U.S. Visa Bulletin for June 2026: What You Need to Know

What the latest priority date movements mean for family-sponsored and employment-based applicants

Each month, the U.S. Department of State releases its Visa Bulletin, a document that, for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, determines whether they can take the next step toward a U.S. green card. The June 2026 edition (Bulletin No. 15, Volume XI) brings a mixed picture: encouraging movement in several family-sponsored categories, a notable retrogression for India in top employment-based categories, and pointed warnings about what may still come before the fiscal year closes on September 30, 2026.

To read the bulletin correctly, it helps to understand its two key charts. The Final Action Dates chart tells you when a green card can actually be approved — when your priority date is earlier than the date listed, you may receive your visa. The Dates for Filing chart, when authorized by USCIS, allows applicants to submit their adjustment of status paperwork ahead of final approval, getting into the queue before the final action date is technically reached. USCIS announces monthly at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo which chart applies for adjustment of status filings that month.

For June, USCIS has directed applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart for family-sponsored categories and the Final Action Dates chart for employment-based categories when filing adjustment of status applications.

Family-Sponsored Categories

The family preference categories cover several distinct relationships: unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (F1), spouses and children of permanent residents (F2A), unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents (F2B), married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (F3), and brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens (F4). These categories carry annual numerical limits, which is why priority dates exist in the first place.

The June 2026 bulletin delivers broadly positive news on the family side. F1, F2B, and F4 categories have seen meaningful forward movement of three to seven months across most chargeability areas. F3 saw a modest advance. Crucially, no retrogression was recorded in any family-based category this month, a welcome contrast with the turbulence visible on the employment side.

FINAL ACTION DATES: FAMILY-SPONSORED

The F2A category, covering spouses and children of lawful permanent residents, deserves special attention this month. Under the Final Action Dates chart, F2A stands at January 1, 2025 for most countries. However, under the Dates for Filing chart, F2A is listed as Current for every country, meaning spouses and children of green card holders with any priority date may file adjustment of status paperwork immediately, provided USCIS has authorized use of that chart.

Additionally, the bulletin notes that F2A numbers exempt from the per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than January 1, 2024. F2A numbers subject to per-country limits are available to applicants from all countries except Mexico with priority dates beginning January 1, 2024 and earlier than January 1, 2025. All F2A numbers provided for Mexico are exempt from the per-country limit.

DATES FOR FILING: FAMILY-SPONSORED

Employment-Based Categories

The employment-based side of this bulletin is where the most consequential news sits. The Department of State has explicitly acknowledged that elevated demand from certain countries has made retrogression necessary, and has warned that more adjustments could follow before September 30.

The broader context matters here. Presidential Proclamation 10949 and Presidential Proclamation 10998, along with updated immigrant visa processing guidance for certain nationalities, have reduced consular visa issuances for applicants from certain countries. To ensure that annually available numbers are not left unused, the Department of State had been advancing priority dates across categories in earlier months. But as demand from other countries has caught up, the bulletin now warns that retrogression may be necessary in the upcoming months to keep issuances within annual limits, and that some categories may become Unavailable prior to the end of the fiscal year if annual limits, category limits, or pro-rated per-country limits are reached.

FINAL ACTION DATES: EMPLOYMENT-BASED

INDIA EB-1 AND EB-2 RETROGRESSION

The most significant development in the June bulletin is the retrogression of India’s EB-1 and EB-2 Final Action Dates. India’s EB-1 date has moved backward to December 15, 2022; down from April 1, 2023 in May. India’s EB-2 date holds at September 1, 2013. The State Department has stated plainly that high demand and number use by India-born applicants in these categories made retrogression necessary to stay within the FY 2026 annual limit. Further retrogression, or outright unavailability, remains possible in the coming months if India’s pro-rated limits are reached before the fiscal year ends.

Applicants who had already filed Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) before the retrogression are not required to refile. A pending application is not undone by retrogression, but final adjudication must await a current priority date. Those who had not yet filed but were planning to based on the May dates should consult the current chart carefully before acting.

The Dates for Filing chart for India EB-1 and EB-2 held steady at December 1, 2023 and January 15, 2015 respectively meaning if USCIS authorizes use of the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based categories in a future month, some India-born applicants may still be able to file ahead of the Final Action Date.

CHINA EB-2 WARNING

The bulletin also flags China’s EB-2 category as one to watch. The Department notes that sufficient demand and increased number use by China-born applicants in EB-2 may require retrogression of the final action date, currently September 1, 2021, or outright unavailability before fiscal year’s end. No retrogression has occurred yet, but the warning is explicit and should be taken seriously by affected applicants.

PHILIPPINES EB-3 WARNING

Similarly, the bulletin flags the Philippines EB-3 category. The Final Action Date is currently August 1, 2023 for the Philippines, and the State Department warns that retrogression or unavailability is possible in coming months. Philippines-born applicants in EB-3 would be well-advised to monitor the next bulletin closely.

INDIA EB-5 UNRESERVED WARNING

India’s EB-5 Unreserved category faces perhaps the most urgent timeline. The bulletin notes that retrogression or unavailability may be necessary in the next month, meaning July, to hold issuances within the FY 2026 annual limit. The current Final Action Date for India EB-5 Unreserved is May 1, 2022. Applicants in this pathway should treat this warning as particularly time-sensitive.

DATES FOR FILING: EMPLOYMENT-BASED

EB-5 SET-ASIDE CATEGORIES: A BRIGHT SPOT

Amid the volatility, the EB-5 set-aside categories stand out as a consistently available option. The Rural (20% reserve), High Unemployment Area (10% reserve), and Infrastructure (2% reserve) sub-categories within EB-5 are all listed as Current for every country, including India and China, under both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts. For investors who qualify under these targeted employment area designations, June 2026 represents a notable window of opportunity.

Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery: June 2026

The Diversity Immigrant Visa program, commonly known as the green card lottery, makes approximately 52,000 visas available each fiscal year to nationals of countries with historically low immigration to the United States. The FY 2026 DV annual limit has been reduced from the statutory 55,000 to approximately 52,000 due to NACARA allocations and adjustments under the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2024.

For June, the DV category cutoff numbers are as follows:

The bulletin also provides the cutoff numbers that will apply in July 2026: Africa moves to 55,000 (Algeria 40,000; Egypt 31,000); Asia to 35,000 (Nepal 13,000); Europe to 23,000; Oceania to 1,700; and South America and the Caribbean to 3,300. North America (Bahamas) remains at 50.

DV-2026 selectees should be mindful that their entitlement to immigrant status expires on September 30, 2026, the end of the fiscal year. Visas cannot be issued after that date, and there is no guarantee that numbers will remain available through September. DV applicants whose numbers fall within June’s cutoffs should move quickly to complete their processing.

Annual Limits and the FY 2026 Backdrop

For context, the fiscal year 2026 family-sponsored preference limit is set at 226,000 under Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The worldwide employment-based preference level is at least 140,000. The per-country limit is fixed at 7% of the combined family and employment totals, amounting to 25,620, and the dependent area limit is 2%, or 7,320. These are the constraints that make oversubscription, priority dates, and retrogression a persistent feature of U.S. immigration for nationals of high-demand countries like India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Allocations in both charts were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates based on demand received by May 4, 2026. When demand in a particular country and category exceeded what could be satisfied within the numerical limits, that category was deemed oversubscribed, and the final action date was set to the priority date of the first applicant who could not be accommodated.

What to Watch Going Forward

The State Department has been unusually explicit in this bulletin about potential future disruptions. The language used, warnings about retrogression in the upcoming months and categories becoming Unavailable, reflects the systemic pressure that arises as the fiscal year winds down and available visa numbers get used up. The most affected applicants to watch are India-born EB-1, EB-2, and EB-5 Unreserved applicants; China-born EB-2 applicants; and Philippines-born EB-3 applicants.

For family-based applicants, the picture is more stable, but the wait times reflected in the Final Action Dates are a reminder of how long these journeys can be; particularly for Mexico and Philippines F3 and F4 applicants, whose priority dates still sit in the early 2000s.

The next bulletin, for July 2026, will be released in mid-June. Anyone monitoring a category flagged in this month’s warnings should check it immediately upon release.

Take the Next Step with Confidence

Knowing what the visa bulletin says is just the first step; knowing what to do with that information is where it really counts.

AgoraVisa works with professionals and families to make sense of priority dates, weigh their options, and build well-prepared applications from start to finish.

Begin your journey at agoravisa.com

Ademide Kolawole

Hi! I’m Ademide, a content strategist and digital marketer who loves helping brands grow through better storytelling, smarter SEO, and impactful content.

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