The August 2026 Visa Bulletin delivers major progress for family-sponsored green card applicants, led by an almost 19-month F2A advance. Employment-based applicants receive far less relief, with EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 unavailable for India and a warning that EB-1 India could also become unavailable before September 30.
The bulletin determines when applicants may submit documents and when the government may approve a green card. A priority date must be earlier than the listed cutoff; a date equal to the cutoff does not qualify.
F2A advances by almost 19 months
F2A covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents. Its final action date moves from January 1, 2025, to July 22, 2026, for India, China, the Philippines and countries not separately listed—an advance of 567 days.
Mexico moves from January 1, 2024, to July 22, 2025. F2A receives special treatment because 75% of its available numbers are exempt from per-country limits.
The advance does not mean every pending case can immediately be approved. Applicants must still satisfy eligibility, documentation, medical, security and visa-processing requirements.
Family final action dates for August
- F1: December 15, 2018, for India, China and most countries; December 1, 2007, for Mexico; May 1, 2013, for the Philippines.
- F2A: July 22, 2026, for India, China, the Philippines and most countries; July 22, 2025, for Mexico.
- F2B: January 1, 2018, for India, China and most countries; February 15, 2009, for Mexico; June 1, 2013, for the Philippines.
- F3: May 15, 2012, for India, China and most countries; July 1, 2001, for Mexico; February 22, 2006, for the Philippines.
- F4: September 1, 2009, for China and most countries; November 1, 2006, for India; April 8, 2001, for Mexico; August 1, 2007, for the Philippines.
F1 covers unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens; F2B covers unmarried adult children of permanent residents; F3 covers married children of U.S. citizens; and F4 covers siblings of adult U.S. citizens.
Family Dates for Filing
F2A is current worldwide on the filing chart. F1 moves to June 15, 2019, F2B to January 1, 2019 and F3 to March 1, 2013 for India, China and most countries.
F4 reaches June 22, 2010, for China and most countries but remains at December 15, 2006, for India. Mexico and the Philippines retain separate, generally older cutoffs.
“Current” means the chart has no priority-date cutoff. It does not guarantee approval or automatically permit every applicant to file Form I-485.
India employment-based green card dates
The official August final action dates for applicants chargeable to India are:
- EB-1: October 15, 2022
- EB-2: Unavailable
- EB-3 and Other Workers: January 1, 2014
- EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers: October 15, 2022
- EB-5 unreserved: Unavailable
The official August 2026 Visa Bulletin lists October 15, 2022, for EB-1 India. The October 12 date appearing in some reports does not match the government chart.
Why EB-1 India could become unavailable
The State Department says heavy demand could exhaust India’s prorated EB-1 allocation before fiscal year 2026 ends on September 30. The category could then be marked “U,” meaning no additional EB-1 green cards could receive final approval while it remains unavailable.
This would not automatically cancel an approved I-140 petition, erase a priority date or reject an otherwise valid pending application.
India’s EB-2 category is already unavailable. Officials also warned that increased EB-2 demand could force further retrogression or temporary unavailability. Retrogression moves a cutoff backward, potentially making a previously eligible applicant unable to receive final approval.
Other employment-based changes
China’s EB-1 final action date advances from June 1 to July 1, 2023. EB-1 remains current for Mexico, the Philippines and most other countries.
EB-3 moves to September 1, 2024, for most countries and Mexico and to January 1, 2022, for China. India remains at January 1, 2014, while the Philippines stays at August 1, 2023.
EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers advance worldwide from September 15 to October 15, 2022.
Which EB-5 categories remain current?
Unreserved EB-5 remains unavailable for India and carries a December 1, 2016, final action date for China. It is current for most other countries.
EB-5 set-asides for rural projects, high-unemployment areas and infrastructure investments remain current worldwide. Applicants must still meet investment, job-creation, eligibility and source-of-funds requirements.
Why more family dates advanced
The fiscal year 2026 family-sponsored preference limit is 226,000, while the employment-based level is at least 140,000. The combined per-country preference limit is 25,620.
The State Department said visa issuance from some countries has declined following administration actions affecting immigrant processing. Officials advanced dates to make available numbers accessible to other eligible applicants before the fiscal year ends.
Dates could move backward if additional demand appears. A category can also become unavailable once an annual, category or country limit is reached.
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Can applicants file Form I-485 in August?
USCIS separately decides whether adjustment-of-status applicants may use Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing each month. Applicants should check the August USCIS chart before submitting Form I-485. Consular applicants should follow National Visa Center instructions.
People living in the United States should also understand how USCIS guidance affecting in-country green card applications may influence adjustment-of-status and consular-processing decisions.
Applicants with children approaching age 21 may need advice about the Child Status Protection Act. Moving between EB-2 and EB-3 can also involve additional petition and job-offer requirements.
What happens on October 1?
New annual allocations become available when fiscal year 2027 begins on October 1. Categories that exhausted their 2026 numbers may reopen, but the reset does not guarantee a large cutoff-date advance.
Employment applicants planning future petitions should also account for the 2026 USCIS premium-processing fee increases. Premium processing can accelerate an eligible petition decision, but it cannot create a visa number or bypass a bulletin cutoff.
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