July 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Unavailable, EB-3 China Jumps

The July 2026 bulletin is out

The US Department of State has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, and the news that matters most lands hard on Indian applicants. EB-2 India is now Unavailable, and EB-5 unreserved India is Unavailable as well. These are not warnings or projections anymore. They are the official final action statuses for July 2026, dated June 16, 2026.

For months the bulletin had been flashing retrogression signals for EB-2 India, with the date drifting backward as fiscal year 2026 demand outran the available supply of immigrant numbers. That slow retreat has now hit its endpoint: the column for EB-2 India reads Unavailable, the State Department shorthand meaning no immigrant numbers are available in that category for the remainder of the fiscal year that ends on 30 September 2026.

EB-5 unreserved India follows the same pattern. After sitting at a final action date earlier in the year, the unreserved EB-5 column for India has now closed to Unavailable. The set-aside EB-5 categories, however, tell a very different and far more hopeful story, which we cover below.

A quick vocabulary note that governs the entire bulletin. The letter C in any cell means Current, which is to say there is no backlog and anyone with an approved petition in that category may move forward. The word Unavailable (often printed as U in the raw bulletin) means there are no numbers in that category this fiscal year and nothing can be finalized until supply returns. Everything that follows hinges on that distinction.

Employment-based final action dates

Below are the employment-based final action dates (Chart A) exactly as published in the July 2026 Visa Bulletin. USCIS has instructed employment-based applicants to use Chart A (Final Action Dates) for July 2026, so these are the dates that govern whether you can file or have an I-485 approved this month.

Read each cell carefully. Where you see C, the category is Current for that country of chargeability. Where you see a date, only applicants with a priority date earlier than that date can be finalized. Where you see Unavailable, no numbers exist this fiscal year. Note especially that the three EB-5 set-aside categories are Current for every country, including India, which is the single most important silver lining in this bulletin.

Family-sponsored final action dates

Here are the family-sponsored final action dates (Chart A) as published for July 2026. Unlike the employment categories, family applicants may use Chart B (Dates for Filing) this month, which we explain in the chart section. The final action figures below are still useful for understanding when a case can actually be approved.

One bright spot for families: F2A (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents) held its ground at 01JAN25 for most countries on the final action chart, and crucially it is Current on the Dates for Filing chart (Chart B) for all countries. That means F2A applicants can generally file their adjustment or immigrant visa paperwork now, even though final approval follows the final action date.

What changed since June 2026

Compared to the June 2026 bulletin, July brings seven headline movements. Some are painful, a couple are genuine positive surprises, and most center on India and China.

The pattern is classic late-fiscal-year behavior. As the September 30 deadline approaches and the most demand-heavy categories exhaust their annual allotment, the State Department retrogresses or fully closes the busiest oversubscribed categories. India bears the brunt because of its deep employment backlog, while less saturated categories such as EB-1 India can paradoxically advance.

EB-2 India Unavailable: what it means

The following is our analysis of the practical consequences, not legal advice. When EB-2 India shows Unavailable, it means USCIS and the consular posts cannot finalize any EB-2 India case for the rest of FY2026, regardless of how early your priority date is. No green cards will be issued in this category until numbers return.

The important reassurance is what does not happen. Your pending I-485 does not get denied or terminated. It simply waits in the queue. Your underlying I-140 petition is not cancelled, and your priority date is not lost. You keep your place in line; the line just stops moving until the supply of numbers is replenished.

The usual escape hatch is largely closed this time. In past slowdowns, EB-2 India applicants sometimes downgraded to EB-3 India to take advantage of a more favorable EB-3 date. That tactic is mostly moot now: EB-3 India sits at 22DEC21, which is behind many EB-2 India priority dates. For a typical applicant whose EB-2 priority date is later than December 2021, downgrading would land them behind an even longer wall, not ahead of one.

The realistic path forward is patience. Recovery is widely expected at the 1 October 2026 FY2027 reset, when a fresh annual allocation of immigrant numbers is issued and oversubscribed categories typically spring back to a date. We label that expectation as analysis and estimate, not certainty; the precise date EB-2 India returns to will depend on demand modeling done by the State Department.

EB-5 India and the set-aside door

EB-5 unreserved India is Unavailable in July 2026, mirroring the employment-based squeeze elsewhere. But there is a door that remains wide open, and it is the most actionable opportunity in this entire bulletin for Indian investors.

The three EB-5 set-aside categories created by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, namely Rural (20 percent of the annual allocation), High-Unemployment (10 percent), and Infrastructure (2 percent), are all Current for every country, including India. That means a new Indian EB-5 investor who places qualifying capital into a Rural, High-Unemployment, or Infrastructure project can be Current immediately rather than joining the unreserved backlog.

This is, in practical terms, the open lane while the main highway is closed. For Indian families weighing the EB-5 route, the set-aside categories are where the action is right now. You can read more about how these categories work in our guide to employment-based green cards. As always, consult qualified counsel and a vetted regional center before committing capital.

EB-3 China jump

EB-3 China jumped to 01AUG24 in July 2026, a substantial forward move that now aligns China EB-3 with the rest-of-world EB-3 date. This kind of leap signals that the State Department has visa numbers to use in this category and is pushing the date forward to capture demand before fiscal year-end.

The following is analytical interpretation. A jump like this often draws downgrade interest from EB-2 China applicants, because EB-2 China is held at 01SEP21 while EB-3 China has moved nearly three years ahead to 01AUG24. For some EB-2 China applicants with a priority date between September 2021 and August 2024, downgrading their case to EB-3 could mean becoming Current immediately rather than waiting.

That decision is highly individual and should be made only with an attorney who can confirm your priority date, your I-140 status, and whether a downgrade petition makes sense for your timeline. The headline takeaway is simply that EB-3 China is the mover of the month, and it reflects available supply being deployed before the September 30 deadline.

What to expect in August and at fiscal year-end

As FY2026 winds down toward 30 September 2026, expect more unavailability risk, not less. The categories that are still showing dates may retrogress or close as their remaining numbers run out. India is most exposed, but heavily subscribed categories for other countries could tighten too. If you are not already Current, do not assume the August bulletin will be kinder than July; in late summer the trend usually runs the other way.

The turning point is the 1 October 2026 FY2027 reset. When the new fiscal year begins, a fresh pool of immigrant numbers is allocated, and categories that closed to Unavailable typically reopen with a date. Our estimate is that EB-2 India likely returns to roughly its pre-retrogression range, which had been hovering around the 2013 priority-date band, though the exact figure depends on the State Department's demand modeling. Treat that as an estimate, not a promise.

We will track the next release closely. See our forward look in the August 2026 Visa Bulletin coverage for updated projections and the latest movement signals as fiscal year-end approaches.

Court rulings and policy uncertainty

A layer of legal and policy turbulence sits on top of the bulletin, and it is important to understand what it does and does not affect. These developments influence filing risk and applicant behavior. They do not change the final action dates in the bulletin itself.

The proposed H-1B 100,000 dollar fee has been contested in court. Read our coverage of the H-1B 100,000 dollar fee being struck down for the current litigation status. Whatever happens with that fee, it has no bearing on your priority date or on the visa bulletin dates; it affects the cost and risk of H-1B sponsorship, not the immigrant number queue.

Similarly, the green-card-from-abroad rule is reportedly paused rather than rescinded. Our explainer on the green card from abroad rule walks through what that pause means for consular versus adjustment-of-status strategy. Again, this is a filing-behavior consideration, not a change to the bulletin.

For families with substantial capital who want to sidestep the employment backlog entirely, there is also the much-discussed one-million-dollar alternative. See our breakdown of the Trump gold card visa to weigh whether that route fits your situation. None of these policy items alters a single date in the July 2026 bulletin; they shape the decisions around it.

Action plan by category

Here is a practical, category-by-category action plan based on the July 2026 dates. This is general guidance, not legal advice; confirm your specifics with an attorney.

1. If your category and country are Current or your priority date is earlier than the listed final action date, and you are physically present and in valid status, file your I-485 now. Do not delay; a current window can close at fiscal year-end.
2. If you are EB-2 India or EB-5 unreserved India, hold and watch the October reset. There is nothing to finalize until numbers return, but keep your I-140 valid, keep your priority date documented, and be ready to act when FY2027 opens.
3. If you are an Indian investor considering EB-5, look hard at the set-aside categories. Rural, High-Unemployment, and Infrastructure are all Current, which is the open lane while unreserved is closed.
4. If you are EB-2 China, discuss with counsel whether an EB-3 China downgrade makes sense given the 01AUG24 jump versus EB-2 China at 01SEP21.
5. If you are an F2A applicant, you can generally file now under Chart B (Dates for Filing), which is Current for F2A across all countries.
6. If you are an Indian applicant of any category, keep our India immigration hub bookmarked for ongoing updates tailored to your country of chargeability.

Chart A vs Chart B in July 2026

Each month USCIS decides which of two charts applicants may use to file. Getting this right matters, because using the wrong chart means USCIS rejects your filing as premature.

Chart A is the Final Action Dates chart. It tells you when a green card can actually be approved and issued. If your priority date is earlier than the Chart A date for your category and country, your case can be finalized (assuming numbers are available).

Chart B is the Dates for Filing chart. It is typically more advanced than Chart A and tells you when you may submit your application paperwork, even though final approval still waits for Chart A to catch up. Filing early under Chart B lets USCIS begin processing and lets you secure ancillary benefits like work and travel authorization sooner.

For July 2026, the usage instructions are clear. Employment-based applicants must use Chart A (Final Action Dates). Family-sponsored applicants may use Chart B (Dates for Filing). This is why the F2A door is effectively open: F2A is Current on Chart B for all countries, so eligible family applicants can file now even though final action sits at 01JAN25.

FY2026 EB-2 India tracker

To put the July Unavailable status in context, the table below tracks the directional movement of EB-2 India across recent FY2026 bulletins. It is meant to illustrate the retrogression trend that ended in Unavailable, not to serve as a legal record; verify any specific month against the official bulletin for that month.

The arc is unmistakable. After inching forward early in the year, EB-2 India stalled, then began stepping backward as demand outpaced supply, and finally hit the wall of Unavailable in July. This is the textbook shape of a category exhausting its annual numbers before fiscal year-end, and it is exactly why the 1 October 2026 reset is the date every EB-2 India applicant should be watching.