September 2026 Visa Bulletin: India EB-2 Unavailable

The U.S. Department of State’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin brings sharply different news for Indian green card applicants. While several family-sponsored categories moved forward substantially, the employment-based EB-2 category for India remains Unavailable, meaning no EB-2 immigrant visas can be issued to applicants chargeable to India during September.

The September bulletin is the final Visa Bulletin of fiscal year 2026, which ends on September 30. For Indian professionals waiting in the employment-based green card backlog, the most important date may therefore be October 1, 2026, when the new fiscal year begins and annual visa limits reset.

India EB-2 Is Unavailable Through the End of FY 2026

India’s EB-2 Final Action Date is listed as “U,” or Unavailable, for September 2026. The same was true in August.

This is more than a temporary lack of movement in the cutoff date. In May, the State Department announced that all EB-2 immigrant visas available to applicants chargeable to India under the FY 2026 limit had been used. As a result, U.S. embassies and consulates cannot issue additional EB-2 immigrant visas for India for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The annual limits reset when FY 2027 begins on October 1, 2026. At that point, EB-2 immigrant visa issuance for qualified Indian applicants may resume, subject to the cutoff dates established in the October Visa Bulletin.

India’s other major employment-based Final Action Dates also saw little change:

EB-4 is the notable exception, advancing two months to December 15, 2022.

The State Department also warned that high demand could cause additional employment-based categories to retrogress or become unavailable before September 30 if their annual limits are reached. India’s EB-1 category is specifically being monitored because of high demand and visa use.

Family-Sponsored Green Card Dates Move Forward for India

The picture is much more favorable for Indian applicants in several family-sponsored preference categories.

September’s Final Action Dates show:

F3 recorded particularly significant movement, advancing by more than two years. F1 and F2B also made substantial progress, while F4 remained unchanged.

A Final Action Date determines when an immigrant visa can actually be issued or an eligible adjustment-of-status case can be approved. Generally, an applicant’s priority date must be earlier than the applicable Final Action Date.

The State Department explained that immigrant visa issuance rates for nationals of certain countries have decreased following various administration actions. To use visa numbers that remain available during FY 2026, the government has advanced dates across several immigrant visa categories. The department cautioned that dates could move backward again as additional demand develops.

What the September Bulletin Means for F-1, OPT and H-1B Workers

For Indian professionals pursuing an EB-2 green card while working in the United States, September does not provide new Final Action availability.

However, it is important to distinguish Final Action Dates from Dates for Filing. The September Dates for Filing chart continues to list January 15, 2015 for India EB-2. That does not automatically mean every applicant with an earlier priority date can file Form I-485.

Applicants adjusting status inside the United States must check USCIS’s monthly Visa Bulletin instructions to determine whether USCIS is allowing applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart or requiring the Final Action Dates chart for that month.

The Visa Bulletin also does not change the rules governing F-1 status, CPT, OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B status. Students and workers waiting for employment-based green card availability should continue following the requirements that apply to their current immigration status or pending adjustment-of-status case.

For Indian EB-2 applicants, the next major development will be the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, because FY 2027 begins October 1 and a new annual allocation of employment-based immigrant visas becomes available. The October cutoff date, however, should not be assumed in advance.

The Bottom Line

September 2026 brings meaningful progress for many Indian family-sponsored green card applicants but little relief for the employment-based backlog.

India EB-2 remains unavailable because its FY 2026 allocation has already been exhausted, while EB-1 and EB-3 Final Action Dates remain unchanged. At the same time, F1, F2A, F2B and F3 family-sponsored categories all move forward.

For Indian professionals waiting in EB-2, October 1 is the key reset point—but the October Visa Bulletin will determine how much visa availability actually returns and which priority dates can move forward.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of State — September 2026 Visa Bulletin
• U.S. Department of State — India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category
• U.S. Department of State — August 2026 Visa Bulletin
• USCIS — Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
• The Indian Express — US Green Card September Bulletin: Why Some Indians Got No Relief While Family Applicants Did

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