The U.S. Department of State has released the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, the final bulletin of fiscal year 2026. For Indian employment-based green card applicants, the headline is largely one of stagnation rather than movement.

The most important takeaway: EB-1 India has not moved, while EB-2 India remains unavailable. And the State Department is warning that EB-1 India could become unavailable before September 30 if the remaining visa numbers are exhausted.

The key numbers for India

For September, the employment-based Final Action Dates are:

• EB-1 India: October 15, 2022 — unchanged
• EB-2 India: Unavailable
• EB-3 India: January 1, 2014 — unchanged

The EB-1 cutoff is therefore exactly where it was in August. There has been no additional forward movement despite September being the final month of the fiscal year.

EB-2 India is in a different position. It is marked “U” (Unavailable), meaning no additional immigrant visa numbers are authorized for the category during the remainder of FY2026. The State Department had already announced in May that all available FY2026 EB-2 numbers allocated to India had been used. The annual limits reset when FY2027 begins on October 1, 2026.

EB-1 India is holding but there is a warning

This is probably the most important part of the September bulletin for Indian EB-1 applicants.

Although the EB-1 India Final Action Date remains at October 15, 2022, the State Department has retained its warning that the category could become unavailable before the fiscal year ends.

The reason is straightforward: demand and visa-number usage from India remain high. If India's prorated allocation for EB-1 is exhausted before September 30, the category could be temporarily made unavailable.

So an applicant with a priority date earlier than October 15, 2022 is not simply waiting for the next monthly cutoff. There is also a fiscal-year-end deadline hanging over the category.

That does not mean EB-1 India will necessarily become unavailable. It means the State Department believes the possibility is serious enough to warn applicants in advance.

What about the Dates for Filing?

The September Dates for Filing chart gives India:

• EB-1: December 1, 2023
• EB-2: January 15, 2015
• EB-3: January 15, 2015

But applicants should be careful not to confuse these dates with Final Action Dates.

The Dates for Filing chart can determine when certain applicants may submit adjustment-of-status applications, but only when USCIS designates that chart for use. Applicants should therefore check USCIS's monthly adjustment-of-status filing-chart announcement before relying on the filing dates.

Why has the Indian backlog become so difficult?

The broader FY2026 picture helps explain why the September bulletin feels so restrictive.

The State Department has been managing immigrant visa numbers against annual and per-country limits while responding to changes in visa issuance and demand. Its September bulletin specifically notes that additional demand or changes in administration policies can require retrogression to keep visa issuances within statutory limits.

For India, the pressure is particularly visible because demand has accumulated over many years in employment-based categories.

The numbers tell the story. An EB-3 India Final Action Date of January 1, 2014 means that applicants with much newer priority dates remain far from final visa availability. EB-2 being unavailable adds another major bottleneck for Indian professionals.

Does October 1 change everything?

Not necessarily, but it is important.

October 1 marks the beginning of fiscal year 2027, when a new annual allocation of employment-based immigrant visas becomes available.

That means EB-2 India's current “Unavailable” status is not the same thing as the category being permanently closed. The State Department's annual allocation resets with the new fiscal year.

What happens after October 1 will depend on several factors, including the number of available visas, demand, priority-date distribution and how quickly visa numbers are consumed.

Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that October automatically means a dramatic jump forward.

A new fiscal year creates new visa-number availability, but it does not guarantee a particular cutoff date.

What should Indian applicants do now?

For applicants already in the employment-based process, September is a month to pay close attention to case status and priority dates.

If you are EB-1 India: check whether your priority date is current under the applicable USCIS filing rules and make sure there are no avoidable delays in your case. The possibility of EB-1 India becoming unavailable before September 30 makes the remaining weeks of FY2026 particularly important.

If you are EB-2 India: the immediate situation is more constrained. Since the category is already unavailable for FY2026, applicants should not interpret the September bulletin as a new filing opportunity for visa-number availability. The next major development will come with the FY2027 allocation beginning October 1.

If you are EB-3 India: the January 1, 2014 Final Action Date remains a reminder that this category continues to face an exceptionally long backlog.

And for anyone considering a move from EB-2/EB-3 toward another employment-based strategy, the Visa Bulletin is only one part of the analysis. Eligibility, evidence, petition strategy, priority date and the applicant's individual circumstances all matter.

Bottom line

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin does not provide the breakthrough many Indian employment-based applicants were hoping for.

EB-1 India: no movement.
EB-2 India: still unavailable.
EB-3 India: no movement.

The more immediate concern is EB-1 India's warning. The State Department says the category could become unavailable before September 30 if the remaining prorated visa numbers are exhausted.

For EB-2 India applicants, the focus now shifts toward October 1 and the beginning of FY2027, when new annual visa numbers become available.

The September bulletin is therefore less about a dramatic change in cutoff dates and more about understanding where the system stands at the end of a difficult fiscal year.

This post is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Visa availability and USCIS filing-chart designations can change, so applicants should verify the applicable dates and procedures with the U.S. Department of State and USCIS, and consider qualified immigration counsel for case-specific advice.