EB-3 Visa Bulletin July 2026: Major Jump + Court Lifts Green Card Suspensions for 75 Nations

The U.S. Department of State released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, reflecting the typical year-end slowdown with more modest priority date advances and increased instances of retrogression and pauses. Despite the general slowdown, several EB-3 categories saw meaningful forward movement, offering cautious optimism for applicants in the final stretch of fiscal year 2026. For EB-3 Professionals in the "All Other Countries" category, priority dates advanced approximately two months to August 1, 2024 — with the Philippines holding separately at August 1, 2023. EB-3 Other Workers for All Other Countries also moved forward one month to March 1, 2022 (Philippines to December 1, 2021). China's EB-3 Professionals category advanced nearly three months to December 22, 2021, while EB-3 Other Workers for China holds at April 1, 2019. India's EB-3 Professionals and Other Workers categories advanced 17 days to January 1, 2014, a small but continued forward movement. A significant legal development affects applicants from 75 countries. On June 5, 2026, a federal judge ruled that the State Department's months-long pause on immigrant visa and I-485 adjudications for nationals of these countries was unlawful. Although the government has appealed, USCIS has been ordered to resume processing suspended applications in the interim. The affected countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and dozens more. For July 2026, USCIS will accept I-485 adjustment of status applications based solely on Final Action Dates — not the more favorable Dates for Filing chart. This is an important distinction for applicants inside the United States who are planning to file or are evaluating their eligibility window this month. EB-3 applicants from affected countries whose cases were suspended should consult with their immigration attorney about the reinstatement of processing and confirm whether their cases will now move forward under the court's order. Applicants in All Other Countries categories should verify their priority dates against the July Final Action Date cutoffs before submitting I-485 applications.