The June 2026 US Visa Bulletin has brought disappointing news for Indian green card applicants, especially those waiting under employment-based categories. After several months of gradual forward movement, the latest bulletin released by the United States Department of State shows major retrogression in key categories, reflecting rising demand pressure and limited visa availability.
The biggest setback has come in the EB-1 and EB-2 categories for India. According to the bulletin, EB-1 India Final Action Dates have moved backward by nearly three-and-a-half months, while EB-2 India has retrogressed by more than ten months. The sudden rollback has disappointed thousands of Indian professionals who had recently gained hope after positive movement earlier in 2026.
While EB-1 and EB-2 faced sharp setbacks, the EB-3 and Other Workers categories saw only modest progress, moving ahead by around one month. This offers limited relief for a small section of applicants still waiting in long employment-based green card queues.
The bulletin also noted that India’s EB-5 Unreserved category remains at May 1, 2022. However, officials warned that increasing demand could still lead to future retrogression or even temporary unavailability in the coming months.
Meanwhile, the filing chart remains unchanged for all countries and categories. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expected to separately announce whether applicants filing adjustment-of-status applications in June can use the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart.
For many Indian applicants, filing eligibility continues to remain crucial. Even without final green card approval, applicants who are eligible to file adjustment-of-status applications can often receive important interim benefits such as Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), Advance Parole travel permits, and greater job flexibility.
On the family-sponsored side, the picture was slightly better. Certain family-based categories recorded limited forward movement, while the F2A category continued to remain current for filing purposes, allowing eligible applicants to continue submitting paperwork.
Overall, the June 2026 Visa Bulletin highlights how uncertain and fragile green card movement remains for Indian professionals. Earlier bulletins this year had created optimism that long-pending employment-based applications were finally moving forward. However, the latest retrogression now signals that demand has once again exceeded the number of available visas.
For Indian professionals in EB-1 and EB-2 categories, the latest bulletin means even longer waits despite already existing backlogs that stretch across several years. At the same time, unchanged filing dates still offer some procedural flexibility and temporary immigration benefits for eligible applicants navigating the lengthy green card process.
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