WASHINGTON — Indian professionals waiting for employment-based green cards face longer delays after the U.S. Department of State moved backward key cutoff dates for the EB-1 and EB-2 categories in its June 2026 Visa Bulletin.
The bulletin lists India’s EB-1 final action date at Dec. 15, 2022, down from April 1, 2023, in May. India’s EB-2 final action date moved to Sept. 1, 2013, from July 15, 2014. Final action dates determine when immigrant visas or green cards may be approved for applicants whose priority dates are earlier than the listed date.
The State Department said high demand and visa usage by applicants chargeable to India made the retrogression necessary to keep visa use within the fiscal 2026 annual limit. The agency warned that further retrogression, or making the categories “unavailable,” may be necessary if India’s limits are reached before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
The move is expected to affect thousands of Indian technology workers, researchers, physicians, executives and other highly skilled professionals already in the green card queue. Many are working in the United States on temporary visas while waiting years — and in some cases decades — for permanent residency.
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The bulletin also warns that India’s EB-5 unreserved category could retrogress or become unavailable as soon as next month because of increased demand and visa use. Similar warnings were issued for China’s EB-2 category and the Philippines’ EB-3 category.
Employment-based immigrant visas are subject to annual limits, with the worldwide employment-based preference level at least 140,000. U.S. law also applies a 7% per-country limit for preference immigrants, a rule that has contributed to long waits for applicants from high-demand countries such as India.
For Indian applicants, the June bulletin means some cases that appeared close to approval may now be delayed again. Immigration attorneys generally advise applicants to monitor monthly bulletins closely, maintain lawful status and be prepared for additional movement — forward or backward — before the fiscal year closes.