The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin. The bulletin sets new priority-date cutoffs for both family-sponsored and employment-based green card applicants, with forward movement in select employment-based categories, while certain employment-based categories retrogress. All cutoff dates listed below refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. If you represent green card applicants or are filing for yourself, you need to check whether your priority date has moved into a current cutoff date in July—this affects when you can file Form I-485 (adjustment of status) or when your case may proceed to final approval.
What changed
In the EB1 category, China’s cutoff date moves slightly forward to 01.Jun.2023, while India’s cutoff date retrogresses to 15.Oct.2022. The EB1 category remains current for all other countries of chargeability.
In the EB2 category, India’s category becomes “unavailable” (which means that no applications in this category can be filed after June 2026 until the category reopens). EB2 China still has a cutoff date of 01.Sep.2021. The EB2 cutoff date for all other countries remains current.
India’s EB3 cutoff date advances to 01.Jan.2014, and China’s EB3 cutoff date advances to 22.Dec.2021. The EB3 cutoff date for all other countries of chargeability also advances to 01.Aug.2024.
In the EB3 Other Workers category, India’s cutoff date advances to 01.Jan.2014. For China, the cutoff date remains at 01.Apr.2019. The EB3 other workers category advances to a cutoff date of 01.Mar.2022 for all other countries of chargeability.
In the EB4 category, the cutoff date advances to 15.Sep.2022. This cutoff date also applies to the EB4 program for certain religious workers, which has been renewed through midnight of 30.Sep.2026.
Family-sponsored categories show gains as well, with F1 advancing about five months across all chargeability areas, with F2B, F3, and F4 also moving forward.
Why it matters
The July bulletin delivers a tale of two labor markets. India-born employment-based applicants face a shrinking window: EB-2 India is now completely closed (“unavailable”), and EB-1 India has retrogressed again, signaling continued visa-number pressure. If you represent an Indian national in EB-2 (including National Interest Waiver), no new filings are being accepted this month—you must wait for the category to reopen, which may not happen before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026.
In contrast, EB-3 and EB-1 China show meaningful gains, and applicants from the rest of the world outside India and China continue to see progress. EB-3 worldwide non-professionals are now approaching current dates (August 2024 for Rest of World), opening filing opportunities for skilled workers in lower-demand regions.
Family-sponsored petitioners see relief in the visa bulletin: F1 (unmarried adult children) jumped five months, and F2B, F3, and F4 also moved forward. This means many family-based applicants who were waiting for their priority date to become current will be able to either assemble consular documents or file adjustment-of-status applications in July.
USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the Final Action dates listed in the State Department’s July Visa Bulletin. Do not rely on the “Dates for Filing” chart for employment-based cases; you must use the Final Action Dates.
Way forward
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Check your priority date immediately. If you are an EB-2 India applicant, your case cannot move forward this month; pivot your strategy to explore alternative categories (EB-3, EB-1C, or other pathways) if available.
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For EB-3 applicants with recent priority dates. If your priority date now falls within the new EB-3 cutoff (January 1, 2014 for India, August 1, 2024 for Rest of World), you are eligible to file Form I-485 or proceed to final approval. File promptly—retrogression is always possible the following month.
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For family-based applicants in F1, F2B, F3, or F4. Check the State Department’s Visa Bulletin directly at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026.html to confirm whether to use the “Dates for Filing” or “Final Action Dates” chart. File or assemble documents as soon as your priority date becomes current.
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Document September 30, 2026. The fiscal year expires then. If you are eligible to file in an employment-based category or family-sponsored category, do not delay; any category can become unavailable or retrogress if visa numbers run low.
Disclaimer
Folaform is a software company providing plain-English summaries of U.S. immigration policy announcements. This article is not legal advice. Immigration law is complex and your specific situation, country of chargeability, visa history, and pending applications all matter. Verify every cutoff date against the official State Department Visa Bulletin at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026.html and consult a licensed immigration attorney to confirm your filing strategy. Policy can change without notice; the State Department may release a new bulletin next month that supersedes July’s cutoff dates.