The U.S. Department of State has released the June 2026 Visa Bulletin, which summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during June for “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
Employer-sponsored EB-1 and EB-2 categories are two of the most common ways to enter the US and eventually qualify for green cards.
In the June bulletin, there is no relief for the green card applicants. The reduced forward movement in U.S. visa numbers is attributed to decreased immigrant visa issuance at consulates, influenced by nationality-based travel restrictions and ongoing processing limitations for many countries.
US visa bulletin for June has a special mention of India in the EB-1 and EB-2 visa categories, and also for the EB-5 category.
According to the June bulletin, high demand and number use by Indians in the EB-1 and EB-2 visa categories have made it necessary to retrogress the final action dates to hold number use within the FY 2026 annual limit. Further retrogressions, or making the categories “unavailable,” may be necessary in the coming months if India’s pro-rated limits in the EB-1 or EB-2 categories are reached before the fiscal year ends. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.
In the EB-5 unreserved visa categories, the bulletin states that sufficient demand and increased number use by Indians may make it necessary to retrogress the final action date or make the category “unavailable” in the next month to hold number use within the maximum allowed under the FY 2026 annual limit.
What is Retrogression
Retrogression occurs when visa applications exceed the monthly quota, leading the government to restrict access to earlier application dates to comply with legal limits, thereby moving the dates backwards.
Sometimes, a priority date that is current one month will not be current the next month, or the cut-off date will move backward to an earlier date. This is called visa retrogression, which occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category than there are visas available for that month.
Visa retrogression generally occurs when the annual limit for a category or country has been exhausted or is expected to run out soon. When the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, a new supply of visa numbers becomes available. Usually, though not always, the new supply returns the cut-off dates to their pre-retrogression state.
Therefore, if additional demand arises or policy changes occur, retrogression may be implemented to adhere to annual limits.
India saw significant retrogression in the June 2026 Visa Bulletin’s employment-based Final Action Dates. EB-1 moved back from 01 April 2023 (May Bulletin) to 15 December 2022 (June Bulletin), a rollback of nearly 3.5 months.
EB-2 took a harder hit, retreating from 15 July 2014 to 01 September 2013 — a retrogression of roughly 10 months.
EB-3 and EB-3 Other Workers, however, inched forward by one month each, from 15 November 2013 to 15 December 2013. EB-5 Unreserved held steady at 01 May 2022.
The EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers categories remained unchanged at 15 July 2022 across both months.
The EB-5 set-aside categories — Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure — remained Current for India in both May and June.
For Dates for Filing — Employment-Based Visa Applications, India saw no movement at all between May and June 2026. EB-1 filing dates remained at 01 December 2023, EB-2 and EB-3 both held at 15 January 2015, and EB-3 Other Workers also stayed unchanged at 15 January 2015.
EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers continued at 01 January 2023, while EB-5 Unreserved remained at 01 May 2024.
All three EB-5 set-aside categories — Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure — stayed Current for India in both months.
In short, while Final Action Dates saw sharp retrogression in EB-1 and EB-2, the filing dates chart was completely frozen for India — no advances, no rollbacks.
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS
Allocations in the charts above were for demand received by May 4th.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration laws and government policies are subject to frequent change without notice. While we strive to provide accurate updates, readers are strongly advised to verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or government portal of the respective country.