What Does the July 2026 Visa Bulletin Mean for Your Green Card Priority Date?

How the Visa Bulletin Works

Every month, the State Department publishes two charts for each immigrant visa category: the Final Action Dates chart (the date on which visas may actually be issued or adjustment of status may be approved) and the Dates for Filing chart (an earlier date at which USCIS may, in its discretion, accept I-485 adjustment applications to keep the pipeline moving). USCIS then separately announces which chart governs for that month.

Your priority date is generally the date your immigrant petition was properly filed — for employment-based categories, this is the date your employer filed the I-140 petition, or the date a labor certification application (PERM) was accepted by the Department of Labor if one was required. For family-based categories, it is the date the I-130 petition was filed. Your priority date is the date stamped on your petition receipt notice.

To use the charts below: find your visa category, find your country of birth across the top column, and read the cutoff date. If the chart shows "C" (Current), there is no backlog in your category for your country and you can file immediately. If the chart shows "U" (Unavailable), no visa numbers are being issued in that category for your country — even an approved I-140 cannot move forward to adjustment until availability is restored. If the chart shows a date and your priority date falls before that date, you are eligible to file. If your priority date falls after that date, you must wait.

July Spotlight: What India-Born Applicants Need to Know

The EB-2 India unavailability is not a surprise to practitioners tracking the bulletin — the date had stalled at September 1, 2013 for many months while demand from India-born applicants consumed numbers at a high rate. Once a category's pro-rated per-country share is exhausted within the fiscal year, the State Department designates it "unavailable" and no numbers are allocated until the fiscal year resets on October 1.

China EB-2: On Watch for Possible Retrogression

The July bulletin includes a notable warning about China's EB-2 category, which currently sits at September 1, 2021 — the same date as June. The State Department explicitly noted that demand and number use by China-born EB-2 applicants may force either a retrogression of the final action date or an "unavailable" designation in coming months, to hold number use within the FY 2026 annual per-country limit. China-born EB-2 applicants with pending or recently filed I-485 applications should monitor the August 2026 bulletin closely. If you have not yet filed your I-485 and your date is currently eligible, consult an attorney about whether to expedite your filing before a potential retrogression.

Employment-Based Final Action Dates — July 2026

For July, employment-based applicants use the Final Action Dates chart. Below are the current cutoffs and their movement from June.

EB-1: Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researchers, and Multinational Managers

EB-1 covers three subcategories under INA §203(b)(1): extraordinary ability (EB-1A), outstanding researchers and professors (EB-1B), and multinational executives and managers (EB-1C). For most countries, EB-1 remains current — no wait. The exceptions are India and China.

The EB-1 India retrogression is significant for nationals who have been waiting to file I-485 after an I-140 approval. Those with priority dates between October 15, 2022 and December 15, 2022 — who were eligible to file in June — are no longer eligible to file in July. If you are in that window and your adjustment package is ready, it may be worth exploring whether consular processing can be pursued in parallel, or whether the August bulletin restores the date. An attorney can help you assess your options during a retrogression period.

China EB-1 advancing two months to June 1, 2023 is welcome news for China-born applicants with I-140 approvals in that range. China's EB-1 has been moving steadily, if slowly, over the past year.

EB-2: Advanced Degree Professionals and Exceptional Ability

EB-2 covers persons with advanced degrees or exceptional ability under INA §203(b)(2), including the National Interest Waiver (NIW) self-petition pathway. For most countries, EB-2 remains current. For India, the category is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026.

The July bulletin explicitly states that the category is expected to restore to at least the May 2026 Visa Bulletin date when FY 2027 numbers become available on October 1, 2026. India-born EB-2 applicants — including NIW filers — should plan around the October reopening and use the next three months to ensure their I-485 packages, biometrics appointments, and any pending RFE responses are in order so they can file promptly when the window reopens.

EB-3: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers

EB-3 saw positive movement across most countries in both the skilled worker/professional and other worker sub-categories.

China EB-3 skilled worker advancing 4.5 months in a single bulletin is notable and welcome. For India-born professionals, the roughly 2.5-week advance in EB-3 is modest but consistent — the India EB-3 queue remains deeply backlogged, with current cutoffs in early 2014, reflecting a decades-long wait for applicants at the back of the line.

EB-4: Special Immigrants

EB-4 covers special immigrant categories under INA §203(b)(4), including religious workers, broadcasters, certain juvenile dependents, and others. All countries advanced uniformly by two months in July.

EB-5: Immigrant Investors

EB-5 covers immigrant investors under INA §203(b)(5). The Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 restructured the program; minimum investment thresholds are currently $1,050,000 standard or $800,000 for targeted employment areas (TEAs). The Unreserved category reflects the general EB-5 queue.

Family-Based Dates for Filing — July 2026

For July, family-sponsored applicants use the Dates for Filing chart — the more permissive of the two charts, which allows applicants to submit I-485 packages before a visa number is immediately available, as long as USCIS has determined that sufficient numbers exist to justify filing. Your I-485 will not be approved until your Final Action Date is also current, but filing early locks in your place and allows you to obtain employment authorization (Form I-765) and advance parole (Form I-131) during the pending period.

F-1: Unmarried Children Age 21 or Older of U.S. Citizens

F-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children Under 21 of LPRs

F-2A remains current for all countries — no wait. F-2A principal beneficiaries and their derivatives may file I-485 immediately if otherwise eligible.

F-2B: Unmarried Children Age 21 or Older of LPRs

F-3: Married Children of U.S. Citizens

F-3 saw no movement in July for any country. Backlogs in this category are deep — the worldwide cutoff is December 2012, Mexico is July 2001, and the Philippines is August 2006.

F-4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens

Strategic Implications and What to Do in July

If You Are India-Born and in EB-2

Your category is unavailable through September 30, 2026. You cannot file I-485 or receive a consular immigrant visa in July, August, or September regardless of how long your I-140 has been approved. Your priority date and your approved I-140 are preserved — nothing is lost. Use this period to prepare your I-485 filing package so you can move immediately when the October bulletin opens. That means gathering current civil documents, medical exam results (Form I-693, sealed), updated financial evidence, and any employment authorization bridge strategy if your current nonimmigrant status is approaching expiration. If you are in H-1B status with an approved I-140, AC21 §106(a) extensions provide a pathway to continue working even through the unavailability period — consult an attorney about your specific situation.

If You Are India-Born and in EB-1

The two-month retrogression from December 15, 2022 to October 15, 2022 means applicants with priority dates between those two dates cannot file I-485 in July. Monitor the August bulletin — retrogressions of this magnitude sometimes reverse within a month or two as demand patterns normalize, though there is no guarantee. If you had a July filing planned based on the June bulletin, your application should not be submitted until your date is again current or earlier than the published Final Action Date.

If You Are India-Born and in EB-2 NIW

The National Interest Waiver falls within the EB-2 category and is affected by the same unavailability. The NIW allows self-petitioning without an employer or PERM labor certification under the two-gate framework established in Matter of Dhanasar (AAO 2016) and codified in USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-03 (January 15, 2025). NIW petitioners whose I-140 is approved should follow the same preparation strategy described above — use the FY 2026 unavailability period to build a complete, ready-to-file I-485 package for October. For NIW petitioners who have not yet filed the I-140, filing it now still makes sense — the priority date will be preserved from the I-140 filing date, giving you an earlier place in line for FY 2027.

If You Are China-Born and in EB-2

Your date is unchanged at September 1, 2021, and the bulletin has issued a specific warning that the date may retrogress or become unavailable in coming months due to high demand. If your priority date is before September 1, 2021 and your I-485 filing package is ready, filing in July while the window is still open is worth serious consideration. Once a retrogression occurs, you cannot file again until the date advances past your priority date. Speak with an attorney about whether your case is ready to file now.

If You Are in EB-3 and Your Date Advanced

EB-3 saw meaningful forward movement, particularly for China (4.5 months). If your priority date is now within the July Final Action Date window and your I-140 is approved, this is a filing opportunity. Remember that I-485 filing also opens access to I-765 (work authorization) and I-131 (advance parole), which have independent value during long adjustment-of-status pending periods.

Priority Date Retention Under 8 CFR §204.5(e)

If you have an approved I-140 and your employer experiences changes — acquisition, layoff, position elimination — your priority date may be portable to a new employer and new petition under 8 CFR §204.5(e). Priority date retention and AC21 portability under §104(c) of AC21 (for I-485 applications pending more than 180 days) are tools worth understanding before any employment situation changes. The priority date is often the most valuable asset in a long-waiting applicant's case and should be protected.

The EB-2 to EB-1 Upgrade Strategy

For India-born professionals currently waiting in the EB-2 queue, the EB-1A and EB-1B categories offer access to a less-retrogressed — though still backlogged — priority date queue. While EB-1 India is currently cutoff at October 15, 2022, that date is significantly more favorable than the September 1, 2013 final action date that applied to EB-2 India before it became unavailable. Professionals who can credibly qualify for EB-1A (extraordinary ability) or EB-1B (outstanding researcher or professor) may benefit from filing an EB-1 petition to establish an earlier priority date in that queue. See our article on upgrading from EB-2 to EB-1 for the full analysis.

The May 2026 AOS Discretion Memo and July Filings

USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, issued May 21, 2026, introduced heightened discretionary scrutiny at the I-485 adjustment of status stage. Officers are directed to take a broader view of discretionary factors when adjudicating I-485 applications, including public charge considerations, prior immigration violations, and other matters outside the statutory eligibility requirements. This does not change the Visa Bulletin dates or eligibility criteria — it affects how USCIS exercises discretion in adjudicating applications that are otherwise approvable on the merits.

The practical implication is that applicants with any history of prior immigration violations, arrest or conviction records, or other potentially adverse factors should consult with an immigration attorney before filing I-485 this cycle, even if their priority date is current. The memo creates more opportunity for USCIS to exercise negative discretion in cases that would previously have been approved as a matter of course. For detailed analysis of the memo's scope, see our article on the May 2026 AOS discretion memo.

Frequently Asked Questions