Visa Bulletin July 2026 Update: Bad News for Indians in Green Card Queue

The U.S. Department of State has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, and it carries disappointing news for Indian nationals in the employment-based green card queue. The latest update indicates little to no forward movement in the EB-3 category for India-born applicants, a trend that has persisted for several years due to the overwhelming demand from Indian nationals relative to the annual per-country cap. For Indian EB-3 applicants, the priority date cutoffs in July 2026 remain deeply backlogged, with final action dates potentially regressing or stagnating compared to prior months. This affects thousands of skilled workers and professionals who filed their I-140 petitions years ago and are still awaiting visa availability. The per-country limitation under U.S. immigration law caps green card issuances at 7% per country annually, regardless of demand. India, with one of the highest volumes of employment-based applicants, consistently exhausts this cap, resulting in multi-decade waits for some applicants in EB-2 and EB-3 categories. For EB-3 applicants from other countries, the bulletin may present more favorable movement. Applicants are advised to consult the full July 2026 Visa Bulletin on the Department of State website and work with their immigration attorneys to determine filing eligibility under both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts. This development underscores the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform to address employment-based backlog relief. In the meantime, EB-3 applicants should monitor monthly bulletins closely and ensure all supporting documentation remains current to act swiftly when their priority date becomes current.