July 2026 Visa Bulletin Analysis: What Moved and What Didn't
Detailed analysis of the July 2026 DOS Visa Bulletin — EB category movements, retrogression alerts, and what it means for your green card timeline.
July 2026 Visa Bulletin Overview
The Department of State released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin on June 11, 2026. Here's a detailed breakdown of what moved, what retrogressed, and what it means for employment-based green card applicants.
Key Movements — Final Action Dates
EB-1 (Priority Workers)
- **India:** Retrogressed 61 days to January 1, 2022
- **China:** Held at February 1, 2022
- **Rest of World:** Remained current (no backlog)
- **Philippines:** Remained current
EB-1 India retrogression is significant — applicants with priority dates after January 1, 2022 must wait for the cutoff to advance before their visa number becomes available.
EB-2 (Advanced Degree Professionals)
- **India:** Remained Unavailable (C → Unavailable in recent months)
- **China:** Advanced to August 22, 2019 (+45 days)
- **Rest of World:** Remained current
- **Mexico:** Remained current
EB-2 India is effectively unavailable for the foreseeable future. Applicants with EB-2 India cases should consult their attorneys about EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) or EB-3 downgrade options.
EB-3 (Skilled Workers & Professionals)
- **India:** Advanced to March 22, 2012 (+17 days)
- **China:** Advanced to June 22, 2020 (+153 days — significant movement)
- **Rest of World:** Advanced to September 1, 2022
- **Philippines:** Advanced to July 8, 2022
EB-3 China movement of 153 days is the standout story of the July bulletin. Chinese nationals in EB-3 with priority dates before June 2020 can now file I-485 adjustment of status applications.
EB-4 (Special Immigrants)
- **El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico:** Retrogressed
- **All others:** Remained current or advanced slightly
What This Means For You
If you're from India:
- EB-1: Check if your priority date is before January 1, 2022
- EB-2: Unavailable — consider consulting attorney about EB-3 downgrade
- EB-3: Advanced slightly — if your PD is before March 22, 2012, you may be able to file
If you're from China:
- EB-3 movement of 153 days is exceptional — verify your priority date and contact your attorney about I-485 filing eligibility
If you're from rest of world:
- Most categories are current or near-current — relatively straightforward path
Filing Chart vs Final Action Chart
USCIS determines each month whether to use the Filing Date chart or the Final Action Date chart for I-485 purposes. For July 2026, USCIS announced use of the Dates for Filing chart for EB categories, which allows earlier I-485 filing even when the final action date hasn't been reached.
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Green Card Timeline Estimator
Not sure how long your wait will be? Use our Green Card Timeline Estimator to model different scenarios based on your country, category, and priority date.