The US State Department's September 2026 visa bulletin brings significant progress for family-sponsored Green Card applicants from India, while employment-based categories remain stagnant or unavailable.
- Significant movement observed in family-sponsored categories, particularly F1 and F2A.
- Employment-based (EB) categories show limited progress, with EB-2 remaining unavailable.
- The US State Department issued warnings regarding potential exhaustion of EB-1 and EB-2 quotas.
The US State Department has released the final visa bulletin for the 2026 fiscal year, providing a mixed bag of news for Indian applicants. While the family-sponsored Green Card categories have seen substantial movement, offering relief to many, the employment-based (EB) categories continue to face stagnation and availability warnings.
Significant Progress in Family-Sponsored Categories
The standout news in the September bulletin is the movement in family-sponsored preference classes. For Indian applicants in the F1 category (unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens), the final action date has jumped from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020. This shift represents a leap of over two years, providing much-needed clarity to long-waiting applicants.
Additionally, the F2A category, which includes spouses and minor children of permanent residents, saw a modest advancement of about one month. These updates are crucial as they indicate when immigrant visa numbers become available for final approval.
Why This Matters
BozokMedia analysis shows that this divergence between family and employment categories highlights the intense pressure on US immigration quotas. While family reunification is seeing a seasonal boost, the high demand from skilled Indian professionals in the EB categories is hitting the ceiling of annual limits, creating a bottleneck for high-tech talent.
The movement in family-sponsored dates suggests a strategic release of unused numbers before the fiscal year concludes.
| Category | August Bulletin (India) | September Bulletin (India) |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Children) | 15 Dec, 2018 | 22 Jan, 2020 |
| F2A (Spouses/Children) | 22 July, 2026 | 22 Aug, 2026 |
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | 15 Oct, 2022 | 15 Oct, 2022 |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degrees) | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Warnings for Employment-Based Applicants: The State Department has issued a stern caution regarding the EB-1 and EB-2 categories. Due to high demand from applicants chargeable to India, there is a significant risk that these categories could become 'unavailable' before the fiscal year ends. This happens when the pro-rated limit for India is reached prematurely.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much did the F1 category move for India?
The F1 category moved from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020.
2. Is the EB-2 category currently open for Indians?
No, the September 2026 bulletin lists the EB-2 category as 'Unavailable' for Indian applicants.
