Visa Bulletin July 2026: EB-3 Worldwide Advances, EB-2 India Stays Unavailable

The Department of State released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin with notable movement across several employment-based categories. USCIS has confirmed it will continue accepting Adjustment of Status applications under the Final Action Dates chart for July. EB-3 Worldwide, including applicants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, advances by two months to August 1, 2024, offering modest relief to the largest pool of EB-3 applicants. For country-specific EB-3 categories, India advances by two weeks to January 1, 2014, and China makes the largest gain, advancing approximately four and a half months to December 22, 2021. EB-3 Philippines holds steady at August 1, 2023 with no movement this month. EB-2 India and EB-5 India have hit their FY2026 annual limits and will remain unavailable through September 30, 2026. This means U.S. consular posts cannot issue immigrant visas and USCIS cannot accept or approve AOS applications for these categories until the fiscal year resets on October 1, 2026. The Department of State indicated EB-2 India dates will likely advance back to at least July 15, 2014 in the October bulletin. Employers should be aware that EB-1 India retrogresses by two months to October 15, 2022 due to sustained high demand. The Department of State has also flagged EB-2 China and EB-3 Philippines as categories at risk of retrogression or unavailability before fiscal year-end on September 30, 2026, depending on continued applicant demand. The July bulletin underscores fiscal year-end pressure on employment-based visa numbers. Employers sponsoring EB-3 workers should consult with immigration counsel to assess priority date eligibility and strategize AOS filing timing before potential mid-year retrogression affects case viability.