Visa Bulletin August 2026: F2A Jumps 18 Months, EB Categories Mostly Hold Steady

The August 2026 Visa Bulletin is out, and unlike recent months, the big story isn't employment-based retrogression — it's family-sponsored categories advancing hard. F2A (spouses and children of green card holders) jumped from January 1, 2025 to July 22, 2026 — nearly a year and a half of movement in a single bulletin. F1 (unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens) advanced about 10 months, and F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) advanced about 8 months.

Employment-based categories, by contrast, were quiet this month — mostly flat or up a few weeks, with India EB-2 and India EB-5 Unreserved still marked Unavailable for the rest of FY2026.

The Headlines: August 2026 at a Glance

Employment-Based Final Action Dates — Table A

These are the dates that control when your green card can actually be approved and issued. Your priority date must be earlier than or equal to the date shown for your country and category.

Employment-Based Dates for Filing — Table B

These dates control when you can file your I-485 adjustment of status application (if a visa number isn't yet available under Table A but you want to get in the queue). USCIS will confirm each month whether Table B is authorized for use.

What Changed Month Over Month

F2A: The Biggest Move of the Year (+~18.5 Months)

F2A (spouses and children of lawful permanent residents) went from January 1, 2025 in July to July 22, 2026 in August — an almost year-and-a-half advance in a single bulletin. This is by far the largest single-month movement in any category this year. For Mexico, F2A moved from January 1, 2024 to July 22, 2025, the same roughly 18-month jump. Dates for Filing for F2A remain Current for all countries, so spouses and children of green card holders can file I-485 concurrently regardless of priority date.

F1 and F4: Large Advances Too

F1 (unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) moved from February 1, 2018 to December 15, 2018 — about 10.5 months forward. F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) advanced from January 1, 2009 to September 1, 2009 — 8 months forward. Both are meaningful jumps that will bring a wave of family-based applicants into filing eligibility this fall.

India EB-2 and India EB-5 Unreserved: Still Unavailable

Both categories remain marked Unavailable for the third consecutive month, unchanged from July. No India-born EB-2 or EB-5 Unreserved green card can be issued until FY2027 begins October 1, 2026 at the earliest.

Employment-Based: A Quiet Month

Outside of EB-4 (+1 month across all countries) and small gains for EB-1 China (+1 month) and EB-3 Professional/Skilled (+1 month for All/Mexico, ~10 days for China), employment-based categories mostly held their July positions. India EB-1, EB-3, and EB-3 Other Workers were all unchanged. This is a notable pause after several months of employment-based movement (both up and down) earlier this year.

Family-Sponsored Priority Dates — August 2026

Unlike July, family-based categories saw the sharpest movement of any bulletin group this month — see F1, F2A, and F4 above.

Dates for Filing in August are Current for F2A across all countries — spouses and children of LPRs can file I-485 concurrently regardless of priority date, same as prior months.

USCIS Filing Instructions for August 2026

USCIS will announce which chart to use for I-485 filings shortly after the bulletin is published. Check the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page for the official authorization. Generally:

• If USCIS authorizes Table B (Dates for Filing) for employment-based, applicants whose priority date is earlier than their Table B date can file I-485 even if Table A isn't current.
• India EB-2 being Unavailable in Table A does not necessarily prevent filing under Table B — Table B for India EB-2 shows January 15, 2015, so applicants with dates before that may still be able to file concurrently if USCIS authorizes Table B use.

What This Means for Your Case

If you're F2A: This is the biggest opportunity of the year. If your priority date is anywhere before July 22, 2026 (or July 22, 2025 for Mexico), you're now current for final action. Given the DOS warning about possible retrogression, if you're eligible to file now, don't wait.

If you're F1 or F4: Both categories jumped significantly. Check whether your priority date now falls within the new final action dates — many applicants who were waiting just outside the July cutoff are now eligible.

If you're India EB-2 or India EB-5 Unreserved: No change — still Unavailable through September 30, 2026. The October 2026 bulletin (first of FY2027) is the next real signal to watch.

If you're employment-based generally: This was a quiet month. Minor gains for EB-1 China, EB-3 Professional/Skilled, and EB-4, but nothing dramatic. Keep an eye on India EB-1 and EB-2 — the bulletin's own commentary flags both as at risk of retrogression if demand stays high through the end of FY2026.