Quick Take
The U.S. Department of State released the June 2026 Visa Bulletin in mid-May. The bulletin is the official monthly chart that decides who can move forward with a green card and who has to keep waiting. If you are in line for a family-based or employment-based visa, this is the document that tells you when your turn arrives.
Here is the short version of what changed between the May 2026 and the June 2026 bulletins:
- F2A (spouses and minor children of green card holders) advanced five months on the Final Action Dates chart, from August 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 for almost every country. The Dates for Filing chart for F2A remains Current.
- F2B (unmarried adult children of green card holders) advanced four months on the Final Action Dates chart for most countries, and advanced on the Dates for Filing chart as well.
- F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) advanced about two months on Final Action Dates and about three and a half months on Dates for Filing for most countries.
- F1 and F3 stayed flat on the Final Action Dates chart for All Chargeability Areas.
- EB-4 (which controls SIJS green cards) did not move and remains stuck at July 15, 2022 for every country.
- EB-1 and EB-2 retrogressed for India. EB-1 India moved back to December 15, 2022 and EB-2 India moved back to September 1, 2013.
- USCIS still requires employment-based filers to use Final Action Dates and family-based filers to use Dates for Filing for Form I-485 in June 2026.
If you have been watching your priority date for months or years, the headline question is simple: did anything move for you? The detailed sections below walk through every category that matters for the families and clients I work with in Massachusetts.
A Refresher: How to Read This Bulletin
The Visa Bulletin lists two charts each month for the family-sponsored and employment-based categories. Each chart shows a date for each preference category and country. If your priority date (the date USCIS or the Department of State received your I-130, I-140, or I-360 petition) is earlier than the date listed for your category and country, you may move forward.
The two charts are different. The Final Action Dates chart controls when a green card can actually be issued or approved. The Dates for Filing chart is usually further along and controls when applicants can submit their adjustment of status application or their documents to the National Visa Center.
Each month, USCIS announces on its website which chart can be used for filing Form I-485 (adjustment of status) inside the United States. For consular cases handled at U.S. embassies abroad, the National Visa Center generally relies on the Dates for Filing chart to schedule interviews.
If this is unfamiliar territory, my earlier guide on Understanding the Visa Bulletin and Priority Dates walks through the basics in plain language.
Which Chart Applies in June 2026
For June 2026, USCIS confirmed that family-sponsored adjustment of status applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart, and employment-based adjustment of status applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart. This is the same split that applied in May 2026.
The practical effect is good news for family-based filers. If you are a family-based applicant with a priority date earlier than the relevant Dates for Filing date, you can file your green card application even if your final approval will not come until your date is current under Final Action Dates. Employment-based filers, by contrast, only qualify to file when their priority date is current under the stricter Final Action Dates chart.
Action item: Always check the USCIS Visa Bulletin Information page (uscis.gov/visabulletininfo) before filing Form I-485. USCIS posts which chart applies for the month. The chart that applies can change month to month.
Family-Based Categories: A Closer Look
F1: Unmarried Adult Children of U.S. Citizens
The F1 Final Action Date held steady at September 1, 2017 for All Chargeability Areas, China, and India. Mexico advanced from August 15, 2007 to November 8, 2007, about three months. The Philippines stayed flat at May 1, 2013. The Dates for Filing chart for F1 did not move at all, staying at October 1, 2018 for All Chargeability Areas, China, and India, October 1, 2008 for Mexico, and April 22, 2015 for the Philippines.
F2A: Spouses and Minor Children of Green Card Holders
F2A advanced again. The Final Action Date moved forward five months, from August 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 for All Chargeability Areas, China, India, and the Philippines. For Mexico, the Final Action Date advanced from August 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024.
The F2A Dates for Filing chart remains Current for every country. That means anyone with a pending I-130 in F2A who is otherwise eligible can file Form I-485 right now, without waiting for a particular priority date.
The bulletin also keeps the special note about the per-country limit. F2A numbers exempt from the per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than January 1, 2024. F2A numbers subject to the per-country limit are available for all countries except Mexico with priority dates beginning January 1, 2024 and earlier than January 1, 2025.
F2B: Unmarried Adult Children of Green Card Holders
F2B moved this month. The Final Action Date advanced four months, from May 22, 2017 to September 22, 2017 for All Chargeability Areas, China, and India. Mexico stayed at February 15, 2009 and the Philippines stayed at April 8, 2013. On the Dates for Filing chart, F2B advanced about two and a half months for All Chargeability Areas, China, and India, from January 1, 2018 to March 22, 2018. Mexico and the Philippines did not move on the Dates for Filing chart.
F3: Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens
F3 held steady. The Final Action Date stayed at February 15, 2012 for All Chargeability Areas, China, and India. Mexico stayed at May 1, 2001 and the Philippines stayed at November 22, 2005. The Dates for Filing chart also did not move, remaining at December 8, 2012 for most countries.
F4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens
F4 Final Action Dates advanced about two months for All Chargeability Areas and China, from September 15, 2008 to November 8, 2008. India did not move and remains at November 1, 2006. Mexico stayed at April 8, 2001 and the Philippines stayed at July 15, 2007. On Dates for Filing, F4 advanced about three and a half months for All Chargeability Areas and China, from September 1, 2009 to December 22, 2009. India, Mexico, and the Philippines stayed flat on the Dates for Filing chart.
Brazilian community note: Brazil falls under "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed" on every chart. Your priority date is measured against the All Chargeability Areas column, not Mexico, China, India, or the Philippines.
Family-Based Final Action Dates at a Glance
| Category | May 2026 (All Areas) | June 2026 (All Areas) | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | September 1, 2017 | September 1, 2017 | No change |
| F2A | August 1, 2024 | January 1, 2025 | +5 months |
| F2B | May 22, 2017 | September 22, 2017 | +4 months |
| F3 | February 15, 2012 | February 15, 2012 | No change |
| F4 | September 15, 2008 | November 8, 2008 | ~+2 months |
SIJS and EB-4: Still Waiting
The Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) category is the one that controls Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) green cards. In June 2026, EB-4 did not move. The Final Action Date stayed at July 15, 2022 for every country, and the Dates for Filing chart stayed at January 1, 2023 for every country.
That means SIJS recipients with priority dates after July 15, 2022 still cannot have their I-485 applications approved or have a visa issued at a consulate. Children with approved I-360 SIJS petitions and more recent priority dates remain in the same waiting line they were in last month, watching this date inch forward when it moves at all.
For most of 2024 and 2025, EB-4 was retrogressed by years. The category sat far below the dates many SIJS youth needed. The current July 15, 2022 date reflects gradual progress, but the wait for many young people remains long. If you or a family member has an approved I-360 with a priority date in 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026, the path forward in June 2026 is the same as last month: keep your address current with USCIS, keep any work authorization renewed, watch each new bulletin, and consult with your attorney about deferred action and other interim protections that may be available.
For more on how SIJS works as a whole, see What Is SIJS? A Guide to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
Employment-Based Categories
The Big Employment Story: EB-1 and EB-2 India Retrogress
The most significant employment-based change in June 2026 is a retrogression for India. The EB-1 Final Action Date for India moved backward about three and a half months, from April 1, 2023 to December 15, 2022. The EB-2 Final Action Date for India moved backward about ten and a half months, from July 15, 2014 to September 1, 2013.
The Department of State explained that high demand and heavy number use by applicants chargeable to India made these retrogressions necessary to keep issuance within the fiscal year 2026 annual limit. The bulletin warns that further retrogression, or making the categories unavailable, may be necessary in the coming months. The Department also flagged that EB-2 China and EB-3 Philippines could face retrogression later in the fiscal year, and that EB-5 unreserved for India could retrogress as soon as next month.
EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 for Other Countries
For All Chargeability Areas (which includes Brazil), Mexico, and the Philippines, EB-1 and EB-2 remained Current on the Final Action Dates chart. EB-3 stayed at June 1, 2024 for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico, and at August 1, 2023 for the Philippines. EB-3 for China advanced about six weeks, from June 15, 2021 to August 1, 2021, and EB-3 for India advanced one month, from November 15, 2013 to December 15, 2013.
EB-3 Other Workers
The Other Workers subcategory stayed at February 1, 2022 on the Final Action Dates chart for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico, and at November 1, 2021 for the Philippines. China advanced two months, from February 1, 2019 to April 1, 2019, and India advanced one month, from November 15, 2013 to December 15, 2013.
EB-5
EB-5 Unreserved is Current for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines on both charts. China stayed at September 22, 2016 on the Final Action Dates chart and India stayed at May 1, 2022. The bulletin warns that increased demand from India in EB-5 may force retrogression or unavailability as soon as next month.
Why the Dates Are Moving
The Department of State explained the broad pattern in the June 2026 bulletin. Immigrant visa issuance from certain countries has gone down because of administration actions, including Presidential Proclamation 10949 and Presidential Proclamation 10998, plus other immigrant visa processing changes. To use the visa numbers available for fiscal year 2026, the Department advanced final action dates and dates for filing across a range of family categories in prior months.
The same passage warns that as additional demand materializes, or as administration actions are amended, the Department may need to retrogress dates later in the fiscal year. The India retrogressions in EB-1 and EB-2 this month are a concrete example. In other words, an advance is real when it happens, but it is not necessarily permanent. If your priority date becomes current, the safest strategy is usually to act rather than wait.
What Action Items Make Sense Right Now
If you are an F2A applicant inside the United States
The F2A Dates for Filing chart is still Current. If your green card holder spouse or parent has filed an I-130 for you and you are otherwise eligible, you may be able to file Form I-485 along with the I-130, or file the I-485 separately if the I-130 is already pending. Talk with your attorney about whether you qualify for adjustment of status, what unlawful presence issues might apply, and whether you also need any waivers.
If you are an F2B or F4 applicant with a priority date approaching
Both of these categories advanced this month. Make sure the National Visa Center has your most current address and email. If you receive a notice asking you to assemble documents, respond promptly. Confirm with your attorney whether your case will go through consular processing or adjustment of status, and check whether your priority date is now within the Dates for Filing cutoff.
If you are an EB-1 or EB-2 applicant chargeable to India
Your final action date moved backward this month. If you have not yet filed Form I-485 and your priority date is now later than the new cutoff, you will need to wait until the date advances past your priority date again. If you already filed in a prior month when your date was current, your pending application remains valid; the retrogression affects new filings. Talk with your attorney about timing and about keeping any work authorization and advance parole current while you wait.
If you have an approved SIJS I-360 with a priority date after July 15, 2022
Stay patient and stay prepared. Keep your address current with USCIS. Keep your work authorization (if any) renewed before it expires. Ask your attorney whether deferred action applies in your case. Document your continued residence and good moral character. When your priority date does become current, you want your file ready to file.
If you are unsure where you stand
The Visa Bulletin can be confusing even for lawyers. If you have a pending I-130, I-140, or I-360 and you are not certain how June 2026 affects your case, schedule a consultation. A short conversation with an immigration attorney can save you months of uncertainty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
The June 2026 bulletin brings real movement for several family-based categories, especially F2A, F2B, and F4. EB-4 stays frozen at July 15, 2022, which means SIJS youth with more recent priority dates still wait. The retrogression of EB-1 and EB-2 for India is a reminder that dates can and do move backward when demand is high.
If your case is touched by any of these changes, the practical advice is the same: confirm your priority date, check the chart that applies to your category and country, and act if the door is open. Dates can move backward as quickly as they move forward.
Need help understanding your priority date?
If you have a pending family-based or employment-based petition and want to know what the June 2026 Visa Bulletin means for you, contact me for a free, confidential consultation.
Schedule Your Free Consultation