April 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 Goes Current for Most Countries
The Department of State just released the April 2026 Visa Bulletin, and the numbers tell a story that employment-based green card applicants haven't seen in years. EB-2 Final Action Dates for all countries except China and India are now current. EB-2 India jumped 10 months in a single bulletin cycle. And EB-1 remains current for most of the world.
If you've been waiting to file your I-485, this is likely the best window you'll get this fiscal year. ⏰
📅 What Actually Changed
EB-1 (Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researchers, Multinational Managers)
Final Action Dates for EB-1 worldwide, Mexico, and the Philippines remain current. No priority date restrictions, no waiting. India and China both advanced one month to April 1, 2023. Dates for Filing hold steady at December 1, 2023 for India and China. Everyone else: current.
For EB-1A and O-1 petitioners from most countries, this is business as usual. The category has been current for months. But for India-born EB-1A candidates, the steady forward movement signals that USCIS is working through the backlog, even if the pace feels incremental.
EB-2 (Advanced Degree Professionals, National Interest Waiver)
This is where the April bulletin delivers. ✅ Final Action Dates for worldwide, Mexico, and the Philippines moved from October 15, 2024 to current. That's not incremental. That's the elimination of the queue.
EB-2 India advanced from September 2013 to July 15, 2014 on Final Action. A 10-month leap in a single bulletin. On the Dates for Filing chart (which USCIS has confirmed it will use for April), India moved to January 15, 2015 — a 2.5-month advance.
China holds at September 1, 2021 (Final Action) and January 1, 2022 (Dates for Filing). No movement there.
What USCIS Is Telling Filers
USCIS confirmed it will use the Dates for Filing chart for all employment-based categories in April. This is the more generous chart. If your priority date is before the cutoff on Dates for Filing, you can submit your I-485 adjustment of status application, even if your Final Action Date hasn't arrived yet.
⚠️ Why This Movement Is Happening (And Why It May Not Last)
The movement traces to two factors — and understanding both is the difference between acting intelligently and acting too late.
First, the presidential proclamations (10949 and 10998) suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries have reduced consular processing demand. When fewer visas are issued overseas, more numbers become available for domestic adjustment of status applicants. The freeze effectively redirected visa availability toward U.S.-based filers.
Second, we're in the second half of fiscal year 2026. DOS typically advances dates aggressively in Q2 and Q3 to ensure visa numbers don't go unused. If demand undershoots projections, dates move forward. If it overshoots, they retrogress.
That retrogression risk is real. The dramatic forward movement we've seen across FY2026 — particularly in EB-2 — could reverse if a surge of I-485 filings hits USCIS. The 75-country freeze lawsuits are also pending. If courts lift the freeze, consular demand returns and visa availability tightens. These numbers are favorable right now. Whether they hold through summer is genuinely uncertain. We've written previously about why retrogression happens and what it means for EB-1 and NIW petitioners.
🎯 What This Means for EB-1A Petitioners
EB-1A remains the strongest employment-based pathway for established professionals with documented track records. The category is current for all countries except India and China, and even those backlogs are modest compared to EB-2.
For India-born EB-1A candidates specifically, the calculus is worth revisiting. EB-1 India Final Action sits at April 1, 2023. EB-2 India Final Action is now July 15, 2014. That's nearly a nine-year gap. If you qualify for EB-1A under the Kazarian two-step framework (8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)), the faster processing timeline is significant.
We regularly work with professionals who filed NIW petitions early in their careers and later upgraded to EB-1A as their achievements matured. What changes is the evidence profile — sustained acclaim, broader adoption of your work, recognition from peers outside your immediate institution. If your profile has grown since your original I-140 was filed, it may be worth a conversation about whether EB-1A now closes the case faster than waiting out the EB-2 backlog. Our EB-1A vs. NIW comparison guide walks through the decision framework in detail.
🎯 What This Means for NIW Petitioners
For NIW applicants from most countries, the path to a green card just got shorter. EB-2 going current on Final Action means no priority date backlog. If your I-140 is approved (or concurrently filed), you can file your I-485 immediately. We covered this window in depth when EB-2 ROW first went current in March — read that post here.
Under the Dhanasar framework (26 I&N Dec. 884), NIW remains the strongest option for early and mid-career researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals whose work has national importance but who haven't yet accumulated the sustained acclaim required for EB-1A. The three-prong test rewards forward-looking impact over retrospective achievement.
For India-born NIW petitioners, the 10-month jump on Final Action is encouraging, but context matters. Your priority date still needs to predate July 15, 2014 for final action, or January 15, 2015 for filing eligibility. If you filed your I-140 after those dates, you're waiting regardless of the movement. The value here is directional: the backlog is shrinking, not growing.
✅ Action Items for Current Petitioners
If your EB-2 priority date is now current (worldwide, Mexico, Philippines):
File your I-485 as soon as possible. Use the Dates for Filing chart. Don't wait for the May bulletin. Current status can retrogress.
If you're India-born with an EB-2 priority date before January 15, 2015:
You're eligible to file under the Dates for Filing chart. Contact your attorney to prepare your I-485 package now.
If you're considering EB-1A vs. NIW:
The gap between EB-1 and EB-2 wait times for India just got wider on Final Action. If you have a strong EB-1A case, the priority date advantage is measured in years, not months.
If you haven't filed your I-140 yet:
This bulletin is a signal, not a guarantee. The window for current EB-2 worldwide may close. Filing sooner locks in your priority date.
⚠️ The 75-Country Freeze: An Important Caveat
The presidential proclamation suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries remains in effect. If you're subject to consular processing (not adjustment of status inside the U.S.), these favorable bulletin numbers may not help you immediately. Lawsuits challenging the freeze are pending in federal court. We're monitoring those closely.
For U.S.-based applicants filing I-485 through adjustment of status, the freeze doesn't directly affect your filing eligibility. But it does affect the supply-demand dynamics that created these favorable numbers in the first place.
🔭 Looking Ahead
The April 2026 bulletin is one of the most favorable we've seen for employment-based applicants in recent memory. But favorable conditions in immigration law tend to be temporary. Visa numbers are finite, policy changes are unpredictable, and retrogression can happen with a single month's bulletin.
If you're eligible to act, act now. If you're unsure whether your case qualifies for EB-1A or NIW, or whether this bulletin creates a filing opportunity you didn't have before, schedule a consultation. The difference between filing in April and waiting until May could be the difference between current and backlogged.
Fraser Immigration Law PLLC focuses exclusively on employment-based U.S. immigration, including EB-1A extraordinary ability, EB-2 National Interest Waiver, and O-1A/O-1B petitions. Attorney Shaune D. Fraser is a Best Lawyers® and Super Lawyers® multiple-time awarded immigration lawyer recognized for strategic petition development and successful outcomes in complex cases.
