United States: July 2026 Visa Bulletin – Slight Retrogression for EB-1 India, Advancement for Most Other Employment-Based Categories; USCIS to Honor Employment-Based Final Action Dates
June 16, 2026
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At a glance
- In July, the Final Action Date for EB-1 India will retrogress by two months, while the EB-3 India Final Action Date will advance by two weeks.
- The Final Action Date for EB-3 China will advance by almost five months.
- Most other employment-based Final Action Dates will move forward or remain the same.
- EB-2 India and EB-5 India will remain unavailable for the remainder of the fiscal year.
- USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Final Action dates listed in the State Department’s July Visa Bulletin.
A closer look
According to the State Department’s July Visa Bulletin, Final Action cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa or approval of an adjustment of status application will be as follows:
- EB-1: China will advance by two months to June 1, 2023. India will retrogress by two months to October 15, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current.
- EB-2: China will remain at September 1, 2021. India will continue to be unavailable. All other countries will continue to be current.
- EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: China will advance by almost five months to December 22, 2021. India will advance by two weeks to January 1, 2014. The Philippines will remain at August 1, 2023, and all other countries will advance by two months to August 1, 2024.
- EB-5: For the EB-5 Unreserved categories, China will advance by more than two months to December 1, 2016, and India will remain unavailable. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) will also remain current.
USCIS to honor Final Action Dates in July
USCIS has announced on its own Visa Bulletin web page that the agency will accept adjustment of status applications based on the State Department Final Action Dates chart in July. To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment of status application next month, foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the applicable Final Action Date listed below for their preference category and country.
State Department comments on availability of immigrant visas
The July Visa Bulletin notes that, as anticipated in recent Visa Bulletins, the July Final Action Dates for the EB-1 India category have been retrogressed due to increased demand and immigrant visa usage. The State Department warns that further retrogression or unavailability may be necessary before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026.
The State Department also notes that demand and increased immigrant visa number use may make it necessary to retrogress or make unavailable the EB-2 China and EB-3 Philippines categories in the coming months.
The Bulletin also contains a general reminder that visa categories may become unavailable prior to the end of the fiscal year. In recent weeks, the State Department has made the EB-2 India and EB-5 India categories unavailable for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2026. Further categories may follow.
Final Action Dates for July 2026
EB-1
China: June 1, 2023
India: October 15, 2022
All other countries: Current
EB-2
China: September 1, 2021
India: Unavailable
All other countries: Current
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: December 22, 2021
India: January 1, 2014
Philippines: August 1, 2023
All other countries: August 1, 2024
EB-3 Other Workers
China: April 1, 2019
India: January 1, 2014
Philippines: December 1, 2021
All other countries: March 1, 2022
EB-4
All countries: September 15, 2022
EB-5 Unreserved (Regional Center and Non-Regional Center)
China: December 1, 2016
India: Unavailable
All other countries: Current
EB-5 Set-Asides
Rural: Current for all countries
High Unemployment: Current for all countries
Infrastructure: Current for all countries
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
