July 2026 Visa Bulletin: F-1 & F-3 Advanced, EB-2 and EB-5 India Now Unavailable

Index

• USCIS Filing Chart Guidance for July 2026
• Key Highlights from the July 2026 Bulletin
• Employment-Based, Table A (Final Action Dates)
• Table A: Family-Based Final Action Dates
• Table B: Family-Based Dates for Filing
• Table A: Employment-Based Final Action Dates
• Table B: Employment-Based Dates for Filing
• Sources

The U.S. Department of State has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, and this month brings a sharply split picture for immigrant visa applicants. Family-Sponsored categories continue their strong run, led by F1, which advanced about five months across all chargeability areas, with F2B, F3, and F4 also moving forward. Employment-Based categories tell a very different story for India: both EB-2 and EB-5 Unreserved are now Unavailable for the rest of the fiscal year, and EB-1 India retrogressed again. Depending on your category and country of chargeability, July may be a decisive month, whether you are preparing to file (Dates for Filing) or watching your case move toward final approval (Final Action Dates).

The July 2026 Visa Bulletin sets priority-date cutoffs for family- and employment-based green card cases.

USCIS Filing Chart Guidance for July 2026

Each month, USCIS decides which of the two Visa Bulletin charts adjustment of status (Form I-485) applicants inside the United States may use, and it usually posts that decision within about a week of the bulletin's release. For recent months, USCIS has directed Family-Sponsored applicants to the Dates for Filing chart and Employment-Based applicants to the Final Action Dates chart. Until USCIS confirms its July determination, applicants should expect the same split and verify it directly before filing:

• The Dates for Filing chart for Family-Sponsored preference categories (expected)
• The Final Action Dates chart for Employment-Based preference categories (expected)

For Family-Sponsored cases, this split is a meaningful advantage, because the Dates for Filing chart often sits ahead of the Final Action Dates chart. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed in the Filing chart for your category and country, you may be able to submit your I-485 this month. Filing can also let you apply for Employment Authorization (EAD) and Advance Parole (AP) while your green card application is pending. You can confirm which chart applies on the USCIS adjustment of status filing charts page, and our overview of the USCIS adjustment of status policy for 2026 explains how pending I-485 cases are being reviewed.

Key Highlights from the July 2026 Bulletin

Below are the most consequential movements in the July 2026 Visa Bulletin, separated by chart so you can see both filing windows and final approval cutoffs.

Family-Sponsored, Table A (Final Action Dates)

• F1 (All Areas, China, India): February 1, 2018 (advanced about 5 months)
• F2A (All Areas, China, India, Philippines): January 1, 2025 (no change after June's jump); F2A (Mexico): January 1, 2024 (no change)
• F2B (All Areas, China, India): November 22, 2017 (advanced 2 months); Philippines: May 15, 2013 (advanced about 1 month 1 week)
• F3 (All Areas, China, India): April 15, 2012 (advanced 2 months); Philippines: February 22, 2006 (advanced 3 months)
• F4 (All Areas, China): January 1, 2009 (advanced about 1 month 3 weeks)

Family-Sponsored, Table B (Dates for Filing)

• F1 (All Areas, China, India): January 1, 2019 (advanced 3 months)
• F2A: Current for all countries (no change)
• F2B (All Areas, China, India): June 8, 2018 (advanced about 2 months 2 weeks)
• F3: no change in any country
• F4 (All Areas, China): March 1, 2010 (advanced about 2 months 1 week)

Spouses and children waiting in the F2A or F2B categories can review the steps and timeline in our guide to a green card through marriage.

Employment-Based, Table A (Final Action Dates)

• EB-1 (China): June 1, 2023 (advanced 2 months); EB-1 (India): October 15, 2022 (retrogressed about 2 months)

• EB-2 (India): Unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026; EB-2 (China): September 1, 2021 (no change)

• EB-3 (China): December 22, 2021 (advanced about 4 months 3 weeks); EB-3 (All Areas, Mexico): August 1, 2024 (advanced 2 months); EB-3 (India): January 1, 2014 (advanced about 2 weeks)
• EB-3 Other Workers (All Areas, Mexico): March 1, 2022 (advanced 1 month); Philippines: December 1, 2021 (advanced 1 month)
• EB-5 Unreserved (China): December 1, 2016 (advanced about 2 months 1 week); EB-5 Unreserved (India): Unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026

If you are weighing options across employment-based green card categories, the right path depends heavily on your priority date and country of chargeability, especially given July's retrogressions for India.

Employment-Based, Table B (Dates for Filing)

• No movement compared with the June 2026 bulletin. All categories and countries remain unchanged.

Retrogression Alerts & Future Outlook

The Department of State included several notices in the July 2026 bulletin:

• EB-1 India: High demand forced the retrogression of the final action date. Further retrogression, or unavailability, may be necessary in the coming months if India's pro-rated EB-1 limit is reached before the fiscal year ends.
• EB-2 India: India's pro-rated EB-2 limit has been reached, and the category is Unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026. The bulletin notes the final action date is likely to advance in October to at least the date shown in the May 2026 bulletin, subject to demand and the FY 2027 limit.
• EB-2 China: Increased demand may make it necessary to retrogress the final action date or make the category unavailable later in the fiscal year.
• EB-3 Philippines: Increased demand may require retrogression or unavailability in the coming months.
• EB-5 Unreserved India: India's pro-rated EB-5 unreserved limit has been reached, and the category is Unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026, with a likely October advance to at least the June 2026 date.

The bulletin also points to a broader cause: immigrant visa issuance for nationals of certain countries has slowed because of recent administration actions, including Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998. To use the numbers available in FY 2026, dates were advanced in earlier months, and the State Department cautions that retrogression, or "Unavailable" designations, may follow as demand materializes or those actions change. Any category can become Unavailable before the end of the fiscal year if annual, category, or per-country limits are reached.

Table A: Family-Based Final Action Dates

F1

F2A

F2B

F3

F4

Table B: Family-Based Dates for Filing

F1

F2A

F2B

F3

F4

Table A: Employment-Based Final Action Dates

EB-1

EB-2

EB-3

EB-3 Other Workers

EB-4

EB-4 Certain Religious Workers

EB-5 Unreserved

EB-5 Set Aside Rural

EB-5 Set Aside High Unemployment

EB-5 Set Aside Infrastructure

Table B: Employment-Based Dates for Filing

EB-1

EB-2

EB-3

EB-3 Other Workers

EB-4

EB-4 Certain Religious Workers

EB-5 Unreserved

EB-5 Set Aside Rural

EB-5 Set Aside High Unemployment

EB-5 Set Aside Infrastructure

July's bulletin rewards some families with real forward movement while closing the door, at least for now, on EB-2 and EB-5 applicants from India. Because the right next step depends entirely on your category, country, and priority date, a careful review of your specific case is the safest way to decide whether to file, wait, or weigh other options.

Sources

1. Visa Bulletin for July 2026, U.S. Department of State, June 2026.
2. Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
3. The Visa Bulletin, U.S. Department of State.
4. Presidential Proclamation 10998, The White House, December 2025.
5. Presidential Proclamation 10949, The White House, June 2025.