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Tamara's World  /  Blog  /  EB-2 India
01 Oct 2026
October 2026 Visa Bulletin

October Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Returns, EB-2 Rest of World Slips

Categories Immigration, Visa Updates, World

In this article

The US State Department’s October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, moves several employment-based green card dates forward but pulls back EB-2 for most countries. USCIS has confirmed that adjustment-of-status applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart this month, which widens who can file.

What changed

According to Ogletree Deakins and Manifest Law, EB-1 dates for India and China advanced by about seven months, EB-2 India became available again after being unavailable in September, and EB-5 India unreserved reopened at 1 December 2023. EB-2 for the rest of the world, Mexico and the Philippines retrogressed. Both summaries say the State Department attributed the pull-back to quarterly and annual numerical limits and said it will keep monitoring demand. Law-firm summaries differ on some exact dates, so confirm figures in the official bulletin before acting.

Which chart USCIS accepts

Ogletree reports that USCIS confirmed employment-based applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart in October 2026. That chart is more generous than the Final Action Dates chart, so more people can submit applications even though approval still waits for a visa number. USCIS reassesses the chart choice monthly, so October’s position may not carry into November.

India, China and the retrogression

Consider an Indian software engineer with an approved petition in EB-2. The bulletin’s return to availability for India is good news, but it is a monthly position and can move again. Applicants from the rest of the world face the opposite situation in EB-2, where final action dates went backward. Family categories also moved: Manifest Law reports gains for Mexico and the Philippines in F1 and for India and the Philippines in F4. For context on why this month’s bulletin was late, read our earlier explainer and our note on the H-1B fee extension.

What applicants should do

Check your priority date and category against both charts, ask your attorney whether to file now under Dates for Filing, and keep documents current in case a date retrogresses. A visa bulletin is not a guarantee of an interview or approval. You can test your own options with our visa eligibility checker.

Questions readers ask

What is the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?

It is the State Department’s monthly list of cut-off dates for immigrant visas, and the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027.

Which chart can employment-based applicants use?

USCIS said applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart in October 2026, according to Ogletree Deakins.

What happened to EB-2 India?

It returned to availability after being unavailable in September, per law-firm summaries.

Did EB-2 for the rest of the world get worse?

Yes. EB-2 for the rest of the world, Mexico and the Philippines retrogressed, and the State Department cited quarterly and annual limits.

Will these dates stay the same next month?

Not necessarily. The chart choice and dates are reassessed monthly.

11 Jul 2026
July 2026 Visa Bulletin update at a US government building

The US Just Froze Two Green Card Lines Until October

Categories Immigration, Visa Updates

On 1 July 2026, two employment green card lines went dark. The July 2026 Visa Bulletin listed EB-2 for India and the unreserved EB-5 investor category as unavailable for the rest of the fiscal year, so no further approvals can be issued until October. For people who waited years to see a current priority date, the news stung. This is not a quiet procedural tweak. It changes who can file now, who has to wait, and how you should map the next three months.

By the Tamara News editorial desk. Last updated 11 July 2026.

On this page

What the freeze actually did

Each fiscal year carries a fixed number of green cards per category and country. When demand outruns supply, the State Department marks a category “unavailable” and stops issuing numbers until the new year begins in October. That is what happened here. EB-2 India, already backlogged by heavy demand, ran out of room, and the unreserved EB-5 pool for Indian applicants hit the same wall. The bulletin also arrived alongside firmer guidance telling officers to scrutinise each case more closely. One State Department line was blunt: numbers are “unavailable” until the fiscal year resets. If your category shows a date, you can still act. If it shows a “U”, your case is paused, not denied.

Who gets caught by it

The freeze bites hardest where backlogs were already deep. Consider an Indian software engineer in Texas whose EB-2 priority date finally looked close. Her adjustment of status cannot be approved until fresh numbers appear in October, even though her paperwork is flawless. EB-5 investors from India who timed their filings for summer face the same stall. Applicants born in other countries are less exposed, because their categories may still show current dates. The pattern is familiar: country caps, not your qualifications, decide the wait. Check your own priority date against the bulletin before assuming anything, and read your category row carefully rather than the headline.

Not sure which route still moves for you? Run your profile through our visa eligibility checker before you file anything.

Smart moves while numbers are frozen

A pause is a planning window, not a dead end. Keep your case ready so you can file the moment your date turns current: renew medicals if they expire, gather updated pay records, and confirm your employer still supports the petition. If you hold H-1B or another status, make sure it stays valid through the fall. Applicants weighing EB-5 can use the gap to finish source-of-funds documentation properly rather than rushing. And watch the August and September bulletins closely, because dates can move without much warning once the new fiscal year approaches.

Related reads

The short version

  • EB-2 India and unreserved EB-5 are unavailable until October 2026.
  • Paused cases are frozen, not refused.
  • Other-country applicants may still have current dates.
  • Keep your file ready to move the day your date turns current.

Questions people keep asking

Does the freeze mean my case is denied?
No. Your case waits until fresh green card numbers become available in October.

Why only India for EB-2 and EB-5?
Per-country limits mean high-demand countries hit their annual cap first, so their dates retrogress or pause.

Can I still file an I-140 petition?
Yes. Petitions can be filed and approved; it is the final green card number that is frozen.

Will October fix everything?
New numbers reset in October, but dates may still move slowly if demand stays high.

Share this story

  • LinkedIn: Two US green card lines just paused until October. Here is who it stalls.
  • Twitter: EB-2 India and EB-5 are “unavailable” in the July 2026 Visa Bulletin. What now?
  • Facebook: Waiting on a US green card? The July bulletin changes your timeline.

Read your bulletin before you plan your year

Priority dates decide more than most applicants realise. Track each monthly bulletin, keep your documents current, and move fast when your category opens. For fresh visa and green card updates as they break, follow us at https://wa.link/i9l1ec

Sources

  • US Department of State, Visa Bulletin for July 2026 (T0 official)
  • USCIS newsroom, adjustment of status policy guidance 2026 (T0 official)
  • Newsweek, green card application changes July 2026 (T2 press)


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