US visa bulletin: Major relief for Indian family-based green card applicants

The September US Visa Bulletin brought major advances for Indian family-sponsored green card applicants, particularly in F-1, F2B and F3 categories. However, EB-1 applicants faced little movement, with the State Department warning that high Indian demand could make the category unavailable

Washington: Indian families seeking permanent US residency through family-sponsored categories got relief as cut-off dates moved forward substantially this month, but there was little change for professionals keen on getting EB-1 visas.

The visa bulletin for September stated that the Final Action Date for China and India advanced from December 15, 2018, to January 22, 2020 for the F-1 categories that cover unmarried adult sons and daughters of US citizens.

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The September bulletin is the last for the current financial year, and new annual visa numbers will become available from October 1. The US federal government’s fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year.

“High demand and number use by aliens chargeable to India in the EB-1 visa category may necessitate making the category unavailable in the coming weeks if India’s pro-rated limit in the EB-1 category is reached before the fiscal year ends. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly,” the visa bulletin said.

The EB-1 category covers priority workers, including individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational corporate leadership roles.

For September, the EB-1 final action date for India is October 15, 2022. In general, an applicant must have a priority date earlier than the listed cutoff for an immigrant visa number to be available for final action, subject to other eligibility requirements.

The fiscal year 2026 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is 186,317, while the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at seven per cent of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 28,862. The dependent area limit is set at two per cent, or 8,247.

The Final Action Date for the F2A category, which covers spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents, also advanced by one month for most countries, including China, India and the Philippines, moving from July 22, 2026, to August 22, 2026.

The F2B category, which covers unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents, is one of September’s biggest beneficiaries. For most countries, including China and India, the Final Action Date advanced from January 1, 2018, to August 22, 2019  nearly 20 months of forward movement in a single Visa Bulletin. For the F3 category, covering married sons and daughters of US citizens, the Final Action Date advanced from May 15, 2012, to October 22, 2014 approximately 29 months forward.