The U.S. State Department’s June 2026 visa bulletin pushes India’s EB-1 final action date back by 3.5 months to Dec. 15, 2022, and EB-2 by over 10 months to Sep. 1, 2013, citing high demand and quota limits.
For thousands of Indian applicants waiting to receive U.S. lawful permanent residence through employment-based categories, the June 2026 visa bulletin brings a sharper pause than many had hoped for.
The U.S. State Department’s bulletin warns that the timelines for India in the EB-1 and EB-2 categories are moving backward again, a development known as retrogression. In practical terms, the cutoff shifts mean longer waits for people whose Priority Dates have not yet reached the new thresholds.
Under the June 2026 schedule, India’s Final Action Date for EB-1 moved back by three and a half months to December 15, 2022. In EB-2, the Final Action Date retrogressed by more than 10 months to September 1, 2013.
The dates in the monthly visa bulletin matter because the “Final Action Date” determines who can actually receive a Green Card approval in that month.. Applicants generally rely on their Priority Date. which in turn ties to when the employer filed the PERM labor certification or when the U.S.. received the I-140 petition.
With these cutoffs, the bulletin indicates that this month’s approvals would include EB-1 applicants with Priority Dates earlier than December 15, 2022 and EB-2 applicants with Priority Dates earlier than September 1, 2013.
EB-1 and EB-2 are employment-based Green Card pathways that are widely used in the U.S.. immigration system.. EB-1 is typically for people with extraordinary ability, researchers, and certain managers.. EB-2 covers individuals with advanced degrees, such as software engineers, data scientists, doctors, and researchers.. The categories are distinct, and EB-1 is generally understood as having a shorter waiting period than EB-2 and EB-3.
The bulletin’s broader pattern also shows uneven demand across countries and categories.. For EB-1. China’s cutoff date remains at April 1. 2023. while for all other countries the category is current. meaning no waiting time.. In EB-2, China’s cutoff date stays at September 1, 2021, and for all other countries the category is current.
India’s position looks different again in EB-3, where the cutoff inches forward. The EB-3 date for India advances to December 15, 2023, while China’s EB-3 cutoff is now August 1, 2021. For all other countries, EB-3 remains at a cutoff of June 1, 2024.
The bulletin also included EB-5, which covers employment-based preference categories outside EB-1 through EB-3.. For India, the EB-5 unreserved cutoff remains at May 1, 2022, and for China it stays at September 22, 2016.. EB-5 remains current for all other chargeability areas. and for the three EB-5 set-aside categories. including rural. high unemployment. and infrastructure.
Why the dates shifted backward is tied to how U.S. authorities manage limited visa numbers. Retrogression happens when cutoff dates move back from earlier points because the quota is full.
The State Department said high demand and number use by people chargeable to India in EB-1 and EB-2 have made it necessary to retrogress the final action dates in order to keep number use within the FY 2026 annual limit.. The bulletin also warns that further retrogressions. or making categories “unavailable. ” could occur if India’s pro-rated limits in EB-1 or EB-2 are reached before the fiscal year ends.. It added that the situation would be continually monitored and adjustments made as needed.
June 2026 visa bulletin India EB-1 retrogression India EB-2 cutoff employment-based Green Card Final Action Date Priority Date USCIS retrogress