Shibbir Ahmed, Washington, D.C.: Bangladeshis waiting for family-based green cards in the United States have received a major boost. The U.S. Department of State’s August 2026 Visa Bulletin shows significant movement in the F2A family-sponsored category, which covers spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 of U.S. lawful permanent residents, or green card holders.
According to the August Visa Bulletin, the F2A Final Action Date advanced from January 1, 2025, to July 22, 2026 for countries in the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” category. Bangladesh falls under this group.
The dramatic movement is particularly significant for Bangladeshis who have been waiting for their family-based immigrant visas or green cards through a spouse or parent who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
Applicants whose priority dates are earlier than the applicable cutoff date may become eligible for immigrant visa issuance or adjustment of status, depending on their individual circumstances and the applicable U.S. immigration process. However, reaching the cutoff date does not automatically guarantee approval of a green card. Applicants must still meet all other immigration requirements.
The Visa Bulletin is used by the U.S. government to determine when immigrant visa numbers are available in numerically limited family-sponsored and employment-based categories. The Final Action Date indicates which applicants may be eligible for final visa issuance based on their priority dates.
The latest movement is especially significant because the F2A category had been substantially behind current dates for an extended period. The July 2026 Visa Bulletin had listed the F2A Final Action Date for the same group of countries as January 1, 2025, making the subsequent advance to July 22, 2026 a major development for eligible applicants.
Immigration experts caution, however, that visa bulletin dates can change from month to month. Dates can move forward, remain unchanged or, in some circumstances, move backward depending on demand and the availability of immigrant visa numbers.
The development does not mean that every family-based green card applicant will benefit equally. The F2A category is specifically for spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents. Other family-sponsored categories—including F1, F2B, F3 and F4—have different cutoff dates and may experience different levels of movement.
For Bangladeshis with pending family-based immigration cases, immigration officials and attorneys generally advise applicants to check their priority dates, visa category and the latest Visa Bulletin carefully before taking any action.
The significant F2A advancement could bring relief to many families who have been separated while waiting for their immigration cases to become current. For eligible applicants whose priority dates fall before the new cutoff date, the development could represent an important step forward in their path toward permanent residence in the United States.
