July 2026 Visa Bulletin: Employment Green Card Update
Immigration Insights
The July 2026 Visa Bulletin affects employment-based green card planning for some sponsored workers, employers, and applicants from countries with long backlogs. This update summarizes the USCIS chart selection and key India and China employment-based dates.
Immigration Insights
The July 2026 Visa Bulletin affects employment-based green card planning for some sponsored workers, employers, and applicants from countries with long backlogs. This update summarizes the USCIS chart selection and key India and China employment-based dates.
Published Updated
The July 2026 Visa Bulletin matters most for some employment-based green card applicants who are waiting to file or complete adjustment of status. For July 2026, USCIS directs employment-based adjustment applicants to use the Final Action Dates chart, while family-sponsored adjustment applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart. The Department of State's July 2026 Visa Bulletin lists several important employment-based dates for India and China.
Whether someone may file Form I-485 depends on the USCIS chart for that month, the priority date, country of chargeability, underlying petition, and other eligibility requirements. Readers should review the official Department of State Visa Bulletin and USCIS adjustment filing chart before making filing decisions.
What changed for employment-based adjustment filings in July
USCIS selected the Final Action Dates chart for employment-based adjustment filings in July 2026. That matters because the Final Action Dates chart is more restrictive than the Dates for Filing chart in some categories.
A current or available date does not by itself establish eligibility to file Form I-485. Filing depends on the applicable USCIS chart, priority date, country of chargeability, underlying petition, and other eligibility requirements. Final action date movement also does not promise a filing, interview, approval, or decision date in an individual case.
India EB-1, EB-2, and EB-5 Unreserved
| Category | July 2026 Final Action Date | What the Bulletin Shows |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 India | October 15, 2022 | Retrogressed final action date |
| EB-2 India | Unavailable | Visa numbers not authorized for issuance in July |
| EB-5 Unreserved India | Unavailable | Visa numbers not authorized for issuance in July |
Category
EB-1 India
July 2026 Final Action Date
October 15, 2022
What the Bulletin Shows
Retrogressed final action date
Category
EB-2 India
July 2026 Final Action Date
Unavailable
What the Bulletin Shows
Visa numbers not authorized for issuance in July
Category
EB-5 Unreserved India
July 2026 Final Action Date
Unavailable
What the Bulletin Shows
Visa numbers not authorized for issuance in July
When a category is listed as unavailable under the Final Action Dates chart, immigrant visa numbers are not authorized for issuance in that category during the month. The effect on an individual case can depend on its procedural posture and other facts.
EB-5 rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside categories are listed separately from EB-5 unreserved. They should not be treated as the same category for visa-availability planning.
China Employment-Based Categories
| Category | July 2026 Final Action Date |
|---|---|
| EB-1 China | June 1, 2023 |
| EB-2 China | September 1, 2021 |
| EB-3 China | December 22, 2021 |
Category
EB-1 China
July 2026 Final Action Date
June 1, 2023
Category
EB-2 China
July 2026 Final Action Date
September 1, 2021
Category
EB-3 China
July 2026 Final Action Date
December 22, 2021
What Employers and Sponsored Workers Should Review
- Confirm the applicable USCIS chart before preparing an adjustment filing.
- Review the priority date and country of chargeability.
- Reassess timing around job changes, travel, work authorization, or pending filings with counsel where relevant.
- Keep permanent-residence planning aligned with the July 2026 Visa Bulletin.
Related Employment-Based Green Card Guidance
For broader employment-based green card planning, review the employment green cards page, PERM labor certification guidance, prevailing wage determination guidance, and the adjustment-of-status memo resource. For case-specific questions, schedule a consultation.
Sources and Review Date
Primary sources: U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin For July 2026, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-for-july-2026.html
USCIS, When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas, https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/when-to-file-your-adjustment-of-status-application-for-family-sponsored-or-employment-based-126
Last reviewed: July 1, 2026.
Review Employment Green Card Timing
If the July 2026 Visa Bulletin affects a sponsored worker, pending filing, job change, or travel plan, schedule a consultation to review the specific facts.
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