DOS makes EB-2 India unavailable in the July 2026 Visa Bulletin
EB-2 India is unavailable for the rest of FY2026 after reaching its limit; EB-1 India retrogresses and EB-3 India advances.
The U.S. Department of State's July 2026 Visa Bulletin (Number 16, Volume XI) makes the EB-2 employment-based category for India unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, after the country's pro-rated annual limit was reached. EB-1 India retrogresses two months to October 15, 2022, while EB-3 India advances to January 1, 2014.
What changed
The bulletin marks EB-2 India as "unavailable," stating that "India's pro-rated EB-2 limit was reached and the category is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026." The State Department notes that in October the EB-2 India final action date will advance to at least the date shown in the May 2026 Visa Bulletin, subject to demand and the new fiscal-year limits.
For the other India employment categories, the Visa Bulletin moves in opposite directions: the EB-1 final action date retrogresses two months to October 15, 2022, while EB-3 advances to January 1, 2014. The bulletin also flags that rising demand from China in EB-2 may make it necessary to retrogress that category or render it unavailable in the coming months.
Who's affected
The unavailability halts final-action approvals and new adjustment-of-status filings in the EB-2 category for applicants chargeable to India until the fiscal year resets, affecting one of the largest employment-based green-card corridors. EB-1 India applicants face a backward move in their cut-off date, while EB-3 India applicants see a modest advance.
What happens next
USCIS has designated the Final Action Dates chart (Chart A) for employment-based adjustment-of-status filings in July 2026 — the third consecutive month it has done so rather than the Dates for Filing chart. The fiscal year ends September 30, 2026, and the State Department has signaled that the EB-2 India final action date is expected to advance again in October as FY2027 numbers become available.