August 2026 Visa Bulletin: What Changed for Indians Compared to July?

The Department of State has released the August 2026 Visa Bulletin, and — with only two months left in Fiscal Year 2026 — the story it tells is one of two very different systems. Family-sponsored applicants saw some of the biggest advances of the year. Employment-based Indian applicants, by contrast, remain largely stuck, and DOS is now openly warning that things could get worse before FY2026 closes on September 30.

August 2026 - Visa Bulletin can be found here.

✅ Family-Based Categories: Meaningful Movement

Family-sponsored categories delivered the clearest good news this month.

• F2A (Spouses & Unmarried Children under 21 of Permanent Residents): The Final Action Date jumped from January 1, 2025 (July) to July 22, 2026 (August) — for India and every country except Mexico, which advanced to July 22, 2025. This is the single largest movement anywhere in the August bulletin. Note: the F2A Dates for Filing chart has separately remained current worldwide throughout — that's a different chart, not the same advancement, and the distinction matters for anyone deciding whether they can file now versus wait for final action.

• F1 (Unmarried Sons & Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Advanced from February 1, 2018 to December 15, 2018 for India.

• F2B (Unmarried Sons & Daughters, 21+, of Permanent Residents): Advanced from November 22, 2017 to January 1, 2018 for India.

• F3 (Married Sons & Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Advanced from April 15, 2012 to May 15, 2012 for India.

• F4 (Siblings of Adult U.S. Citizens): No change for India this month — it advanced for most other countries (January 1, 2009 → September 1, 2009), but India held at its prior date.

The Dates for Filing chart also moved forward in several family categories (F1, F2B, F3), giving applicants earlier access to begin document submission even before their Final Action Date arrives.

❌ Employment-Based Categories: Little to No Relief for India

• EB-1 India: Holds at October 15, 2022 — unchanged from July. DOS has explicitly cautioned that EB-1 India could become unavailable before the fiscal year ends if demand continues to draw down India's annual allocation. Applicants with cases near the current cutoff should treat the next few weeks as time-sensitive.

• EB-2 India: Remains Unavailable, with no change from July. DOS has also flagged that EB-2 more broadly could see retrogression or unavailability in the coming months if demand stays high. When (and to what date) EB-2 India reopens will depend on FY2027 allocations from October 1 onward — but DOS has not committed to a specific reopening date, so this is worth watching rather than assuming.

• EB-3 India: Unchanged on both the Final Action Date (January 1, 2014) and the Dates for Filing chart. No movement in either direction this month.

• EB-4 (including Certain Religious Workers): Advanced modestly worldwide, from September 15, 2022 to October 15, 2022 — this applies to India as well, though it's a small step.

• EB-5: Unreserved EB-5 for India remains Unavailable. All EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure) remain current worldwide, so investors filing under a reserved category are not affected by the India backlog.

📌 Chart to Use for August Filings

USCIS has confirmed the chart split for August:

• Employment-based adjustment of status filings must use the Final Action Dates chart (Chart A).

• Family-sponsored filings may use the more favorable Dates for Filing chart (Chart B).

This is a meaningful difference for family-based applicants in particular, since it can allow filing well ahead of when a visa number is actually available.

Key Takeaways for Indian Applicants

• Family-sponsored applicants got the real relief this month, led by F2A's substantial jump.

• Employment-based Indian professionals should not expect forward movement before FY2027 opens on October 1 — and even then, movement isn't guaranteed.

• EB-1 India applicants should treat the current window as urgent — DOS has warned the category may run out of numbers and become unavailable before September 30.

• EB-2 India remains closed, with DOS also warning of possible further tightening across EB-2 generally in the months ahead.

• File using the correct chart: Final Action Dates for employment-based, Dates for Filing for family-sponsored.

Bottom line: August 2026 is a strong month for Indian family-sponsored applicants and a stagnant one for employment-based applicants. With the fiscal year closing out, EB-1 India in particular bears close watching — a shift to "Unavailable" in the coming weeks would not be a surprise given DOS's own language.

This bulletin reflects DOS's August 2026 release, current FY2026 numbers, and category-specific guidance published by the Department of State. Visa Bulletin projections can shift month to month based on demand; applicants with cases near current cutoffs should monitor developments closely.