June 2026 Visa Bulletin: India EB-1 and EB-2 Retrogress — What Employers and Applicants Need to Do Now

The Department of State's June 2026 Visa Bulletin delivers a hard blow to Indian-born employment-based green card applicants. EB-1 and EB-2 priority dates have moved sharply backward — what is called "retrogression" — and USCIS will continue to require the more restrictive Final Action Dates chart for adjustment of status filings in June.

The State Department is also warning that more retrogressions, and possibly category "unavailability," may follow before the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026.

If you are an Indian national in the EB-1 or EB-2 category — or your employer sponsors employees in those categories — the next four months matter enormously.

What Changed in the June Visa Bulletin

The headline development is the retrogression of India EB-1 and India EB-2 final action dates. Demand has outpaced supply at the highest preference levels, and the State Department has used retrogression to ration the remaining visa numbers through the end of fiscal year 2026.

USCIS will require the Final Action Dates chart, not the Dates for Filing chart, for employment-based adjustment of status filings in June. Practically, that means the bar for filing Form I-485 is higher and fewer applicants will be able to file this month than under the more permissive chart.

Key Takeaways

• India EB-1 and India EB-2 have retrogressed.

• All employment-based adjustment filers must use Final Action Dates in June.

• Further retrogressions are possible before September 30, 2026.

• Other countries also remain backlogged — review the bulletin for your category and chargeability.

Who Is Affected

The June bulletin reaches well beyond Indian nationals. Anyone whose priority date is close to a final action cutoff — particularly in EB-2 or EB-3 — should expect a tighter window and be ready to act quickly when dates move.

Employer-Sponsored Workers

• Indian-born employees in EB-1 or EB-2 with priority dates that were near current.

• Workers waiting on I-485 adjudication who may now face longer waits.

• Workers contemplating an EB-1 to EB-2 downgrade or upgrade.

H-1B Holders Approaching the Six-Year Limit

H-1B workers relying on AC21 extensions tied to an approved I-140 may not feel the bulletin directly, but the longer underlying queue means more years on extensions and more years of risk if a job change is required.

Cross-Chargeability Cases

If you are married to a spouse charged to a different country, cross-chargeability remains a potentially powerful tool — but only if pursued strategically.

What to Do This Week

1. Confirm Your Priority Date and Chargeability

Pull your I-140 approval notice. Confirm your priority date (almost always the date the PERM labor certification was filed, or the I-140 receipt date in EB-1 cases) and your country of chargeability — usually country of birth, not citizenship.

2. Check Whether You Can Still File I-485 in June

Compare your priority date to the Final Action Dates chart for June 2026. If you are current under Final Action Dates, you may file. If not, consider whether cross-chargeability through a spouse opens a door.

3. Reassess Job Mobility Plans

Retrogression lengthens the period during which AC21 protections matter most. Before changing employers, time the move against I-140 approval and I-485 pending status to preserve portability.

4. Document Everything

Maintain copies of every priority date notice, I-140 approval, EAD, advance parole, and travel record. As waits extend, clean records become essential to AC21 transfers, premium processing decisions, and any future motions to reopen.

What to Watch Next

The State Department's warning about further retrogression — and potential category unavailability — is the line that should not be glossed over. With approximately four months left in the fiscal year, visa allocations will be tightly managed. Expect movement, often unpredictable, in the July, August, and September bulletins.

How Vartanian Law Firm Can Help

Visa bulletin retrogressions are not just numbers on a chart — they reshape careers, family plans, and employer hiring strategies. Vartanian Law Firm helps individuals and employers stay ahead of these shifts with priority-date audits, AC21 portability strategy, EB-1 reclassification analysis, and concurrent or staggered family filings.

If you have questions about your priority date, your eligibility to file I-485 in June, or how your case may be affected by further retrogression this summer, contact Vartanian Law Firm to schedule a consultation.