August 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Full Green Card Process Update & September 2026 Preview
The August 2026 Visa Bulletin has been released, with analysis from International Legal and Business Services Group covering current priority dates, EB-3 movement, and implications for applicants in the immigration queue.
The August 2026 Visa Bulletin, as analyzed by International Legal and Business Services Group, provides the latest priority date movements for employment-based and family-based immigration categories. The bulletin serves as a critical monthly update for tens of thousands of applicants waiting in the immigration queue, including those in the EB-3 skilled worker, professional, and unskilled worker categories.
For EB-3 applicants, the visa bulletin determines when they may file for adjustment of status or proceed with consular processing. Priority date movement — or retrogression — directly impacts how soon an applicant can take the next step toward obtaining a green card. Legal service groups like International Legal and Business Services Group regularly analyze these bulletins to help clients understand their position in the queue.
The August 2026 bulletin comes as anticipation builds for the September 2026 bulletin, which typically reflects demand patterns heading into the new fiscal year beginning October 1. Applicants and practitioners are closely watching for any significant advances or retractions in the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts.
EB-3 applicants are advised to consult with their immigration attorneys or accredited representatives to understand how the August 2026 bulletin affects their specific case timelines and whether they may be eligible to file during this bulletin period.
For the first time since April 2026, worldwide EB-2 has a cutoff date in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, with a Final Action Date of January 1, 2025. USCIS designated the Dates for Filing chart for October, creating three distinct applicant positions based on priority date.
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin retrogresses EB-3 for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico, with USCIS using the Dates for Filing chart. India EB-3 remains stuck at January 15, 2015.
The long-delayed October 2026 Visa Bulletin has been released, marking the start of FY2027. While some Indian nationals see modest green card relief from fresh annual quotas, EB-3 and EB-2 India face retrogression, pushing priority dates backward.