The U.S. Department of State has released its June 2026 Visa Bulletin outlining per-country priority date cutoffs that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of adjustment of status application and consular immigrant visa application filings and approvals. For June 2026, the USCIS will follow the Final Action Dates chart for employment-based (EB) filings for adjustment of status, meaning that individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with the USCIS in June 2026 must use the Final Actions Dates chart.
What changed
The bulletin includes both a Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart and an Application Final Action Dates chart. The former indicates when intending immigrants may file their applications for adjustments of status or immigrant visas, and the latter indicates when adjustment of status applications or immigrant visa applications may be approved and permanent residence granted.
On May 22, the Department of State announced that the annual limit for immigrant visa issuance in the India EB-2 category had been reached. While India EB-2 applicants may continue to file their applications if their priority dates are current in the visa bulletin, they will not receive immigrant visas for the rest of FY2026, which ends on September 30.
The Department of State also explained that due to the increased number of applications in China EB-2 and Philippines EB-3 visa categories, retrogression may occur in the final action dates for China EB-2 and Philippines EB-3, and immigrant visas within these categories may become unavailable in the upcoming months based on annual per-country limits.
Key cutoff date changes for employment-based filings:
- EB-3 for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico remains June 1, 2024, meaning all applicants chargeable to these areas whose I-485 applications have not yet been filed and have a priority date before June 1, 2024 can file their I-485 applications.
- EB-3 for China advances six weeks to August 1, 2021, meaning China EB-3 applicants whose I-485 applications have not yet been filed and have a priority date before August 1, 2021 can file their I-485 applications.
- EB-3 for India advances one month to December 15, 2013, meaning India EB-3 applicants whose I-485 applications have not yet been filed and have a priority date before December 15, 2013 can file their I-485 applications.
- EB-3 for the Philippines remains August 1, 2023.
Why it matters
Employment-based applicants must verify their eligibility against the Final Action Dates chart—not the more permissive Dates for Filing chart—to determine whether they can file in June 2026. If your priority date is current under Final Action Dates, you may proceed. If it is not, filing in June will result in rejection.
The India EB-2 visa cap exhaustion is a hard stop: even applicants with current priority dates will not receive visas after the annual limit is consumed. Plan accordingly and monitor State Department announcements for updates on category availability.
Retrogression warnings for China EB-2 and Philippines EB-3 signal visa demand is outpacing supply. If you have pending cases in these categories, reassess filing timelines and advise clients of potential delays or category unavailability before September 30, 2026.
Way forward
- Verify priority date currency against the Final Action Dates chart (not the Dates for Filing chart) before filing any employment-based I-485 in June 2026.
- For India EB-2 applicants: Confirm that you understand the visa cap has been reached and no further visas will issue in FY2026, even with a current priority date. Consult an attorney about implications for your case.
- For China EB-2 and Philippines EB-3 applicants: Monitor the State Department website and your immigration counsel for retrogression notices and category unavailability announcements. Build contingency timelines into your filing strategy.
- Cross-check the official charts: Visit the State Department Visa Bulletin page directly to confirm your category’s current cutoff date before filing.
Disclaimer
This article summarizes public policy announcements and does not constitute legal advice. Fola is a software company, not a law firm. Consult a licensed immigration attorney in your jurisdiction to evaluate how these changes affect your specific case. Policy and priority dates can change without notice; always verify against the primary source linked above before taking action.