The September 2026 Visa Bulletin lists F2A as Current on the Dates for Filing chart for every chargeability area, including Mexico. F2A covers spouses and children of lawful permanent residents. For families who have waited, that C is welcome news.
It is also only half the picture, and the other half is where children get hurt.
Two Charts, Two Jobs
The Dates for Filing chart answers one question: when may an application be submitted. The Final Action Dates chart answers a different one: when may a visa actually be issued or an adjustment approved.
For September, F2A Final Action Dates sit at August 22, 2026 for all chargeability areas except Mexico, which is at August 22, 2025. The bulletin also notes that all F2A numbers provided for Mexico are exempt from the per country limit.
Why the Gap Matters for a Child Near 21
Under the Child Status Protection Act, a child’s protected age is calculated by taking the age when a visa becomes available and subtracting the time the petition was pending. The child must also seek to acquire permanent residence within one year of availability.
Everything turns on what “becomes available” means. USCIS answered that question one way in February 2023 and the opposite way on August 15, 2025. Under the current guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual, a visa becomes available for CSPA purposes based on the Final Action Dates chart. The earlier and more generous approach continues to apply only to adjustment applications that were already pending with USCIS before August 15, 2025.
The practical result is direct. Submitting an application under a Current Dates for Filing chart does not fix the child’s age. The age is measured when the Final Action Date is reached.
Mexico shows the gap plainly this month. F2A is C for filing but August 22, 2025 for final action, a spread of roughly one year during which a child continues to age.
What Aging Out Costs in This Bulletin
An F2A child who turns 21 without CSPA protection generally converts to F2B. In September 2026, F2B stands at August 22, 2019 for worldwide, China, and India. The difference between those two dates is not a formality.
What to Do
Confirm which chart USCIS has designated for family sponsored filings this month. Calculate the child’s CSPA age against Final Action Dates. Document the date the petition was filed and approved, since pending time is subtracted. And treat the one year seek to acquire requirement as a calendar item, not an afterthought.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is F2A current in September 2026?
It is Current on the Dates for Filing chart for all chargeability areas. On the Final Action Dates chart it is August 22, 2026, and August 22, 2025 for Mexico.
Which chart determines my child’s CSPA age?
Final Action Dates, under USCIS guidance effective August 15, 2025.
Does filing early protect my child from aging out?
Filing is not the trigger. The CSPA age is calculated when the visa becomes available under the Final Action Dates chart.
What happens if my child turns 21 first?
An F2A child generally converts to the F2B category, which stands at August 22, 2019 this month for worldwide, China, and India.
What is the seek to acquire requirement?
CSPA generally requires the beneficiary to seek permanent residence within one year of visa availability.
Does the old CSPA policy still apply to anyone?
USCIS states the February 14, 2023 policy continues to apply to adjustment applications pending before August 15, 2025.
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