The US State Department’s July 2026 Visa Bulletin has dealt another major blow to Indian employment-based green card applicants, with the EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 categories becoming unavailable and the EB-1 category moving backwards by two months.
Released as the United States enters the final quarter of fiscal year 2026, the bulletin highlights the mounting pressure on employment-based immigrant visa allocations amid heavy demand from Indian applicants.
The Final Action Date for EB-1 India has retrogressed from December 15, 2022, in June to October 15, 2022, in July. As a result, only applicants with priority dates earlier than October 15, 2022, will be eligible for final approval, provided they meet all other requirements.
The State Department attributed the move to “high demand and number use” and cautioned that further retrogression or even complete unavailability of the category could occur before the current fiscal year ends on September 30.
The biggest setback, however, has come in the EB-2 category, which covers professionals with advanced degrees and individuals with exceptional ability. The category has been marked “U” (Unavailable) for July, compared with a Final Action Date of September 1, 2013, in June.
According to the State Department, India’s annual EB-2 quota has been exhausted, making the category unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year 2026. Consequently, no EB-2 immigrant visas can be issued to Indian applicants until the annual limits reset on October 1, 2026, marking the beginning of fiscal year 2027.
Officials expect the EB-2 India cutoff to advance in October, potentially returning to at least the level seen in the May 2026 bulletin, although the extent of movement will depend on demand and visa availability.
Indian applicants in the unreserved EB-5 category have also been hit. The Final Action Date has shifted from May 1, 2022, in June to “Unavailable” in July. The category, which covers investors outside the reserved rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure pools, will remain closed for the rest of fiscal year 2026.
The State Department expects movement in the category after October 1, subject to fresh allocations and demand.
Not all employment-based categories have worsened. EB-3 skilled workers and professionals saw modest progress, with the Final Action Date moving from December 15, 2013, to January 1, 2014. The Other Workers category recorded the same advancement.
EB-4, which covers certain special immigrants, moved ahead by two months, from July 15, 2022, to September 15, 2022. However, despite the slight improvement, EB-3 India continues to face a backlog exceeding 12 years.
The Dates for Filing chart remained unchanged across all Indian employment-based categories. EB-1 stays at December 1, 2023, while EB-2, EB-3 and Other Workers remain at January 15, 2015. EB-4 remains at January 1, 2023, and unreserved EB-5 at May 1, 2024.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed employment-based adjustment-of-status applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart for July. This effectively means Indian applicants under EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 cannot file Form I-485 in July, as no visa numbers are currently available.
While previously filed applications can remain pending, green card approvals cannot be granted until visa numbers become available again.
In contrast, the three EB-5 reserved categories—covering rural projects, high-unemployment areas and infrastructure investments—remain current for all countries, including India. Eligible applicants in these categories may still be able to file their immigrant petitions and adjustment-of-status applications concurrently under USCIS rules.
The July bulletin also brought some positive developments for family-sponsored categories. The F1 category for unmarried adult children of US citizens advanced by five months, while F2B and F3 categories also moved forward modestly. However, F2A and F4 categories remained unchanged.
For Indian professionals, though, the latest bulletin underscores the growing strain on the employment-based immigration system. With EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 closed and EB-1 moving backwards once again, further restrictions cannot be ruled out before visa allocations reset on October 1.
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