US visa bulletin July 2026 for Indians: EB-2 green card category closed for FY2026

The U.S. Department of State has released the July 2026 visa bulletin, which shows the EB-2 employment-based green card category for Indian nationals is closed for the remainder of fiscal year 2026. The category's final action date is listed as "Unavailable," meaning no new visas can be issued to Indian applicants in this category until the next fiscal year begins in October 2026.

The closure affects thousands of Indian professionals who have been waiting for permanent residency through the EB-2 category, which requires an advanced degree or exceptional ability. The category has been subject to high demand and annual visa limits, leading to backlogs that have persisted for years.

Other employment-based categories for Indian nationals, such as EB-1 and EB-3, remain open with specific cutoff dates. The EB-1 category has a final action date of January 1, 2022, while EB-3 is current for some applicants but has a cutoff date of January 1, 2012, for others.

The visa bulletin also provides dates for filing applications. For EB-2, the filing date is also listed as "Unavailable," preventing applicants from submitting adjustment of status applications. The State Department advises applicants to monitor future bulletins for updates when the new fiscal year begins.