The US Department of State's September 2026 Visa Bulletin presents a mixed outlook for green card hopefuls, marking the final bulletin of fiscal year 2026. While several family-sponsored categories saw substantial forward movement, most employment-based cutoff dates held steady, with a new warning issued for Indian EB-1 applicants.
Significant Gains for Family-Sponsored Green Cards
Indian applicants in family-sponsored categories experienced the most positive developments this month. The F1 category, for unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of US citizens, advanced significantly from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020. This represents an approximately 13-month jump.
The F2B category, covering unmarried sons and daughters of US lawful permanent residents, moved forward from January 1, 2018, to August 22, 2019, an advance of over 19 months. The most notable progress was seen in the F3 category for married sons and daughters of US citizens, which leaped more than two years from May 15, 2012, to October 22, 2014.
Additionally, the F2A category, for spouses and minor children of permanent residents, moved forward by one month for most countries, including India, from July 22, 2026, to August 22, 2026.
Employment-Based Categories: Stagnation and New Risks for India
In contrast to the family-sponsored categories, most major employment-based categories for India showed no movement between the August and September bulletins, generally holding steady.
Indian EB-1 Faces Potential Unavailability
While India's EB-1 (first preference) final action date remains October 15, 2022, the State Department has issued a clear warning. Due to high demand and increased visa-number use, EB-1 India could become unavailable in the coming weeks if the country's prorated limit is reached before the fiscal year concludes on September 30. Applicants eligible to file are advised to avoid delays and check the applicable USCIS filing chart promptly.
EB-2 and EB-5 Remain Unavailable for India
For Indian applicants, the EB-2 (second preference) and EB-5 (fifth preference) unreserved categories continue to be listed as unavailable. The EB-3 (third preference) India final action date remains January 1, 2014. However, EB-4 India saw a two-month advance, moving from October 15, 2022, to December 15, 2022.
The three EB-5 set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) remain current for all countries. The EB-3 Other Workers category continues to face significant backlogs, with India's date stuck at January 1, 2014.
The State Department cautioned that high demand and increased visa-number usage across various categories could still lead to retrogression or make some categories unavailable before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
Key Takeaways for Applicants
The September bulletin provides substantial relief for many family-based applicants, particularly those from India in F1, F2A, F2B, and F3 categories. However, Indian EB-1 applicants must monitor the category closely due to the risk of it becoming unavailable. For EB-2 and EB-5 unreserved categories, the situation remains unchanged, with continued unavailability for India. All eligible applicants should verify the USCIS filing charts and consider submitting applications without delay, as cutoff dates could shift again before the fiscal year concludes.