Visa Bulletin July 2026: EB-3 Advances, EB-1 India Retrogresses – USCIS Honors Final Action Dates

The U.S. Department of State has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, delivering mixed news across employment-based preference categories. Most notably, EB-3 and other employment-based categories are seeing forward movement in priority dates, offering relief to thousands of applicants who have been waiting in the backlog. The bulletin confirms a slight retrogression for EB-1 India, meaning some India-born applicants in the first preference category will face a step back in their priority date cutoffs. This is a relatively isolated setback compared to the broader positive movement seen in other categories and country chargeability groups. For EB-3 applicants — covering skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — the advancement in final action dates is a meaningful development. Applicants whose priority dates are now current may be eligible to file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) or proceed with consular processing abroad. Critically, USCIS has confirmed it will honor the employment-based Final Action Dates for July 2026, meaning applicants can use the Final Action Date chart (rather than the Dates for Filing chart) to determine eligibility. This determination by USCIS is made monthly and directly affects who can submit adjustment of status applications. Immigration practitioners at Fragomen advise EB-3 applicants to review their priority dates against the July 2026 bulletin immediately and consult with their attorneys to assess filing eligibility before the month's window closes.