The Department of State has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, revealing a significant and frustrating update for Indian professionals seeking permanent residency. The Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category for India has retrogressed to "U" or "Unavailable." This means that for the month of July, no immigrant visas can be issued in this category for applicants born in India, regardless of their priority date.
This retrogression is a stark indicator of the massive backlog and high demand within the employment-based immigration system. Furthermore, the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) category for India remains severely backlogged, with a Final Action Date set at January 1, 2014. For Chinese nationals, the EB-2 Final Action Date is September 1, 2021, and EB-3 is December 22, 2021.
These visa updates are critical immigration news 2026 for high-skilled workers and their employers. The unavailability of EB-2 India visas means that USCIS cannot approve adjustment of status applications (Form I-485) or issue green cards for this group during July. Applicants must ensure they maintain their underlying nonimmigrant status, such as H-1B, while they wait for visa numbers to become available again, likely in the new fiscal year beginning October 1.