Indian families seeking permanent residency in the United States have received a rare positive update with the September 2026 Visa Bulletin. Significant movement has been observed in several family-sponsored immigration categories, allowing many applicants to move closer to final green card approval after years of waiting.
Family-Sponsored Categories See Meaningful Advances
The most encouraging news is for Indians under family-sponsored categories. Cut-off dates have advanced substantially, meaning applicants whose priority dates are now earlier than the revised dates can progress in their applications. This movement is particularly impactful for those in categories involving adult children and siblings of US citizens, who have traditionally faced prolonged queues.
While this progress offers considerable hope, it's crucial to note that visa availability is still tied to specific categories and individual priority dates. Not every family-based applicant will immediately obtain a green card.
Employment-Based Visas Remain Heavily Backlogged
In stark contrast, the outlook for highly skilled Indian professionals seeking green cards through employment-based categories remains challenging. The September bulletin highlights a significant divergence between family-based and employment-based immigration.
EB-1 Category: Priority Workers Face Tight Window
For EB-1 (priority workers), which includes individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, researchers, and certain multinational executives, India remains subject to a cut-off date of October 15, 2022. The US State Department has warned that EB-1 visa numbers for India could become unavailable before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026, due to high demand. This creates an extremely narrow window for applicants whose cases are otherwise ready for final action.
EB-2 Category: Unavailable for Indian Professionals
The situation is even more severe for Indians in the EB-2 category, typically used by professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. EB-2 India is listed as 'unavailable' for September, reflecting a deep structural issue where demand far outstrips the available immigrant visas. EB-5 India, under the unreserved category, also remains unavailable.
EB-3 Category: Years-Long Queues Persist
The EB-3 category, encompassing skilled workers, professionals, and certain other workers, also continues to experience heavy backlogs for Indian applicants. The September bulletin places India's EB-3 final-action date around early 2014, illustrating the extensive wait times. This means many Indian professionals who initiated their immigration process years ago are still awaiting an available visa number.
Per-Country Limits Exacerbate Delays
The core of the issue lies in the US immigration system's statutory limits. Each country is generally capped at 7% of the combined annual family- and employment-based immigrant visa allocation. For fiscal year 2026, this standard per-country limit is 28,862 visas, subject to statutory carryover provisions. For countries like India, with high demand across multiple categories, these limits create significant and persistent backlogs.
The immediate concern for many Indian professionals is the potential exhaustion of EB-1 visa numbers before the end of September, which could lead to further uncertainty until new numbers become available in fiscal year 2027.