The July 2026 Visa Bulletin, published on 2 June 2026 by the US Department of State, contains two pieces of news that every Indian professional in the United States employment-based green card queue needs to understand before the month is out.
First: the EB-2 category for India is now unavailable for the remainder of FY2026. The State Department confirmed that India’s pro-rated EB-2 annual limit was reached, meaning no EB-2 green cards can be issued to Indian applicants until the new fiscal year begins on 1 October 2026.
Second: the EB-1 Final Action Date for India retrogressed by two months, from 15 December 2022 to 15 October 2022. Indians with EB-1 priority dates between 15 October 2022 and 14 December 2022 who were eligible to file last month are no longer eligible to file this month.
Both developments are a direct consequence of the per-country cap: the rule that no single country can receive more than 7% of the total annual employment-based immigrant visas available in a fiscal year, regardless of how large or how skilled the applicant pool from that country is.
USCIS confirmed it will use the Final Action Dates chart, not the Dates for Filing chart, for July 2026 adjustment of status filings.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
What is the US Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the US Department of State that determines when employment-based and family-sponsored green card applicants can move forward with their applications. It sets “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing” for each visa preference category and each country. For Indian applicants in the employment-based categories, the bulletin is the single most important document governing how long the green card wait will be. A “C” (current) means you can file now. A “U” (unavailable) means you cannot. A specific date means you can only file if your priority date is earlier than that date.
The complete India employment-based picture for July 2026
The following dates are taken directly from the official July 2026 Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates chart, published by the US Department of State.
| Category | India Final Action Date (July 2026) | Movement from June |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | 15 October 2022 | Retrogressed 2 months |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability) | Unavailable | Was current in prior months; now exhausted for FY2026 |
| EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals) | 1 January 2014 | Advanced by 2 weeks |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 1 January 2014 | Advanced |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15 September 2022 | Unchanged |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Unavailable | Exhausted for FY2026 |
| EB-5 Rural Set-Aside | Current | Available |
| EB-5 High Unemployment Set-Aside | Current | Available |
| EB-5 Infrastructure Set-Aside | Current | Available |
For the Dates for Filing chart, which USCIS is NOT using this month but the State Department publishes for consular processing purposes:
| Category | India Dates for Filing (July 2026) |
|---|---|
| EB-1 | 1 December 2023 |
| EB-2 | 15 January 2015 |
| EB-3 | 15 January 2015 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | 1 May 2024 |
What EB-2 unavailable means in practice
EB-2 unavailable does not mean the category no longer exists. It means India has exhausted its pro-rated share of EB-2 visas for FY2026. No EB-2 green cards can be issued to Indian-born applicants for the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends on 30 September 2026.
The State Department has indicated it expects the Final Action Date to advance to at least the date announced in the May 2026 Visa Bulletin when the new fiscal year begins on 1 October 2026. However, it explicitly stated: “the date is dependent on the demand for EB-2 numbers by Indian applicants and the FY 2027 annual limit on employment-based preference visas.” No specific date has been guaranteed.
For Indian EB-2 applicants who have a pending I-140 petition and are waiting for a priority date to become current, the unavailability means no green card can be approved this month. However, other immigration benefits associated with a filed I-485, including Employment Authorisation Documents and Advance Parole, can still be processed and approved. The green card itself cannot be granted until October at the earliest.
What EB-1 retrogression means
The EB-1 Final Action Date retrogressing from 15 December 2022 to 15 October 2022 means that applicants with priority dates between 15 October 2022 and 14 December 2022 who were able to file I-485 applications last month cannot file this month.
The State Department attributed the retrogression to “high demand and number use by aliens chargeable to India in the EB-1 visa category,” which made it necessary to pull the date back to hold number use within FY2026 annual limits. It warned that “further retrogression or making the category unavailable may be necessary in the coming months” if India’s pro-rated EB-1 limit is reached before 30 September.
EB-1 covers three subcategories: persons with extraordinary ability (EB-1A), outstanding professors and researchers (EB-1B), and multinational managers and executives (EB-1C). Indian nationals in tech, academia and multinational corporations have been using EB-1 pathways in increasing numbers, particularly EB-1A and EB-1B, as an alternative to the multi-decade EB-2 and EB-3 queues.
The per-country cap: why India faces waits of decades
The core reason for India’s severe backlog is the per-country cap embedded in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Section 202 of the INA prescribes that no single country can receive more than 7% of the total employment-based immigrant visas available in a fiscal year. The total employment-based limit is at least 140,000 annually. At 7%, India’s maximum annual allocation is approximately 9,800 visas across all employment-based categories.
India files the largest volume of employment-based green card petitions of any country, accounting for the overwhelming majority of H-1B visa holders. More than 300,000 Indian professionals are currently in the employment-based green card backlog. The 9,800-per-year cap against that demand creates waiting times that run to decades for EB-3 applicants and to 50 years or more for those at the back of the EB-2 queue.
The July 2026 bulletin is a consequence of that structural imbalance. EB-2 being unavailable is not a policy change or a new restriction. It is the annual fiscal year cap being exhausted before the fiscal year ends. The same outcome occurred in prior years.
The family-sponsored categories for India in July 2026
For Indian nationals sponsoring family members for US green cards, the Final Action Dates in July 2026 are as follows:
| Category | India Final Action Date |
|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens) | 1 February 2018 |
| F2A (Spouses and children of permanent residents) | 1 January 2025 |
| F2B (Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents) | 22 November 2017 |
| F3 (Married sons and daughters of US citizens) | 15 April 2012 |
| F4 (Brothers and sisters of adult US citizens) | 1 November 2006 |
The F4 category, which covers brothers and sisters of US citizens born in India, has a priority date cut-off of 1 November 2006. An Indian national whose sibling became a US citizen and filed an F4 petition in November 2006 is only now approaching eligibility for a green card. That is a 20-year wait.
What Indian H-1B holders need to do this month
The July bulletin has several immediate implications for Indian employment-based applicants.
For EB-2 applicants: if you have a pending I-485 filed before the unavailability took effect and your EAD or Advance Parole is due for renewal, process those renewals immediately. The green card itself cannot be approved this month, but associated benefits can be maintained. Do not let your EAD lapse.
For EB-1 applicants with priority dates between 15 October 2022 and 14 December 2022: you cannot file an I-485 this month. You were eligible last month. Watch for the August bulletin to see whether the date advances back or retrogresses further.
For EB-3 applicants: the date advanced to 1 January 2014. If your priority date is before 1 January 2014, you are eligible to file this month using the Final Action Dates chart. Confirm with your immigration attorney whether this applies to your specific situation before filing.
For all Indian employment-based applicants: USCIS is using the Final Action Dates chart this month, not the Dates for Filing chart. Do not use the Dates for Filing numbers to determine whether you can file. Use only the Final Action Dates chart for July 2026.
What Indian professionals in the US are asking
My EB-2 case was pending. What happens now that EB-2 India is unavailable?
Your I-140 petition remains valid and approved. Your place in the queue is preserved. The green card itself cannot be approved during the unavailability period. If you have a filed I-485, associated benefits including EAD and Advance Parole can still be processed. The category is expected to reopen in October 2026 when the new fiscal year begins. Consult your immigration attorney about maintaining your current status in the interim.
What does USCIS using Final Action Dates mean for me?
It means you can only file an I-485 adjustment of status application if your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date listed for your category in July. USCIS is not using the Dates for Filing chart this month. The Dates for Filing chart shows earlier dates that allow filing before a green card is immediately available. That option is not available in July 2026 for adjustment of status.
Is there any relief from the per-country cap currently being considered in Congress?
As of the date of publication, no legislation eliminating or significantly modifying the per-country cap has been enacted. Various bills have been introduced in prior sessions, most notably the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment Act, which would eliminate per-country caps for employment-based visas. None has passed. The structural backlog facing Indian applicants remains unchanged by current law.
My EB-1 priority date is 1 November 2022. Can I file in July?
Yes. The July 2026 EB-1 Final Action Date for India is 15 October 2022. A priority date of 1 November 2022 is later than 15 October 2022, meaning it is not yet current and you cannot file an I-485 this month. You were not eligible in June either. Continue monitoring the bulletin each month.
When will EB-2 India reopen?
The State Department expects the Final Action Date to advance to at least the May 2026 Visa Bulletin date when FY2027 begins on 1 October 2026. The exact date will depend on demand from Indian EB-2 applicants and the FY2027 annual limit. No specific date has been confirmed. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin, published in September 2026, will contain the first FY2027 dates.
