August Bulletin listed the FY2026 employment limit only as "at least 140,000." USCIS then provided the data needed to the Visa Office on July 24, and the State Department finalized the actual limits in the September Bulletin. The employment limit rising well above the statutory floor of 140,000 is an important factor in FY2026 number management.

In months when the dates move significantly, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is especially important. For an applicant whose child is near age 21, you cannot judge by the child's actual age alone. Under a policy effective August 15, 2025, USCIS generally uses the Final Action Dates chart to determine visa availability for CSPA age calculation. That said, certain Adjustment of Status cases pending with USCIS before August 15, 2025 may continue to be governed by the prior policy.

So for a case where the child is near 21, you must calculate together ① the priority date, ② the petition's pending period, ③ the point of visa availability, and ④ the sought-to-acquire requirement. Because a few months can change derivative green-card eligibility, relying on a simple online calculator alone is risky.

An applicant processing an immigrant visa through a U.S. embassy while living in Korea, and an applicant filing Form I-485 inside the U.S., follow different procedures. Overseas Consular Processing centers on the State Department and the National Visa Center, while U.S. Adjustment of Status is directly affected by the chart USCIS designates for that month.

Therefore, simply because the Visa Bulletin's Dates for Filing is ahead of your priority date does not mean you may "file I-485 now." Unless USCIS permits Dates for Filing, Final Action Dates govern, and you must check the chart USCIS designated for that month.