EB-2 India Reopens at November 2013 in October Bulletin

2 min read

10/5/2026

EB-2 visa availability for India has resumed with the start of the 2027 fiscal year, but the October 2026 Visa Bulletin offers little movement for applicants facing the employment-based green card backlog. The Final Action Date is November 1, 2013, meaning many Indian professionals must continue waiting before a green card can be approved.

EB-2 India Reopens at November 2013 in October Bulletin: EB-2 visa availability for India has resumed

Visa Numbers Become Available Again

The State Department’s October bulletin, the first of fiscal year 2027, restores visa-number availability after India reached its EB-2 limit during fiscal year 2026. The department had announced on May 22, 2026, that all available EB-2 immigrant visas for applicants chargeable to India had been issued for that fiscal year.

Those annual limits reset on October 1, 2026. However, the new supply of visa numbers did not produce a major advance in the queue. The October Final Action Date for EB-2 India is November 1, 2013. Applicants generally need a priority date earlier than the listed date before an immigrant visa can be issued or an adjustment-of-status application can receive final approval.

By comparison, the EB-2 Final Action Date for countries in the general worldwide column is January 1, 2025. Mainland China’s date is October 1, 2021.

Filing and Approval Dates Differ

The bulletin also lists January 15, 2015, as the EB-2 India Date for Filing. That chart allows eligible immigrant-visa applicants to begin submitting documents to the National Visa Center when instructed, even though a visa cannot yet be issued.

For applicants living in the United States, the filing date does not automatically mean they may submit Form I-485. USCIS decides each month whether adjustment-of-status applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart or may use the more favorable Dates for Filing chart. Applicants should confirm the designated chart before filing.

The distinction is especially important for international graduates and professionals maintaining temporary status through F-1, H-1B or another visa category. Filing an adjustment application and receiving final green card approval are separate stages, and reaching the filing date does not guarantee immediate permanent residence.

Why India Remains Backlogged

Federal law allocates EB-2 visas to professionals holding advanced degrees or demonstrating exceptional ability. The category receives 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference limit, plus certain unused numbers from the first preference category.

The law also establishes a general per-country ceiling across family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas. For fiscal year 2027, the State Department calculated that limit at 25,620. India remains an oversubscribed chargeability area, where demand exceeds the numbers available under the statutory system.

Future movement is not guaranteed. The State Department said it will monitor demand and make adjustments when necessary, so applicants should review each monthly bulletin and case-specific USCIS instructions.