Visa Bulletin July 2026: India EB-1 Retrogresses Again, EB-5 Set-Asides Stay Current

The July 2026 Visa Bulletin delivers continued difficult news for Indian employment-based immigrants. EB-1 India retrogresses by two months, moving from December 15, 2022 back to October 15, 2022, and the State Department has warned that further retrogression or even temporary unavailability is possible before September 30, 2026. EB-2 India and EB-5 Unreserved India remain unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026, meaning no final green card approvals can be issued for those categories until the annual visa reset on October 1, 2026. By contrast, China experienced the most significant forward movement this month. EB-1 China advanced two months to June 1, 2023, EB-3 China moved nearly five months forward to December 22, 2021, and EB-5 China Unreserved advanced over two months to December 1, 2016. These gains reflect shifts in per-country demand and visa number allocation. For July, USCIS will continue accepting employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates Chart. Applicants must hold a priority date earlier than the applicable Final Action Date to be eligible to file. A notable bright spot for Indian nationals is that EB-5 Set-Aside categories — Rural, High Unemployment Area, and Infrastructure — remain current for all countries, including India and China. These categories represent one of the few viable concurrent filing pathways for eligible investors who need access to employment authorization and advance parole while waiting for a green card. As FY 2026 closes on September 30, stakeholders should prepare for potential additional retrogressions or category closures if demand continues to outpace annual visa number allocations, particularly for oversubscribed categories like India EB-1.