India Green Card Priority Dates
Visa Bulletin, April 2026
Employment-Based Categories
| Category | Final Action Date | Backlog | Last Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 - Priority Workers | Apr 1, 2023 | 3 yrs | +31 days |
| EB-2 - Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability | Jul 15, 2014 | 11.7 yrs | +10 mo |
| EB-3 - Skilled Workers / Professionals | Nov 15, 2013 | 12.4 yrs | No movement |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Nov 15, 2013 | 12.4 yrs | No movement |
| EB-4 - Special Immigrants | Jul 15, 2022 | 3.7 yrs | +1 yr |
| EB-5 - Unreserved | May 1, 2022 | 3.9 yrs | No movement |
| EB-5 - Rural Set Aside | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 - High Unemployment Set Aside | Current | Current | Current |
| EB-5 - Infrastructure Set Aside | Current | Current | Current |
Family-Sponsored Categories
| Category | Final Action Date | Backlog | Last Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 - Unmarried Sons/Daughters of US Citizens | May 1, 2017 | 8.9 yrs | +5.7 mo |
| F2A - Spouses/Children of Permanent Residents | Feb 1, 2024 | 2.2 yrs | No movement |
| F2B - Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Residents | May 22, 2017 | 8.9 yrs | +5.7 mo |
| F3 - Married Sons/Daughters of US Citizens | Dec 22, 2011 | 14.3 yrs | +3.4 mo |
| F4 - Brothers/Sisters of Adult US Citizens | Nov 1, 2006 | 19.4 yrs | No movement |
India Green Card Priority Dates: 2026 Overview
India has some of the longest green card backlogs due to per-country visa limits and high demand. EB-2 and EB-3 wait times for Indian nationals often exceed 10 years. Tracking monthly visa bulletin movements helps applicants plan ahead.
Understanding priority dates for India
The U.S. Department of State publishes a monthly visa bulletin that sets cutoff dates for each green card category and country. If your priority date (the date your petition was filed) is earlier than the cutoff date, you are eligible to proceed with your green card application. The tables above show the current final action dates, estimated backlog in years, and the most recent monthly movement for each category.
Per-country visa limits
U.S. immigration law caps green cards for any single country at 7% of the total annual allocation. For high-demand countries like India, this creates long backlogs because the number of applicants far exceeds available visa numbers each year. That is why India applicants often wait much longer than applicants from countries without backlogs.