August 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-1 to EB-4 Dates Explained

The August 2026 Visa Bulletin is out, and here’s the short version: EB-3 advanced one month to September 1, 2024 for most countries (including Mexico), EB-1 China moved forward a month to July 1, 2023, and EB-4 advanced to October 15, 2022 across the board. The painful headline is unchanged — EB-2 India remains unavailable for the rest of fiscal year 2026, and India saw no movement in any employment-based category. USCIS confirmed it will use the Final Action Dates chart for all employment-based I-485 filings in August. Below is the full chart, what changed from July, and exactly what it means if you’re waiting on a green card.

Data current as of August 2, 2026, verified against the U.S. Department of State bulletin and USCIS guidance. This is general information, not legal advice — consult an immigration attorney about your specific case.

August 2026 Final Action Dates: The Full EB Chart

A date in the chart means the category is backlogged — your priority date (found on your Form I-797 approval notice for the I-140) must be earlier than the listed date for a visa number to be available. “C” (current) means all qualified applicants can proceed regardless of priority date. “U” (unavailable) means no visa numbers are authorized for the rest of the fiscal year.

EB-1: China Inches Forward, India on Retrogression Watch

EB-1 remains current for most of the world, including Mexico and the Philippines. China-born applicants gained a month, moving from June 1 to July 1, 2023. India-born applicants stay parked at October 15, 2022 — and the State Department attached a warning: demand in EB-1 India is running high enough that the category may become unavailable in the coming weeks if the pro-rated annual limit is reached before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026.

If you’re EB-1 India with a priority date before October 15, 2022, and you’re eligible to file your I-485, August is not the month to sit on paperwork.

EB-2: India Shut Out Until October

EB-2 stays current for all countries except China and India. China holds at September 1, 2021, with the State Department cautioning that rising demand could force retrogression there before the fiscal year closes.

For India, the news hasn’t changed since the category hit its annual ceiling: EB-2 India is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026. No visa numbers can be issued, period, until the new fiscal year’s allocation opens. The one genuinely hopeful data point: the State Department projects that when numbers return on October 1, 2026, the EB-2 India final action date is expected to come back around July 15, 2014 or earlier.

EB-3: The Steady Mover of 2026

EB-3 continues its pattern of small, consistent gains — worth watching if you’re weighing filing strategies:

• All countries & Mexico: advance one month to September 1, 2024
• China: advances from December 22, 2021 to January 1, 2022
• India: unchanged at January 1, 2014
• Philippines: unchanged at August 1, 2023 — also flagged by the State Department for possible retrogression as demand rises
• Other Workers (EW): one-month advances for most countries, to April 1, 2022 worldwide

EB-4: A Quiet One-Month Gain

The EB-4 category — special immigrants, including religious workers — advanced one month to October 15, 2022 for all countries. If you’re pursuing this route, our complete guide to EB-4 visa eligibility for religious workers walks through the requirements in detail.

Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing: Which Chart Applies to You?

Every monthly bulletin publishes two charts, and mixing them up is the most common bulletin-reading mistake:

• Final Action Dates (Chart A): when a green card can actually be approved — and, in months USCIS designates, when you can file.
• Dates for Filing (Chart B): an earlier set of dates that sometimes lets you submit your I-485 sooner, unlocking work and travel permits while you wait.

For August 2026, USCIS requires employment-based applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart — the table above — to determine I-485 filing eligibility. (Family-based applicants may use Dates for Filing.) Check which chart applies each month on the USCIS adjustment of status filing charts page.

What You Should Do in August 2026

1. Find your priority date — it’s on your I-140 approval notice (or your PERM filing date if labor certification applied).
2. Compare it to the chart for your category and country of chargeability (usually country of birth, not citizenship).
3. If your date is earlier than the cutoff (or your category is current) and you’re in the U.S., you can file Form I-485 in August — talk to your attorney about assembling medicals, tax records, and supporting documents quickly.
4. If you’re close but not current, prepare your documentation now. End-of-fiscal-year bulletins are volatile; September could move either way, and October 1 resets the annual supply.
5. If you’re EB-2 India, use the unavailability window to get filing-ready for October, when numbers are projected to return with a cutoff near July 15, 2014.

New to the process? Start with our beginner’s guide to visa requirements, and if you have consular interviews ahead, a clean record helps — here’s how to build a strong travel history for future visa approvals. Our application help hub collects the rest.

The End-of-Fiscal-Year Squeeze, Explained

Why so little movement? The immigrant visa supply is an annual budget — roughly 140,000 employment-based visas per fiscal year, with a 7% per-country ceiling — and by August the budget is nearly spent. The State Department explicitly warned that EB-1 India, EB-2 China, and EB-3 Philippines could all retrogress or go unavailable before September 30 if demand outpaces the remaining numbers. This is normal late-summer behavior: categories tighten in August and September, then reset — often dramatically — when the new fiscal year opens on October 1, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the September 2026 Visa Bulletin come out?

The State Department typically publishes each bulletin around the middle of the preceding month, so expect the September 2026 bulletin in mid-August 2026. It will be the final bulletin of fiscal year 2026.

When will EB-2 India become available again?

On October 1, 2026, when fiscal year 2027’s visa numbers become available. The State Department projects the EB-2 India final action date will resume around July 15, 2014 or earlier.

What does “U” or “unavailable” mean in the Visa Bulletin?

It means every visa number allocated to that category for the fiscal year has been used, so no green cards can be issued in it until the next fiscal year begins. Pending cases aren’t denied — they simply wait.

Can I still file my I-485 in August 2026?

Yes — if your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date listed for your category and country, or if your category is current. USCIS is using the Final Action Dates chart for all employment-based filings in August 2026.

What is an EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade?

It’s filing a new I-140 under EB-3 using the same PERM labor certification, keeping your original priority date — a strategy used when EB-3’s cutoff runs ahead of EB-2’s for your country. Whether it helps depends entirely on current chart positions and your country of chargeability, so model it with an attorney before acting.

Where can I read the official bulletin?

On the State Department’s site: travel.state.gov Visa Bulletin. Always verify dates there before filing anything.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin
• USCIS — Adjustment of Status Filing Charts

Disclaimer: This article is general information about publicly published government data, not legal advice. Immigration law is complex and fact-specific — consult a licensed immigration attorney about your individual situation.