USCIS Jan 2026 EB Pending Inventory: Total Queue Jumps 24% to 208K

USCIS released updated Employment-Based I-485 pending inventory data through January 2, 2026, revealing a 24% surge in total pending cases from 167,000 to 208,000. The growth was driven almost entirely by new filings in ROW (Rest of World) and China EB-2 categories, which increased by 102% and 170% respectively. India EB-2 was the only major category that slightly contracted, down 2.4%. India EB-1 experienced a significant structural shift, with approximately 13,000 cases moving from 'awaiting' to 'available' status between December and January. This was a direct result of the Final Action Date (FAD) advancing to January 1, 2022 in the January visa bulletin. However, the total India EB-1 inventory surged 42% as new filers rushed to take advantage of the advancement. For India EB-2 applicants, the situation remains structurally constrained. Annual throughput sits at approximately 3,000 visa numbers per year — the bare 7% statutory minimum. There is currently zero horizontal spillover from ROW EB-2 and zero vertical spillover from EB-1, as EB-1 numbers were exhausted as of September 8, 2025. India EB-1 'available' cases consume roughly 71% of the per-country cap, leaving EB-2 to compete for the remainder. Regarding the 2014 FAD advance, analysts caution that this is largely an accounting mechanism by the Department of State to prevent visa numbers from expiring unused — not a signal that 2014 priority date cases are near approval. The 2013 priority date cohort must clear first, estimated at 3+ years at current processing pace. Looking ahead, FY2026 is projected at approximately 150,000 EB visas (flat, with no meaningful family-based spillover). FY2027 could reach 200,000–211,000 if the immigrant visa ban holds through September 2026, as unused family-based numbers would spill over to EB categories under INA §201(d).