The June 2026 Visa Bulletin is out, and this edition continues our monthly series that reads it in plain English. Each month we walk through where every employment-based category and country stands, who should be paying attention, and what changed since the prior bulletin. The headline this month is a meaningful retrogression in EB-2 India, alongside modest forward movement on the EB-3 lines for China and India. Every date below is taken directly from the official Department of State chart — for your own exact cell, use our Visa Bulletin Tracker.
Which chart applies this month
Each month, USCIS tells adjustment-of-status applicants which of the bulletin's two charts they may use to file: the Final Action Dates chart or the more generous Dates for Filing chart. USCIS announces this choice separately from the Department of State's bulletin, and it can change month to month. Always confirm the current instruction on the USCIS adjustment-of-status filing charts page before you file, since USCIS can choose a different chart in any given month. If the two charts are new to you, our guide on how the Visa Bulletin works explains the difference.
Where each employment category stands (June 2026)
Below is a plain-English read of the Final Action Dates for each employment-based category. Throughout, "Current" (shown as "C" in the bulletin) means there is no backlog at all for that country, so anyone with a valid priority date can move forward. A date means only applicants with a priority date earlier than that cutoff may proceed this month.
EB-1 (Priority Workers)
For most of the world, EB-1 is Current: Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries have no cutoff this month. China sits at a Final Action Date of 1 April 2023, while India retrogresses to 15 December 2022. If you were born in China or India and your EB-1 priority date is before that day, you are current; if it is after, you are still in line.
EB-2 (Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability)
EB-2 is Current for Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries. China stands at 1 September 2021, while India retrogresses sharply this month to 1 September 2013. For India-born EB-2 applicants in particular, the cutoff has stepped back roughly ten months from where it sat in May, which is the kind of move that can also push some applicants to weigh whether they qualify for EB-1.
EB-3 (Skilled Workers & Professionals)
EB-3 shows a cutoff for every country this month. China advances to 1 August 2021 and India to 15 December 2013. Mexico and all other countries share a Final Action Date of 1 June 2024, and the Philippines sits at 1 August 2023. Notably, for China the EB-3 date (August 2021) is still earlier than its EB-2 date (September 2021) — a reminder that the "higher" category is not always the faster one for a given country.
EB-3 Other Workers
The Other Workers subcategory of EB-3 runs behind the main EB-3 line for several countries. China is at 1 April 2019, India at 15 December 2013, the Philippines at 1 November 2021, and both Mexico and all other countries at 1 February 2022. If your job is classified as "other worker," this is the row that applies to you rather than the main EB-3 figure above.
EB-4 (Special Immigrants)
EB-4, including the Certain Religious Workers subcategory, carries the same Final Action Date of 15 July 2022 across every country this month — China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and all others alike. So for EB-4, the relevant question is simply whether your priority date falls before that single July 2022 cutoff.
EB-5 (Immigrant Investors)
The investor categories split in two. Under EB-5 Unreserved, China has a Final Action Date of 22 September 2016 and India of 1 May 2022, while Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries are Current. The three set-aside categories — Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure — are Current for every country this month, including China and India. That makes the set-aside paths the one corner of the employment-based system where China- and India-born investors face no cutoff date right now.
For your own category and country, the Visa Bulletin Tracker reads the exact cell for you, and the Priority Date Calculator tells you instantly whether a specific priority date is current.
What moved from May 2026
Below is a plain look at which Final Action Dates changed since the May 2026 bulletin. Movement was concentrated in a few specific rows. Most categories and countries showed no change from May, while a few India and China rows did move; the details follow. Every date is taken directly from the official Department of State charts for the two months.
In EB-1, India retrogressed from 1 April 2023 to 15 December 2022, a step backward of about three and a half months. China, Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries were unchanged.
In EB-2, India retrogressed from 15 July 2014 to 1 September 2013, a step backward of about ten months. This is the most pronounced move on the chart this month. The figures for China, Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries were unchanged in this category.
In the main EB-3 line, China advanced from 15 June 2021 to 1 August 2021, and India advanced from 15 November 2013 to 15 December 2013. Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries were unchanged.
In EB-3 Other Workers, China advanced from 1 February 2019 to 1 April 2019, and India advanced from 15 November 2013 to 15 December 2013. Mexico, the Philippines, and all other countries were unchanged.
Every other category and country we track — EB-4, EB-4 Religious Workers, and the EB-5 Unreserved and set-aside lines (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) — held steady between May and June, showing no movement in their Final Action Dates. We do not read any direction into these moves or predict where the dates go next; a flat month is normal, a retrogression month is also normal, and the underlying drivers are visa-number availability and demand. To see how each of these dates has trended across the last 13 months rather than just two, our EB Visa Bulletin Trends chart plots the full trajectory by category and country.
Who should pay attention
A few groups stand out this month. India-born EB-2 applicants are most directly affected: a roughly ten-month retrogression in the cutoff means anyone whose priority date sits between 1 September 2013 and 15 July 2014 — current last month — is no longer current in June. India-born EB-1 applicants face a smaller but still meaningful step back. On the other side, China- and India-born EB-3 applicants whose priority dates fall in the few weeks of new movement may now be reachable. The EB-5 set-aside categories remain Current for every country, which keeps them an option worth understanding for investors from heavily backlogged countries. And anyone whose category is Current should remember that "Current" reflects this month only and is not a guarantee for the months ahead. We are not predicting where any of these dates will go; we are describing only what the June 2026 chart shows.
A note on retrogression
Cutoff dates do not only move forward. A date can sit still for months, and it can also move backward — a phenomenon called retrogression — when demand outpaces the visa numbers available, which tends to happen later in the government's fiscal year (October through September). The EB-1 and EB-2 India moves this month are examples of exactly that pattern. Because of this, a category that is Current or fast-moving today can tighten with little notice. We do not forecast specific movement in this series; for the mechanics of why dates retrogress and how they usually recover when the new fiscal year begins, see our guide on how the Visa Bulletin works.
This analysis is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The official Visa Bulletin and USCIS guidance always control, and immigration law is complex and fact-specific. For advice about your individual situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney or accredited representative.
Frequently asked questions
USCIS announces the chart it accepts for employment-based adjustment-of-status filings each month, separately from the Department of State's Visa Bulletin. Always confirm the current month's instruction on the USCIS adjustment-of-status filing charts page before you file, since USCIS can choose a different chart in any given month.
Current, shown as 'C' in the bulletin, means there is no backlog for that category and country. A visa number is available to anyone with a valid priority date, so you are not waiting on a cutoff date to reach you.
Yes. Cutoff dates often sit still for a month or more, especially later in the government fiscal year when annual or per-country limits are tight. A flat month does not mean anything has gone wrong with your case, and we do not predict which direction a date will move next.
We publish a new read of the employment-based Visa Bulletin each month after the U.S. Department of State releases it. From next month onward, each edition will also note what changed since the prior month.
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