US Green Card September 2026 Bulletin: Why Some Indians Saw No Relief While Family Applicants Gained
The US September 2026 Visa Bulletin presents a mixed picture for Indian Green Card applicants. While several family-sponsored categories recorded movement, employment-based applicants—particularly those in India’s heavily backlogged categories—continue to face significant restrictions.
The key reason is the difference between visa demand and the annual numerical limits governing employment- and family-sponsored immigrant visas. India has a particularly large backlog in employment-based categories, resulting in prolonged waits for professionals seeking permanent residency.
For September, EB-2 India is listed as “Unavailable”, meaning immigrant visa numbers are not authorized for issuance in that category during the month. EB-5 India, unreserved, is also unavailable, while EB-1 India remains subject to a final action date of October 15, 2022 and faces a warning that high demand could make the category unavailable before the end of the fiscal year.
In contrast, family-sponsored categories have shown comparatively stronger movement. The September bulletin places India’s F2A final action date at August 22, 2026, while other family categories also have specified cut-off dates. This movement reflects the availability and allocation of visa numbers within the family-sponsored system.
The disparity highlights a longstanding policy challenge: high demand from Indian employment-based applicants continues to collide with statutory visa limits and per-country allocations. The September bulletin is also the final bulletin of fiscal year 2026, which ends on September 30. Visa availability can therefore change again when the new fiscal year begins on October 1, 2026.
For Indian applicants, the September bulletin therefore offers limited relief rather than a broad breakthrough. Family-sponsored applicants may benefit from advancing dates, while employment-based applicants remain constrained by backlogs, category limits and visa availability.
