Visa Bulletin August 2026: EB-2 India Stays Unavailable, EB-3 Worldwide +31 Days
The August 2026 Visa Bulletin in detail: EB-2 India stays Unavailable, EB-3 worldwide advances 31 days, EB-3 China adds 10, and EB-1 China moves up 30. Every Final Action cell measured from the published bulletin - no predictions.
The August 2026 Visa Bulletin in detail: EB-2 India stays Unavailable, EB-3 worldwide advances 31 days, EB-3 China adds 10, and EB-1 China moves up 30. Every Final Action cell measured from the published bulletin - no predictions.
Final Action Dates this month
| Cell | Status | Final Action cutoff | Movement vs last month |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 India | cutoff date | 2022-10-15 | +0 days |
| EB-1 China (mainland born) | cutoff date | 2023-07-01 | +30 days |
| EB-1 All other countries | Current (C) | - | - |
| EB-2 India | Unavailable (U) | - | - |
| EB-2 China (mainland born) | cutoff date | 2021-09-01 | +0 days |
| EB-2 All other countries | Current (C) | - | - |
| EB-3 India | cutoff date | 2014-01-01 | +0 days |
| EB-3 China (mainland born) | cutoff date | 2022-01-01 | +10 days |
| EB-3 All other countries | cutoff date | 2024-09-01 | +31 days |
August's bulletin is a mixed picture, but for our readers the standout is India. EB-2 India remains Unavailable — it retrogressed to U in July and stays there for August — and EB-5 Unreserved for India is Unavailable as well, meaning no final-action numbers are being authorized in those categories. Given how much of the H-1B population sits in the India EB-2 line, that's the line to watch, even as several other categories held current or edged forward.
It's worth reading the movement next to State's own note this month: dates have been advancing lately partly because visa issuance rates have fallen under recent policy actions, not because the queues are genuinely clearing. In the same bulletin, State cautions that EB-1 India could turn unavailable within weeks and that worldwide EB-2 may retrogress in the months ahead. We don't forecast cut-off dates here — and you should be wary of anyone who claims to — but the honest read is that this month's forward motion is fragile. If you're India-chargeable in EB-2, treat August as a month to be filing-ready, not a sign the trend is on your side.
Movers
- Biggest advance: EB-3 All other countries moved forward 31 days.
- Biggest retrogression: none — no tracked cell retrogressed this month.
Status changes (C/U transitions)
- None this month.
Pace vs trailing 12 months
- EB-1 India: +0 days this month, slower than its trailing average of +20.2 days/month (12 months with movement).
- EB-1 China (mainland born): +30 days this month, faster than its trailing average of +16.5 days/month (12 months with movement).
- EB-2 China (mainland born): +0 days this month, slower than its trailing average of +21.7 days/month (12 months with movement).
- EB-3 India: +0 days this month, slower than its trailing average of +21.2 days/month (12 months with movement).
- EB-3 China (mainland born): +10 days this month, slower than its trailing average of +32.2 days/month (12 months with movement).
- EB-3 All other countries: +31 days this month, slower than its trailing average of +40.7 days/month (12 months with movement).
Source / method
All dates are employment-based Final Action Dates from the U.S. State Department Visa Bulletin for August 2026: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-for-august-2026.html. Movement figures are calendar-day changes in each cell's cutoff vs the previous bulletin. A cell showing C (Current) or U (Unavailable) has no movement number - the transition is recorded as a status change, not fabricated as movement. This report describes the published bulletin; it does not predict any future cutoff, approval, or green-card date.
Full priority-date tables and history: visasalaries.com/bulletin