The June 2026 Visa Bulletin shows that the EB-5 dates for Indian and Chinese applicants in the Unreserved category have not changed since May.
This category includes EB-5 petitions submitted before the 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act and those for projects outside of Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs).
However, the State Department (DOS) has warned that high demand could soon lead to a backlog or unavailability of final action dates for Indian applicants in this category “in the next month,” as it seeks to stay within the FY 2026 visa limit.
“The State Department’s note regarding potential action with the India EB-5 Unreserved Final Action Date is not totally unexpected”, Charles Oppenheim of WR Immigration said. “The State Department had been overly aggressive when they advanced the India Unreserved date to May 1, 2022, and this could ultimately require ‘corrective’ action later in the year. That prediction has come true”.
In the May Visa Bulletin, DHS had warned that the final action date for Indian unreserved applicants could move backward. Retrogression happens when high demand pushes the date back, making it more difficult for applicants with later priority dates to get their visas.
Oppenheim noted that all available EB-5 visa numbers for Indian applicants will be used under the FY 2026 limit.
“The only issue is that instead of the use of Indian numbers being spread out through (at least) the end of the summer, the limit is likely to be reached sooner than later. The result is the same, although it does raise some potentially unnecessary processing issues”.
Oppenheim, known as the “architect” of the Visa Bulletin, will be the keynote speaker at the EB-5 & Global Immigration Pitch Day in Silicon Valley on May 16, 2026.
EB-5 dates for applicants from China and India remain the same
The dates for EB5 applications remained current across all countries and categories, except for China and India in the Unreserved category.
The Final Action Date for China remained September 22, 2016, while the filing date changed to March 1, 2017. The EB-5 dates for Indian applicants are still May 1, 2022, for the Final Action Date and May 1, 2024, for the Filing Date.
The Visa Bulletin is essential for U.S. visa applicants because it is a monthly roadmap of when they can finally get a green card. It includes two important dates: the final action date, which indicates when a green card application can be approved, and the filing date, which shows when the visa application is submitted to USCIS and influences its priority and availability.
Want to learn more about your EB-5 visa options? Attend our EB-5 and H-1B Fair in Silicon Valley at the Juniper Hotel, Cupertino, on May 16. If you are a visa holder or a potential investor, contact us at info@eb5investors.com for a complimentary ticket.
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