The Department of State’s July 2026 Visa Bulletin brings significant changes for several employment-based green card categories. The most consequential developments affect employees born in India, including the unavailability of EB-2 India and EB-5 India unreserved visas for the remainder of the federal fiscal year.
For employers, the Visa Bulletin is not simply an immigration chart. Changes in visa availability can affect employee retention, work authorization planning, international travel, promotion decisions, and the timing of long-term sponsorship strategies.
What Is the Visa Bulletin?
Employment-based green cards are subject to annual numerical limits. When demand exceeds the number of available green cards in a category or country, the Department of State establishes a cutoff date.
Each sponsored employee has a “priority date,” which generally represents their place in the green card queue. A priority date must be earlier than the applicable cutoff date before the employee can reach a particular stage of the process.
The bulletin contains two important charts:
Final Action Dates determine when a green card may be approved.
Dates for Filing identify when certain applicants may be permitted to submit adjustment of status applications or supporting documents earlier in the process.
For July 2026, USCIS has instructed employment-based applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine whether they may file an adjustment of status application. This is the more restrictive of the two charts for many employees.
Major Changes for India
The most significant development is that the India EB-2 category is now unavailable. The Department of State confirmed that India’s prorated EB-2 limit has been reached and that no additional visa numbers will be available in this category for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, which ends September 30, 2026.
The annual limits reset on October 1, 2026. The Department of State expects the EB-2 India Final Action Date to advance at that time, but the extent of any movement will depend on demand and the number of employment-based visas available for fiscal year 2027.
The India EB-1 Final Action Date also moved backward, from December 15, 2022 in June to October 15, 2022 in July. The Department of State warned that further retrogression, or complete unavailability, could occur before the fiscal year ends.
India’s unreserved EB-5 category has also become unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year 2026. By contrast, India EB-3 advanced slightly, from December 15, 2013 to January 1, 2014.
Other Employment-Based Changes
The worldwide EB-3 Final Action Date advanced from June 1, 2024 to August 1, 2024. China EB-3 also advanced, while the Philippines EB-3 date remained at August 1, 2023. However, the Department of State warned that high demand could cause the Philippines EB-3 category to retrogress or become unavailable in the coming months.
China EB-2 remains at September 1, 2021, but the Department of State similarly cautioned that retrogression or unavailability may become necessary before the fiscal year closes.
What This Means for Employers
An unavailable or retrogressed category does not cancel an approved immigrant petition or end the employer’s sponsorship. It generally means that USCIS or a U.S. consulate cannot approve the employee’s green card until a visa number becomes available again.
Employers should use this period to:
- Identify employees affected by the July cutoff dates.
- Review upcoming H-1B, L-1, and other temporary status expirations.
- Begin extension planning well before an employee’s current authorization expires.
- Avoid promising employees a specific green card approval date.
- Coordinate promotion, relocation, travel, and job-change decisions with immigration counsel.
- Consider whether employees qualify for alternative green card categories.
The July Visa Bulletin reinforces the importance of starting permanent residence sponsorship early. Employers should treat the green card process as a multiyear workforce-planning issue rather than a filing that can be addressed shortly before an employee’s temporary status expires.
Because visa availability can change from month to month, HR and global mobility teams should regularly review sponsored employee populations with immigration counsel and prepare for additional movement before the new fiscal year begins on October 1.
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