Visa Bulletin for August 2026

What this is

The August 2026 Visa Bulletin sets priority date cutoffs for employment-based and family-sponsored green cards. EB-2 India has no visa numbers available this month. Your priority date must be earlier than the cutoff for your category and country of birth before you can receive a visa or, where allowed, file your application.

Source: Visa Bulletin for August 2026 · in effect from 1 August 2026

What you need to know

• EB-1 final action dates: India cutoff is 15 October 2022; China is 1 July 2023; all other countries, Mexico, and Philippines are current.
• EB-1 dates for filing: India and China cutoff is 1 December 2023; all other countries, Mexico, and Philippines are current.
• EB-1 (India): final action cut-off is 15 Oct 2022; you may file if your date is before 01 Dec 2023.
• EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 (all countries except India and China): final action date is Current — no backlog.
• EB-1 (China): final action cut-off is 01 Jul 2023; filing cut-off is 01 Dec 2023.
• EB-2 final action dates: India has no visa numbers available (marked U); China cutoff is 1 September 2021; all other countries, Mexico, and Philippines are current.
• EB-2 dates for filing: India cutoff is 15 January 2015; China is 1 January 2022; all other countries, Mexico, and Philippines are current.
• EB-2 (India): final action date is Unavailable — no India EB-2 cases can be approved this month.
• EB-2 (India): you may file if your priority date is before 15 Jan 2015.
• EB-2 (China): final action cut-off is 01 Sep 2021; filing cut-off is 01 Jan 2022.
• EB-3 final action dates: India cutoff is 1 January 2014; China is 1 January 2022; all other countries and Mexico are 1 September 2024; Philippines is 1 August 2023.
• EB-3 dates for filing: India cutoff is 15 January 2015; China is 8 January 2022; all other countries and Mexico are current; Philippines is 1 January 2024.
• EB-3 (India): final action cut-off is 01 Jan 2014; you may file if your date is before 15 Jan 2015.
• EB-3 (China): final action cut-off is 01 Jan 2022; filing cut-off is 08 Jan 2022.
• EB-3 Other Workers final action dates: India cutoff is 1 January 2014; China is 1 May 2019; all other countries and Mexico are 1 April 2022; Philippines is 1 December 2021.
• EB-3 Other Workers dates for filing: India cutoff is 15 January 2015; China is 1 October 2019; all other countries, Mexico, and Philippines are 1 August 2022.
• EB-3 Other Workers (India): final action cut-off is 01 Jan 2014; filing cut-off is 15 Jan 2015.
• EB-4 final action dates: all countries including India, China, Mexico, and Philippines have a cutoff of 15 October 2022.
• EB-4 dates for filing: all countries have a cutoff of 1 January 2023.
• EB-4 (India): final action cut-off is 15 Oct 2022; filing cut-off is 01 Jan 2023.
• F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) final action dates: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 15 December 2018; Mexico is 1 December 2007; Philippines is 1 May 2013.
• F1 dates for filing: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 15 June 2019; Mexico is 1 December 2008; Philippines is 22 April 2015.
• F1 — Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens (India): final action cut-off is 15 Dec 2018; filing cut-off is 15 Jun 2019.
• Mexico has earlier cut-offs than other countries in F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4 categories.
• F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) final action dates: India, China, all other countries, and Philippines have a cutoff of 22 July 2026; Mexico is 22 July 2025.
• F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) dates for filing: all countries including Mexico are current.
• F2A — Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents (India): final action cut-off is 22 Jul 2026; filing is Current — you may file now.
• F2A (all countries except Mexico): filing is Current — you may file now regardless of priority date.
• F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters 21 or older of Permanent Residents) final action dates: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 1 January 2018; Mexico is 15 February 2009; Philippines is 1 June 2013.
• F2B dates for filing: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 1 January 2019; Mexico is 15 May 2010; Philippines is 1 October 2013.
• F2B — Unmarried Sons/Daughters (21+) of Permanent Residents (India): final action cut-off is 01 Jan 2018; filing cut-off is 01 Jan 2019.
• F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) final action dates: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 15 May 2012; Mexico is 1 July 2001; Philippines is 22 February 2006.
• F3 dates for filing: India, China, and all other countries have a cutoff of 1 March 2013; Mexico is 15 July 2001; Philippines is 8 August 2006.
• F3 — Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens (India): final action cut-off is 15 May 2012; filing cut-off is 01 Mar 2013.
• F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens) final action dates: India cutoff is 1 November 2006; China and all other countries are 1 September 2009; Mexico is 8 April 2001; Philippines is 1 August 2007.
• F4 dates for filing: India cutoff is 15 December 2006; China and all other countries are 22 June 2010; Mexico is 30 April 2001; Philippines is 22 March 2008.
• F4 — Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens (India): final action cut-off is 01 Nov 2006; filing cut-off is 15 Dec 2006.

Source: Visa Bulletin for August 2026 · in effect from 1 August 2026

What to do

• Check your priority date against the final action date cutoff for your visa category and country of birth — if your priority date is earlier than the cutoff, your date has become current and you may proceed.
• If USCIS confirms that the dates-for-filing chart applies this month and your priority date is earlier than that chart's cutoff for your category and country, you may submit your adjustment of status application even if the final action date has not yet been reached.
• If you are in EB-2 and were born in India, no visa numbers are available this month — you cannot receive an immigrant visa or adjust status under this category in August 2026.
• Find your priority date on your I-140 approval notice or other USCIS correspondence.
• If your priority date is earlier than the filing date cut-off but not the final action cut-off, you may submit your I-485 adjustment of status application now but cannot yet be approved.
• If you are in EB-2 with an India chargeability and a priority date in any year, do not expect approval this month — the final action date is Unavailable.

Source: Visa Bulletin for August 2026 · in effect from 1 August 2026

Frequently asked questions

India EB-2 shows 'U' this month — does that mean my pending application was denied? U means Unavailable — no visa numbers can be issued and no new applications may be filed under India EB-2 this month. Your pending application has not been denied; the category is simply closed for forward movement until the cutoff date is published again. Even the dates-for-filing cutoff for India EB-2 requires a priority date before January 15, 2015.

My India EB-3 priority date is March 2014. Can my green card actually be approved this month, or can I only file? You cannot receive final approval this month. The final action date for India EB-3 is January 1, 2014, and March 2014 is past that cutoff. The dates-for-filing cutoff is January 15, 2015, which is ahead of your date, so your I-485 can be filed or remain pending — but the visa itself cannot be issued yet.

My spouse just got their green card and petitioned for me from India. Can I file my I-485 now? Yes. The F2A dates-for-filing cutoff for India is Current, meaning there is no backlog and you can file your adjustment of status application now regardless of when the petition was filed. The final action date for F2A India is July 22, 2026, so if your priority date is before that date, your case can also receive final approval this month.

I'm from China with an EB-1 priority date of August 2023. Can I get my green card approved this month? No. The final action date for China EB-1 is July 1, 2023, and August 2023 is past that cutoff so your case cannot receive final approval. You can file your I-485, since the dates-for-filing cutoff for China EB-1 is December 1, 2023, which is ahead of your priority date.

My U.S. citizen sister petitioned for me under F4 from India in early 2007. Can I file or get approved this month? No. The final action date for F4 India is November 1, 2006, and the dates-for-filing cutoff is December 15, 2006. A 2007 priority date is past both cutoffs, so neither filing nor approval is available to you this month.

When does this take effect? It takes effect on 2026-08-01. Dates named in the document: 2022-10-15; 2023-07-01; 2023-12-01; 2021-09-01; 2022-01-01; 2015-01-15; 2022-01-08; 2014-01-01; 2022-09-01; 2021-08-01; 2019-10-01; 2022-04-01; 2021-12-01; 2023-01-01; 2018-12-15; 2007-12-01; 2013-05-01; 2026-07-22; 2025-07-22; 2018-01-01; 2009-02-15; 2013-06-01; 2012-05-15; 2001-07-01; 2006-02-22; 2006-11-01; 2009-09-01; 2001-04-08; 2007-08-01; 2019-06-15; 2008-12-01; 2015-04-22; 2019-01-01; 2010-05-15; 2013-10-01; 2013-03-01; 2001-07-15; 2006-08-08; 2006-12-15; 2010-06-22; 2001-04-30; 2008-03-22.

Who does this apply to? This relates to Green Card, PERM, I-140, H-1B, Family.

Where does this information come from? U.S. Department of State, published at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.

Source: Visa Bulletin for August 2026 · in effect from 1 August 2026

Related topics

Green Card, PERM, I-140, H-1B, Family

Source: Visa Bulletin for August 2026 · in effect from 1 August 2026