According to the August 2026 Visa Bulletin, employment-based first (EB-1) and second-preference (EB-2) green card categories remain current for all countries except China and India. This allows eligible applicants from most nations to file for green cards and pursue immigrant visas without cutoff-date delays. However, the EB-2 category for India remains completely unavailable.
For most countries, including Nepal, the EB-3 category for skilled workers advanced by one month, moving the priority date for filing green card applications and processing immigrant visas to September 1, 2024, for August. Cutoff dates for China, India, and the Philippines continue to differ from the rest of the world.
Similarly, the EB-3 category for other workers advanced by one month, reaching April 1, 2022, for filing applications and scheduling visa interviews. These dates also vary for applicants from China, India, and the Philippines.
Employment-based fourth-preference cases and religious worker categories moved forward by one month. The filing and interview date is now set at October 15, 2022, for applicants from all countries.
Under the fifth-preference category, investments in rural and high-unemployment areas remain current for August. Additionally, the category for EB-5 set-aside visas continues to be available without a cutoff date for eligible applicants.
Since January 21, the U.S. Department of State has barred immigrant visa issuance for citizens of Nepal and 74 other countries. Consequently, even applicants who have completed their interviews and all required steps are still not being issued visas, preventing them from traveling to the United States.
USCIS announced that for August, employment-based adjustment-of-status applicants within the United States must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Visa Bulletin to determine when they can file Form I-485.
While the agency permitted the use of the more flexible Dates for Filing chart through April, returning to the Final Action Dates chart narrows the pool of eligible applicants. Applicants cannot submit Form I-485 until their priority date is fully current under the Final Action Dates chart.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
