US State Department warns dates for Green Card applicants from India may move back further — in its June 2026 visa bulletin.
The June 2026 visa bulletin published by the State Department offered little to no hope for Indian Green Card hopefuls as the queue became longer, increasing the waiting time. To break it down, India’s Final Action Date for the EB-1 category moved back by three and a half months to December 15, 2022. In the EB-2 category, India’s Final Action Date retrogresses by more than 10 months to September 1, 2013.
What are EB-1 and EB-2?
EB-1 and EB-2 are the two employment-based Green Card categories in the US immigration system. These are the most used paths by H-1Bs to apply for Green Cards. EB-1 is for people with extraordinary ability, researchers, and managers. EB-2 is for people with advanced degrees like software engineers, data scientists, doctors, and researchers. EB-1 has a shorter waiting period compared to EB-2 and EB-3.
What is the Final Action Date?
Final Action Date mentioned in the monthly visa bulletin is a crucial marker for the movement. This date determines who can actually receive a Green Card approval this month. So this month, those who have Priority Date before December 15, 2022 for an EB-1 Green Card will get their permanent residence. For EB-2, those with a Priority Date before September 1, 2013, will get a Green Card this month. Priority Date is the date the employer filed the PERM labor certification or the US received the I-140 petition.
Other developments in June visa bulletin
- EB-1: China’s cutoff date remains at April 1, 2023. For all other countries, this category is current, which means there is no waiting time.
- EB-2: China’s cutoff date is September 1, 2021. For other countries, it is current.
- EB-3: India’s cutoff date inches forward to December 15, 2023 and China’s cutoff date is now August 1, 2021. For other countries. the EB-3 cutoff date if June 1, 2024.
- EB-5: The EB5 unreserved category for India remains at May 1, 2022, and China’s unreserved cutoff date remains at September 22, 2016. The EB5 category remains current for all other chargeability areas and for the three EB5 set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) across all countries.
Why retrogression?
Retrogression is the dates moving back from earlier dates when the quota is full. The USCIS said: “High demand and number use by aliens chargeable to India in the EB-1 and EB-2 visa categories have made it necessary to retrogress the final action dates to hold number use within the FY 2026 annual limit.” It also warned of further retrogressions, or making the categories “unavailable,” if India’s pro-rated limits in the EB-1 or EB-2 categories are reached before the fiscal year ends. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly, the bulletin said.
