2 weeks ago
EB-2 exhausted, EB-1 could close for Indian green card applicants
A green card is a card that lets people live and work in the United States for a long time.
The US only gives out a certain number of green cards every year.
When all those cards are handed out, people call that category 'unavailable.'
Many people from India want US green cards, and more people want them than there are cards.
This year, the US already used up all the cards in a group called EB-2 for Indian people.
Another group, called EB-1, might run out of cards too before October.
October 1 is when the US gets a fresh batch of visa numbers for the new year.
But a fresh batch does not fix the long line of people already waiting.
People who are ready are being told to submit their paperwork as soon as they can.
Everyone else should keep their visa status valid and keep waiting patiently.
The US has exhausted all EB-2 employment-based immigrant visas for Indian applicants for fiscal year 2026.
The US Department of State warned that EB-1 India could become unavailable before September 30 due to high demand.
The State Department announced in May that India's full FY 2026 EB-2 quota had been used, making the category unavailable for the rest of the year.
New employment-based visa numbers reset on October 1, 2026, when FY 2027 begins, but the reset does not automatically eliminate the backlog.
Immigration attorney Sai Srinivas Reddy Bhumireddy advises applicants with current priority dates to file their I-485 before September 30.
- Who
- Indian professionals waiting for US employment-based green cards, the US Department of State, USCIS, and immigration attorney Sai Srinivas Reddy Bhumireddy
- What
- EB-2 India visas are unavailable for FY 2026, and EB-1 India may also become unavailable before September 30
- Where
- The United States immigration system
- When
- During fiscal year 2026, which ends on September 30, 2026, with new visa numbers arriving on October 1, 2026
- Why
- High demand and increased visa-number use by Indian applicants exhausted the country's annual employment-based quota
Key facts
- EB-2 India status
- Unavailable for FY 2026 after the quota was exhausted, as announced in May
- EB-1 India status
- Available but under pressure; may become unavailable before September 30
- FY 2026 end date
- September 30, 2026
- FY 2027 start date
- October 1, 2026, when annual visa numbers reset
- EB-1 eligibility
- Priority workers: extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, multinational executives and managers
- EB-2 eligibility
- Professionals with advanced degrees and people with exceptional ability
- EB-1A requirement
- Self-petition route generally requiring 3 of 10 criteria, such as published articles, patents, or judging others' work
- Key advice
- File I-485 before September 30 if the priority date is current; otherwise maintain valid status and monitor the queue
Quotes
Sai Srinivas Reddy Bhumireddy
US immigration attorney
““Given the high demand and number use specifically flagged for India in this category, I’d treat this as a likely outcome rather than just a precautionary note,” he said.”
financialexpress.com
““Unavailable is a complete stop, while retrogression is a temporary step back,” the attorney said.”
financialexpress.com









