Visa Bulletin July 2026: India EB-2 Goes Unavailable, EB-1 Retrogresses Again

The July 2026 Visa Bulletin is out — and it delivers some of the worst news of the year for India-born employment-based applicants. India EB-2 has been marked Unavailable for the remainder of FY2026, meaning no India EB-2 green card can be issued until October 1 at the earliest when the new fiscal year begins. India EB-1 retrogressed yet again, dropping another two months. On the brighter side, China EB-3 advanced nearly five months, and the rest-of-world EB-3 category moved forward two months.

Here's the full breakdown of what changed, what it means, and what to watch for as FY2026 winds down toward the September 30 cutoff.

The Headlines: July 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

India EB-2: Unavailable Through September 30

This is the biggest change in the July bulletin. India's annual per-country EB-2 allocation has been exhausted for FY2026, so the category has been marked Unavailable — meaning no India-born applicant with an EB-2 priority date can have their green card issued until October 1, 2026, when FY2027 begins and a fresh annual limit resets.

In June, India EB-2 was sitting at September 1, 2013. It didn't advance — it disappeared entirely. For applicants with priority dates in late 2013 or later who were waiting for their number to become current, this is a multi-month delay at minimum. The key question heading into fall is whether DOS will reset India EB-2 to a date that makes sense given remaining demand, or whether September 2013 will become the new floor again in October.

India EB-1: Retrogressed Again (−2 Months)

India EB-1 dropped from December 15, 2022 in June to October 15, 2022 in July — a two-month setback. This follows the trend of month-over-month retrogression that started earlier this year as demand from India-born EB-1 applicants outpaced the available numbers. The bulletin notes that high demand "made it necessary to retrogress the final action date" — language that typically signals more retrogression could follow.

China EB-1: Advanced 2 Months

China EB-1 moved forward from April 1, 2023 to June 1, 2023 — a solid two-month gain. China EB-2 held at September 1, 2021 with no change. The bulletin warns that increased demand for China EB-2 could force retrogression in a future month if usage stays high through the end of FY2026.

China EB-3: Best Move of the Month (+5 Months)

China EB-3 Professionals/Skilled Workers jumped from August 1, 2021 to December 22, 2021 — nearly five months of advancement in a single bulletin. This is the most significant forward movement anywhere in the July bulletin. China EB-3 Other Workers stayed at April 1, 2019.

India EB-3: Slight Advance

India EB-3 moved from December 15, 2013 to January 1, 2014 — roughly two and a half weeks. Small, but positive. India EB-3 Other Workers held at January 1, 2014 as well.

ROW EB-3: +2 Months

The rest-of-world EB-3 final action date advanced from June 1, 2024 to August 1, 2024. Mexico EB-3 followed the same move. Philippines EB-3 is at August 1, 2023 with potential retrogression flagged for future months depending on demand.

Family-Sponsored Priority Dates — July 2026

Family-based categories saw minimal movement this month. No significant advances or retrogressions in the family preference categories.

For family-based categories, Dates for Filing in July are Current for F2A (all countries), allowing concurrent filing of I-485 for spouses and children of LPRs regardless of priority date.

USCIS Filing Instructions for July 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 India EB-2: Your category is unavailable through September 30, 2026. No final action can take place until October 1 at the earliest. The dates that DOS sets in the October 2026 bulletin (the first FY2027 bulletin) will signal whether the backlog resets favorably. You can still potentially file I-485 under Table B if USCIS authorizes it and your priority date is before January 15, 2015.

If you're India EB-1: Your final action date dropped to October 15, 2022. If your priority date is between October 15 and December 15, 2022, your case may need to wait again. Further retrogression is possible — watch the August bulletin closely.

If you're China EB-3: The nearly 5-month jump to December 22, 2021 is meaningful. If your priority date is anywhere from August 2021 through December 2021, this is your window — check whether your case is ready for final action.

If you're ROW or Mexico EB-3: Moving to August 1, 2024 is a solid two-month advance. If your priority date is in the June–August 2024 range, you're approaching current. The bulletin warns potential retrogression is possible for Philippines EB-3 in future months, so Philippines applicants should plan accordingly.