June 2026 Visa Bulletin: India EB-2 Retrogresses, EB-1 Holds
The June 2026 Visa Bulletin retrogressed India EB-2 nearly a year and EB-1 by 3.5 months. Worldwide EB-1 held Current. Here is what the six-month 2026 trend means for active cases.
Summary
The June 2026 Visa Bulletin retrogressed India EB-2 by nearly 10 months (to September 1, 2013) and India EB-1 by 3.5 months (to December 15, 2022), signaling that FY2026 per-country numbers are nearly exhausted. Worldwide EB-1 remains Current for all other nationals — the concurrent I-140/I-485 filing window is still open. Both retrogressed categories are expected to advance when FY2027 numbers reset on October 1, 2026.
The June 2026 Visa Bulletin published May 13, 2026, with the sharpest India retrogression of the fiscal year. India EB-2 lost nearly a year in one movement. India EB-1 dropped 3.5 months after stalling the month before. For attorneys managing active employment-based cases, both shifts require immediate client communication — and for non-India clients, the Worldwide EB-1 date continuing to hold Current is an underappreciated opportunity.
The India movement dominates the June bulletin, but the Worldwide EB-1 story is equally significant for attorneys managing non-India caseloads.
What Changed from May to June
The shift from May to June is the largest single-month movement of 2026 for India employment-based categories.
India EB-1: Moved from April 1, 2023 to December 15, 2022 — a 3.5-month retrogression. May's date had already been static for a month (April and May both showed April 1, 2023), indicating number pressure was building. The June retrogression confirms FY2026 EB-1 India numbers are near the annual cap.
India EB-2: Moved from July 15, 2014 to September 1, 2013 — a 10.4-month retrogression in a single bulletin. The State Department's note warned that "further retrogression, or making the category unavailable, may be necessary" if India's EB-2 pro-rated limit is reached before September 30. Attorneys with India-born EB-2 clients whose dates were current in May need to communicate this immediately.
China EB-1: No movement. Held at April 1, 2023 for the second consecutive month. China EB-1 had been advancing roughly one month per month from January through April; the May-June freeze mirrors India's pattern.
Worldwide EB-1, EB-2: Unchanged at Current. This is the number that matters most for attorneys handling EB-1A petitions for non-Indian, non-Chinese clients.
India EB-2 may go unavailable
The State Department explicitly flagged the possibility of making India EB-2 "unavailable" before September 30, 2026. An unavailable designation means no visa numbers are issuable at all — including for applicants whose priority dates are older than the listed cut-off. Monitor the July bulletin closely.
The Six-Month 2026 Trend
Looking at employment-based final action dates from January through June 2026 reveals a consistent pattern: slow advancement in Q1, a stall in Q2, and a sharp retrogression heading into summer — the FY annual cap cycle playing out in real time.
India EB-1 trajectory
| Month | India EB-1 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Feb 1, 2023 | — |
| February 2026 | Feb 1, 2023 | No movement |
| March 2026 | Mar 1, 2023 | +1 month |
| April 2026 | Apr 1, 2023 | +1 month |
| May 2026 | Apr 1, 2023 | No movement |
| June 2026 | Dec 15, 2022 | −3.5 months |
The Q1 pattern of one-month-per-month advancement looked healthy. But that pace was consuming numbers at roughly the annual-limit rate — once Q3 arrives, the cap is hit and retrogression follows. The stall in May was the leading indicator.
India EB-2 trajectory
| Month | India EB-2 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Jul 15, 2013 | — |
| February 2026 | Jul 15, 2013 | No movement |
| March 2026 | Sep 15, 2013 | +2 months |
| April 2026 | Jul 15, 2014 | +10 months |
| May 2026 | Jul 15, 2014 | No movement |
| June 2026 | Sep 1, 2013 | −10.4 months |
April's 10-month advancement was the tell. A single-month jump that large typically means USCIS is authorizing Dates for Filing chart use, or the State Department is using retrogressed demand to fill annual quotas aggressively. The June reversal erases all of that gain and more. The net change from January to June: India EB-2 is 1.5 months worse than it started the fiscal year.
Worldwide EB-2 — the quiet positive story
Worldwide EB-2 advanced significantly during this period: from April 1, 2024 in January to Current by April, where it has remained. Most coverage focused on India retrogression; the Worldwide EB-2 advancement to Current went largely unreported. For attorneys with non-India EB-2 or NIW clients who had been waiting on a priority date, this advancement opened the adjustment filing window months earlier than expected.
Why Worldwide EB-1 Staying Current Matters
For the entire fiscal year — January through June 2026 — Worldwide EB-1 has not moved. It has been Current every month.
This means: any EB-1A petitioner who is not born in India or mainland China can file Form I-140 and Form I-485 concurrently, today, without waiting for a priority date to become current. Given the May 2026 AOS memo (PM-602-0199) adding new discretionary scrutiny to AOS applications, attorneys should note that a current priority date is now a necessary but not sufficient condition for smooth adjustment. The equities analysis the memo requires must now be built into every concurrent filing strategy.
Concurrent filing window is open for non-India EB-1A clients
If your client is not born in India or mainland China and has an approvable EB-1A case, Worldwide EB-1 being Current means you can file I-140 and I-485 simultaneously. This gets the I-485 clock started and secures work authorization via EAD while the I-140 is pending. The AOS memo complicates but does not close this window.
What to Expect: July Through September
The summer months follow a predictable pattern in FY years where India EB-2 hits its annual limit early. Three scenarios are plausible:
Further retrogression (most likely for India EB-2): If the pace of number use does not slow, the State Department will move the India EB-2 date backward again in July. An "unavailable" designation is possible before August.
Freeze (most likely for India EB-1): India EB-1 may hold at December 15, 2022 for several months rather than retrogress further, depending on whether the category's annual limit is also approaching exhaustion.
October reset: FY2027 begins October 1, 2026. Annual caps renew. India EB-1 and EB-2 dates have historically advanced in October as the new year's numbers become available. The October 2026 bulletin is the most important one to watch for India-born clients.
Watch Out
Do not book premium processing around a bet that dates will advance before October. The State Department has explicitly warned of further retrogression. The October reset is the more reliable planning horizon.
Attorney Action Items
India-born EB-1A clients with priority dates after December 15, 2022: The I-140 remains valid and unaffected by retrogression. The wait is for date currency, not for a new filing. Clients in this window should maintain status carefully and prepare their I-485 package for October filing if dates advance.
India-born EB-2/NIW clients: Communicate the June retrogression immediately, especially clients who were current in May. If any I-485s were filed in May based on the July 2014 date, confirm receipt notices and flag the June date change to the client — it does not affect already-filed applications, but clarifying this prevents panic.
Non-India EB-1A clients: The Worldwide EB-1 Current window is open. If the EB-1A case is petition-ready, there is no date-based reason to delay concurrent filing. Evaluate under the AOS memo framework: does the client have strong equities? If yes, file now rather than waiting.
All clients: The May 2026 AOS memo changed the I-485 analysis regardless of priority date. Attorneys should revisit their standard concurrent filing checklist to add a positive equities assessment for every new I-485 filed going forward.
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