Family-sponsored categories have advanced significantly, but high demand could trigger delays or unavailability in key employment-based categories
The US Department of State’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin has brought relief for many Indian families waiting for green cards, with several family-sponsored categories moving forward. However, Indian applicants in employment-based categories continue to face long waits, with the US government warning that some visa categories could retrogress or become unavailable.
For Indian applicants, the final action date for the F1 category, covering unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens, has advanced to January 22, 2020. The F2A category, for spouses and children of permanent residents, has moved to August 22, 2026, while F2B has advanced to August 22, 2019.
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The F3 category for married sons and daughters of US citizens now has a final action date of October 22, 2014
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The F4 category, covering brothers and sisters of adult US citizens, has moved to November 1, 2006 for India
The filing dates have also moved forward in several family categories. For India, F1 stands at February 1, 2020, F2A is current, F2B is September 1, 2019, F3 is November 1, 2014, and F4 is December 15, 2006. Applicants seeking adjustment of status in the US should check the USCIS guidance on which chart may be used.
The picture is less favourable for employment-based applicants. India’s EB-1 final action date remains October 15, 2022, while EB-2 remains unavailable. EB-3 is set at January 1, 2014 and the EB-5 unreserved category is also unavailable for Indian applicants.
The State Department has warned that strong demand could make the Indian EB-1 category unavailable before the end of the fiscal year. It has issued similar warnings for EB-2 and EB-5, where retrogression or unavailability could occur if annual visa limits are reached.
The September bulletin is the final one for the US fiscal year 2026, making the developments particularly significant for Indians navigating the country’s heavily backlogged green card system.
