US August Visa Bulletin: No EB-2 relief, fresh EB-1 warning for Indians

Employment-based green card queue stuck as the US warns EB-1 visas may also run out this year

Indian professionals waiting for US employment-based green cards will continue to face long delays after the Department of State kept the EB-2 category unavailable for India in the August 2026 Visa Bulletin. The bulletin has also raised a fresh warning that the EB-1 category could become unavailable before the end of the current US fiscal year if India's annual visa allocation is exhausted.

 

The August 2026 Visa Bulletin has hardly any improvement for Indian applicants across key employment-based green card categories. For thousands of Indian technology professionals, engineers, researchers and other skilled workers, the latest update means the green card backlog remains firmly in place.

 

EB-2 remains unavailable for Indian applicants

The biggest setback continues to be for applicants under the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category, which is generally used by professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.

 

For August, the Final Action Date for EB-2 India remains marked as "U" (Unavailable). This means immigrant visas cannot be issued to Indian applicants in this category during the month because the annual quota has already been exhausted.

 

The State Department has also cautioned that growing demand for EB-2 visas globally could force authorities to either move the cut-off dates backwards (known as retrogression) or temporarily make the category unavailable in the coming months to remain within the annual numerical limit.

 

Fresh uncertainty for EB-1 applicants

While the Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) category remains open for now, the State Department has issued a specific warning for Indian applicants.

 

According to the bulletin, high demand and heavy visa usage by Indian applicants could force the government to declare the EB-1 category unavailable in the coming weeks if India's country-specific allocation is fully utilised before the US fiscal year ends on September 30.

 

The department said it will continue to monitor visa usage and make adjustments if necessary.

 

The EB-1 category covers priority workers, including individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers.

 

EB-3 queue remains frozen

There is also no movement for Indian professionals applying under the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) category.

 

For August:

 

• Final Action Date: January 1, 2014 (unchanged)
• Date for Filing: January 15, 2015 (unchanged)

 

The "Other Workers" category also remains unchanged, with a Final Action Date of January 1, 2014.

 

The absence of any movement means many skilled Indian professionals will continue to remain in the green card queue for years.

 

Some movement in family-sponsored green cards

Unlike employment-based categories, a few family-sponsored preference categories have moved forward for Indian applicants.

 

Under the Final Action Dates chart:

 

• F1 (Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens): December 15, 2018
• F2A (Spouses and children of permanent residents): July 22, 2026
• F2B (Unmarried adult children of permanent residents): January 1, 2018
• F3 (Married sons and daughters of US citizens): May 15, 2012
• F4 (Brothers and sisters of adult US citizens): November 1, 2006

Meanwhile, under the Dates for Filing chart, the F2A category remains Current, allowing eligible applicants to submit documentation without waiting for a priority date.

 

What do 'Final Action Date' and 'Date for Filing' mean?

The Visa Bulletin contains two separate charts that determine an applicant's progress in the green card process.

 

Date for Filing: This indicates when eligible applicants can submit documents or file adjustment of status applications if permitted by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

 

Final Action Date: This determines when a green card can actually be approved and issued. Applicants whose priority date falls earlier than the published cut-off date become eligible for final processing.

 

For August 2026, USCIS has directed employment-based applicants seeking adjustment of status to use the Final Action Dates chart for filing eligibility, unless otherwise announced on its website.

 

Why Indian applicants face longer waits

US immigration law places annual numerical limits on employment-based and family-sponsored immigrant visas. It also caps the number of visas that can be issued to nationals of any one country in a financial year.

 

Because demand from India significantly exceeds the country-specific allocation, particularly in employment-based categories such as EB-2 and EB-3, arge backlogs have built up over the years.

 

The Department of State noted that visa categories can become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year if annual limits, category caps or per-country limits are reached. It added that visa availability will continue to be monitored and adjusted to remain within the statutory limits.

 

For Indian professionals already waiting in the employment-based green card queue, the August Visa Bulletin offers little immediate relief. With EB-2 remaining unavailable, EB-3 showing no movement and EB-1 now facing the risk of temporary unavailability, the backlog for many applicants is likely to persist in the near term.