The October 2026 US Visa Bulletin brings fresh green card updates for Indian professionals waiting for permanent residency in America.
Released at the beginning of the 2027 US fiscal year, the bulletin includes changes to employment-based visa categories, with renewed availability in EB-2 India and unreserved EB-5 India.
For thousands of Indian workers, including professionals pursuing permanent residency through employment, these changes matter because visa availability depends on category-specific cutoff dates and the applicant’s priority date.
However, the latest bulletin does not mean every applicant will receive a green card immediately.
October 2026 US Visa Bulletin: Key Changes for Indians
The US Department of State’s October bulletin lists updated final action dates for employment-based green card applications. These dates determine which applicants can proceed towards visa issuance, subject to eligibility and other requirements.
For Indian applicants, the EB-1 category has a final action date of February 1, 2023.
The EB-2 category has a cutoff date of November 1, 2013, while EB-3 skilled workers and professionals have a cutoff date of January 1, 2014.
The EB-5 unreserved category for Indian applicants has a final action date of December 1, 2023.
This category covers eligible investors applying through the standard, unreserved EB-5 route.
These dates apply specifically to applicants chargeable to India.
Applicants should check their own category and priority date rather than assuming that all Indian green card applications will move forward at the same pace.
EB-2 and EB-5 India See Renewed Availability
One of the notable developments in the October bulletin is the renewed availability of EB-2 India and the unreserved EB-5 India category following their unavailability in September.
The EB-2 category generally covers professionals holding advanced degrees and individuals whose work meets the applicable exceptional-ability criteria.
Eligibility depends on the relevant immigration requirements and the details of the applicant’s case.
The EB-5 programme, meanwhile, is designed for qualifying immigrant investors who meet the programme’s investment and job-creation requirements.
The unreserved category is distinct from the programme’s set-aside categories, which cover qualifying investments in designated areas or projects.
Although renewed availability allows eligible applicants to be considered under the applicable rules, it does not guarantee approval.
Applicants must still satisfy the relevant requirements, and visa issuance depends on the applicable final action date and individual circumstances.
What the Green Card Cutoff Dates Mean
The Visa Bulletin uses priority dates and cutoff dates to manage the availability of immigrant visas when demand exceeds the number of visas available.
A priority date generally reflects the applicant’s place in the immigration queue, with the precise rule depending on the petition category.
When a category has a published final action date, applicants generally need a priority date earlier than that cutoff to qualify for visa issuance under the relevant availability rules.
A category marked as current has no cutoff-date restriction for the relevant month, although applicants must still meet all other requirements.
The October 2026 US Visa Bulletin should therefore be read category by category.
Movement in EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 or EB-5 does not automatically change the position of applicants in another category.
The published dates also do not provide a guaranteed individual waiting time. Future monthly bulletins may advance, hold or move cutoff dates backwards depending on demand and the availability of visa numbers.
What Indian Green Card Applicants Should Check Next
Indian professionals waiting for employment-based permanent residency should review their approved petition details, priority dates and applicable visa categories.
They should also confirm which filing chart the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) permits applicants to use for adjustment-of-status applications in the relevant month.
For October 2026, applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories when determining eligibility to file adjustment-of-status applications, according to the applicable USCIS guidance.
Applicants should consult the official Visa Bulletin and USCIS instructions before submitting documents or making immigration plans.
Those with pending applications may also wish to discuss category-specific developments with a qualified immigration professional.
The October bulletin offers renewed visa availability in certain Indian employment-based categories, but the impact on each applicant depends on the applicable cutoff date, priority date, eligibility and individual case status.
