India’s EB-2 green card category remains unavailable in September, leaving many employment-based applicants without immediate relief even as several family-sponsored categories make substantial progress. The contrasting movement reflects separate visa limits, demand levels and backlogs within the U.S. immigration system.
The State Department’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin keeps India’s EB-1 final action date at October 15, 2022, while EB-3 and Other Workers remain at January 1, 2014. India’s unreserved EB-5 category also remains unavailable. EB-4 and Certain Religious Workers are exceptions, advancing from October 15, 2022, to December 15, 2022.
For EB-2 applicants, “unavailable” means the government cannot authorize immigrant visa issuance or final adjustment approval in that category during September. The State Department announced on May 22, 2026, that India had already reached its fiscal-year EB-2 limit. No EB-2 final approvals can resume before October 1, 2026, when fiscal year 2027 begins and annual visa allocations reset.
Family-sponsored dates advanced across several Indian preference categories. The F1 final action date moved from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020. F2A advanced by one month to August 22, 2026, while F2B moved from January 1, 2018, to August 22, 2019. F3 made an even larger jump, from May 15, 2012, to October 22, 2014.
India’s F4 category, covering siblings of adult U.S. citizens, did not share that progress: its final action date remains November 1, 2006. The movement therefore benefits some family applicants, but not every family-sponsored case.
The bulletin contains both final action dates, which determine when a green card can be approved, and dates for filing, which indicate when applicants may be allowed to submit documents. India’s EB-2 filing date remains January 15, 2015, despite the category being unavailable for final action.
Applicants seeking adjustment of status inside the United States should not rely on the State Department filing chart alone. USCIS separately announces whether applicants must use the final action chart or the dates-for-filing chart for a particular month. A forward-moving date also does not guarantee approval, and the State Department has warned that categories may retrogress if demand rises or annual limits are reached before September 30, 2026.
This article provides general information and is not individualized legal advice. Applicants should review official guidance or consult a qualified immigration attorney.