June 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Final Action Date Accelerates, India EB-1 & EB-2 Retrogress

The U.S. Department of State has officially released the June 2026 Visa Bulletin, bringing notable shifts across both employment-based and family-based preference categories. Among the most significant developments, family-based categories have surged forward, offering relief to thousands of petitioners who have been waiting for visa number availability. On the employment-based side, the bulletin brings mixed news. India-born applicants in the EB-1 (priority workers) and EB-2 (advanced degree professionals) categories are facing retrogression, meaning their final action dates have moved backward. This type of retrogression often signals high demand and limited visa number supply for those categories in the current fiscal year. For EB-3 applicants — including skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — the June bulletin may present opportunities as movement in final action dates has been reported. Applicants should review the chart carefully to determine whether their priority date has become current under either the Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing charts. Attorneys and applicants are advised to compare the June 2026 bulletin against May 2026 to assess net movement. Those with pending I-485 adjustment of status applications should confirm with their attorneys whether USCIS has designated which chart to use for filing purposes this month. The next visa bulletin for July 2026 is expected to be released in mid-June. Applicants are encouraged to track monthly updates closely, especially given the ongoing fluctuations in demand across per-country chargeability limits.