യുഎസ് വിസ ഒക്ടോബർ 2026 ബുള്ളറ്റിൻ പ്രകാരം ഇന്ത്യക്കാർക്കുള്ള EB-2 ഗ്രീൻ കാർഡ് മുൻഗണനാ തീയതി 2013 നവംബർ 1-ൽ തന്നെ തുടരുന്നു. മറ്റ് രാജ്യങ്ങളെ അപേക്ഷിച്ച് 11 വർഷത്തിലേറെയാണ് ഇന്ത്യക്കാർ പിന്നിലുള്ളത്. പുതിയ സാമ്പത്തിക വർഷം ആരംഭിച്ചെങ്കിലും, വിസ ലഭ്യതയിൽ കാര്യമായ മാറ്റങ്ങളില്ലാത്തത് ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് പ്രവാസികൾക്ക് വലിയ തിരിച്ചടിയായി മാറിയിരിക്കുകയാണ്.
The new US fiscal year has restored visa availability for Indian applicants in the EB-2 employment-based green card category, but the Final Action Date remains November 1, 2013, leaving India more than 11 years behind the cutoff for applicants from most other countries.
The US State Department's October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027, lists November 1, 2013 as the EB-2 Final Action Date for applicants chargeable to India. Applicants with priority dates earlier than that date can be issued an immigrant visa, subject to other eligibility requirements.
The gap with the rest of the world remains wide. The EB-2 final action date for all other countries is 1 January 2025, more than 11 years ahead of India. The bulletin says dates for filing and final action dates "have advanced across various immigrant visa categories" with the new numbers. It also says some employment-based categories for "Rest of World" countries have moved backwards, which it calls necessary to keep issuances within the quarterly and annual limits for FY 2027.
Express InfoGenIE · US immigration
US green card queue: Where does India stand?
What the October 2026 Visa Bulletin means for Indian applicants. Tap the tabs.
01India vs world02All EB dates03Sept → Oct04Why so long
EB-2 · Final Action Dates
Where does India stand?
201220152018202120242027
INDIANov 1, 2013
MOST OTHER COUNTRIESJan 1, 2025
Gap: 11 years 2 months
Try it: pick an example EB-2 priority date
June 2012March 2016August 2024June 2025
Charged to IndiaBefore the cutoff: eligible for a visa number
Most other countriesBefore the cutoff: eligible for a visa number
Charged to IndiaNot yet: date is after the cutoff of Nov 1, 2013
Most other countriesBefore the cutoff: eligible for a visa number
Charged to IndiaNot yet: date is after the cutoff of Nov 1, 2013
Most other countriesBefore the cutoff: eligible for a visa number
Charged to IndiaNot yet: date is after the cutoff of Nov 1, 2013
Most other countriesNot yet: date is after the cutoff of Jan 1, 2025
What does this mean?
For EB-2 applicants, only those with priority dates earlier than the listed Final Action Date can receive an immigrant visa number.
Example dates are illustrative. "Most other countries" is the All Chargeability Areas column; China, Mexico and the Philippines have their own dates. For comparison, the EB-2 Final Action Date for mainland China is October 1, 2021.
October 2026 Visa Bulletin
India: employment-based green card dates
Dates for people born in India. Left: Final Action Date. Right: Date for Filing.
CategoryFinal ActionDates for Filing
EB-1Priority workers
Feb 1, 2023
Jul 1, 2024
EB-2Advanced degrees
Nov 1, 2013
Jan 15, 2015
EB-3Skilled workers
Jan 1, 2014
Jan 15, 2015
EB-3Other workers
Jan 1, 2014
Jan 15, 2015
EB-4Special immigrants
Dec 15, 2022
Jan 1, 2025
EB-5Unreserved
Dec 1, 2023
May 1, 2024
EB-5Set-asides*
Current
Current
Bars show where each date falls between 2012 and 2026. "Current" means visas are open to all qualified applicants, whatever their priority date.*Set-asides for rural areas, high-unemployment areas and infrastructure projects.
Final Action Date
When a visa number can actually be issued.
Dates for Filing
When eligible applicants can begin submitting documents, subject to the applicable process and USCIS instructions.
EB-2 India
From unavailable to November 2013: what changed?
SEPTEMBER 2026EB-2 India: UNAVAILABLE
↓FY2027 begins on October 1
OCTOBER 2026EB-2 India: November 1, 2013
The State Department had announced in May that all available FY2026 EB-2 immigrant visas for India had been used. Visa numbers reset with the beginning of FY2027, allowing issuance to resume.
Why it matters
November 2013 is not just another month of no movement. It follows a period when EB-2 India had no visa numbers available at all.
Explained
Why does India's green card queue lag behind?
1High demand from India
↓
2Country-specific limits
↓
3More applicants than available numbers
↓
4Priority-date backlog
↓
5Older cutoff date for India
Fact box
The 7% rule
The State Department says the per-country limit for FY2027 is
25,620
under the combined family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits. India is among the oversubscribed chargeability areas.
This is not the number of employment-based green cards India receives. The cap applies across family and employment preference categories combined.
Sources: US Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026; US Department of State
Express InfoGenIE
What the bulletin says about FY 2027
The bulletin says the situation is being monitored and that any needed changes will be made. "Retrogressed" here means a cut-off date has moved back to an earlier one.
The bulletin states that India, mainland China, Mexico and the Philippines remain oversubscribed. Each country is limited to 7 per cent of the yearly family and employment-based limits, which is 25,620 visas.
What are the October 2026 dates for Indians?
These are the dates listed for people born in India. In each case, the first date is the final action date and the second is the date for filing.For applicants chargeable to India, the employment-based Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing are:
EB-1: February 1, 2023; July 1, 2024
EB-2: November 1, 2013; January 15, 2015
EB-3: January 1, 2014; January 15, 2015
Other Workers: January 1, 2014; January 15, 2015
EB-4: December 15, 2022; January 1, 2025
EB-5 unreserved: December 1, 2023; May 1, 2024
EB-5 set-asides: Current for both charts.
"Current" means visas are open to all qualified applicants, whatever their priority date.
The State Department uses two charts because the point at which an applicant can submit documents is different from the point at which a visa number can actually be issued.
The Final Action Dates chart indicates when immigrant visas can be issued. The Dates for Filing chart indicates when eligible immigrant-visa applicants may begin submitting required documentation to the National Visa Center, subject to notification and other requirements.
For people seeking to adjust their status from inside the US, the State Department says the Final Action Dates chart should be used unless the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) specifically determines that applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart for that month. Applicants should check the USCIS Visa Bulletin guidance before filing.
Why is India's cutoff so far behind?
India is one of the chargeability areas that the State Department currently considers oversubscribed, along with mainland China, Mexico and the Philippines.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 202 sets a general 7 per cent per-country limit for preference immigrant visas. For FY2027, the State Department says this amounts to 25,620 visas under the relevant family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits.
The long-standing difference between India's cutoff and those for other countries reflects the interaction of those limits with the high demand from Indian applicants in employment-based categories.
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What about family-sponsored visas?
The picture is different in some family-sponsored categories. For F2A, covering spouses and children of US permanent residents, the October Final Action Date for India is September 22, 2026. The Dates for Filing chart lists F2A as Current for India and other listed countries, meaning there is no priority-date cutoff for filing under that chart.
The October bulletin also notes that a law signed on September 2, 2026 extended the Certain Religious Workers category through December 11, 2026.
The State Department said the dates will continue to be monitored and may be adjusted as demand and visa availability change during FY2027.