Visa Bulletin June 2026 EB-3 Slowdown: India EB-1 & EB-2 Major Retrogression Alert

The June 2026 Visa Bulletin has been released, and it delivers a mixed picture for employment-based immigration applicants. USCIS has confirmed it will use the Final Action Dates chart — not the Dates for Filing chart — to determine eligibility for employment-based Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications throughout June 2026. This means applicants can only submit an AOS application if their priority date falls before the listed cutoff for their preference category and country of chargeability. The most significant development this month is a sharp retrogression for Indian nationals. The EB-1 India Final Action Date moves back approximately 15 weeks to December 15, 2022, while EB-2 India retrogresses nearly 45 weeks — almost a full year — to September 1, 2013. These are substantial setbacks that will freeze out many Indian-born applicants who may have recently become eligible. Employers with Indian national employees in EB-1 or EB-2 pipelines should urgently assess pending and upcoming filings before the month closes. For Indian EB-3 applicants, there is a modest silver lining: the Final Action Date advances roughly four weeks to December 15, 2013. Chinese nationals also see forward movement in EB-3, with the date advancing about six weeks to August 1, 2021, and the Chinese Other Workers category advancing approximately two months to April 1, 2019. EB-1 and EB-2 for China remain unchanged. All other chargeability areas — including Mexico and the Philippines — remain unchanged across EB-1 (current), EB-2 (current), and EB-3 (June 1, 2024). For employers managing foreign national workforces, the action plan for June is clear: re-evaluate all pending AOS eligibility windows immediately, particularly for Indian nationals facing EB-1 and EB-2 retrogression. Cases that were filed when a category was current but have since fallen behind the Final Action Date cutoff will not be adjudicated until the date surpasses the priority date again. Proactive communication with employees and immigration counsel is essential to avoid missed windows and prolonged delays.