EB-2 India is unavailable for fiscal year 2026 after all available visa numbers for Indian applicants were used, pausing final Green Card approvals until the next fiscal year begins on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The U.S. State Department said all available Employment-Based Second Preference immigrant visas for applicants chargeable to India have been issued for FY2026. As a result, U.S. embassies and consulates cannot issue additional EB-2 immigrant visas in these cases for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Why EB-2 India Is Unavailable for FY2026
The EB-2 category applies to professionals with advanced degrees or people with exceptional ability in fields such as science, business and the arts. Demand from Indian applicants remains high because of long-running employment-based Green Card backlogs and annual visa limits.
Under U.S. immigration law, the EB-2 category receives 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based immigrant visa limit. A separate per-country limit also restricts how many visas can go to applicants chargeable to any one country in a fiscal year.
What Happens to Pending EB-2 India Green Card Cases?
The immediate impact is on final approval. Pending cases may continue through earlier processing steps, but an EB-2 India Green Card cannot receive final immigrant visa issuance or final adjustment approval unless a visa number is available.
Pending Case vs. Final Approval: What Changes Now?
| Stage | What It Means | Current Impact for EB-2 India |
|---|---|---|
| Pending Case | The application is still under USCIS or consular processing review. | Processing steps may continue, including document review, interviews, or background checks. |
| Final Approval | The Green Card or immigrant visa can be issued only when a visa number is available. | Final approvals are paused until new EB-2 India visa numbers become available after Thursday, October 1, 2026. |
The June 2026 Visa Bulletin listed India’s EB-2 Final Action Date as Sunday, September 1, 2013. However, once the annual allocation is exhausted, even eligible applicants must wait until new visa numbers become available.
When Will EB-2 India Visa Numbers Reset?
The annual limit resets at the start of FY2027 on Thursday, October 1, 2026. At that point, qualified EB-2 India applicants may again receive final action if their priority dates are eligible and visa numbers are available.
For Indian professionals waiting in the EB-2 Green Card line, the update does not cancel pending cases. It means final approvals are paused because the FY2026 visa supply for India has already been used.
