USCIS August 2026 Visa Bulletin Warns of EB-1 India Retrogression

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has released the August 2026 Visa Bulletin, which indicates that the EB-1 category for Indian nationals is unavailable due to overwhelming demand. This marks a retrogression from previous months when the category had been current or had a cutoff date.

EB-2 India remains unavailable for the second consecutive month, with no forward movement in the final action dates. The bulletin notes that demand continues to exceed the annual numerical limits, leaving applicants in this category without immediate relief.

For EB-3 India, the final action dates have not advanced, remaining at January 1, 2012, for the fifth month in a row. The dates for filing also remain unchanged at March 1, 2012, indicating persistent backlogs for skilled workers and professionals.

The bulletin advises petitioners and attorneys to monitor upcoming months for potential changes, as high demand in the EB-1 category may shift applicants to lower preference categories, further straining already limited visa numbers. No immediate policy adjustments were announced to address the retrogression.