Join WhatsApp Channel
Thousands of Indian professionals waiting for U.S. permanent residency could face another period of uncertainty after the U.S. Department of State warned that employment-based immigrant visa categories for India may face further restrictions before the end of the current fiscal year, underscoring the continuing strain on America’s green card system.
The August 2026 Visa Bulletin leaves most employment-based categories for India virtually unchanged, suggesting that hopes of meaningful forward movement before the new U.S. fiscal year begins on October 1 are fading. While the bulletin does not introduce any new retrogressions for Indian applicants, it signals that rising demand could force additional cutbacks in the coming weeks.
The biggest concern is the Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) category, widely used by multinational executives, outstanding researchers and individuals with extraordinary ability. Although the final action date remains at October 15, 2022, the State Department cautioned that exceptionally high demand from India could require the category to become “Unavailable” if the country’s annual allocation is exhausted before September 30.
The Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2), one of the largest categories for Indian professionals working in the United States on H-1B visas, remains Unavailable, meaning no green cards can currently be issued regardless of applicants’ priority dates. Officials also warned that sustained demand could require further retrogression or continued unavailability in the months ahead to remain within annual visa limits.
The Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3), another major pathway for Indian skilled workers, remains stalled at January 1, 2014, highlighting the slow pace of movement for applicants already waiting more than a decade.
Comparison: July vs August 2026
The August bulletin shows virtually no movement from the previous month for Indian employment-based applicants.
Category July 2026 August 2026 Movement
EB-1 Final Action 15 Oct 2022 15 Oct 2022 No change
EB-2 Final Action Unavailable Unavailable No change
EB-3 Final Action 1 Jan 2014 1 Jan 2014 No change
EB-1 Filing Date 1 Dec 2023 1 Dec 2023 No change
EB-2 Filing Date 15 Jan 2015 15 Jan 2015 No change
EB-3 Filing Date 15 Jan 2015 15 Jan 2015 No change
The “Dates for Filing” chart similarly offers little indication of near-term acceleration, with filing dates unchanged across the principal employment-based categories for India.
The bulletin identifies India as one of only four countries—along with China, Mexico and the Philippines—that remain oversubscribed because demand significantly exceeds annual visa allocations under U.S. immigration law.
Looking ahead, immigration attorneys expect the next significant movement only after the beginning of Fiscal Year 2027 on October 1, when fresh employment-based visa numbers become available. However, the State Department cautioned that visa demand remains highly fluid and categories could still become unavailable before the current fiscal year closes if annual or country-specific limits are reached.
For India, which supplies the largest share of highly skilled technology professionals to the United States, the August bulletin reinforces that the green card backlog remains a structural challenge rather than a temporary administrative delay. Unless Congress reforms country caps or expands employment-based visa numbers, Indian professionals are likely to continue facing the world’s longest waits for permanent residency, even as demand for skilled workers in the U.S. economy remains robust.
