The U.S. Department of State published the latest July 2026 Visa Bulletin (see here), showing mixed developments for the Unreserved EB-5 category. While the cutoff date for China continues to advance, the India Unreserved EB-5 category will become unavailable in July. Meanwhile, all Reserved EB-5 categories will remain “Current.”
The cutoff date for China Unreserved EB-5 advances by 70 days, moving to December 1, 2016. Given the significant volume of I-526 petitions filed by Chinese investors during FY2016 (see our data dashboard here), the advancement beyond FY2016 suggests that a substantial portion of the pre-RIA Chinese backlog has now been cleared from the visa queue.
By contrast, after advancing nearly 900 days during the current fiscal year, the India Unreserved EB-5 category will become Unavailable in July. This indicates that all available visa numbers allocated to Indian applicants in the Unreserved category are expected to be fully utilized for FY2026. The July Visa Bulletin includes the following details regarding the unavailability of India Unreserved EB-5 visa numbers:
I. UNAVAILABILITY OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED FIFTH PREFERENCE (EB-5) UNRESERVED NUMBERS FOR INDIA
Due to high demand and number use by aliens chargeable to India in the EB-5 unreserved visa category, India’s prorated EB-5 unreserved limit was reached and the category is unavailable for the remainder of FY 2026. It is likely that in October the final action date will advance to at least the final action date announced in the June 2026 Visa Bulletin; however, the date is dependent on the demand for EB-5 unreserved numbers by Indian applicants and the FY 2027 annual limit on employment-based preference visas.
Like the previous months, the July Visa Bulletin does not include any warning language regarding potential cut-off dates for the Reserved categories. This confirms that all Reserved EB-5 categories are likely to remain current in the near future.
EB-5 FINAL ACTION DATES (CHART A)
The July Visa Bulletin reflects the following final action dates for EB-5 visa applicants:
-
Unreserved EB-5 Categories:
- China: December 1, 2016 (advances 70 days from June Visa Bulletin)
- India: Unavailable
- All Other Countries: “Current“
-
Reserved EB-5 Categories:
- All Countries: “Current”
(Chart A on the July 2026 Visa Bulletin)
EB-5 DATES FOR FILING (CHART B)
All Reserved EB-5 categories remain current, confirming that no filing cut-off dates apply in July. However, USCIS will not accept Chart B in July (see the following section for more details).
For the Unreserved EB-5 category, the Dates for Filing (Chart B) remain unchanged and are current for all applicants except those born in China or India:
- Chinese applicants: March 1, 2017 (unchanged);.
- Indian applicants: May 1, 2024 (unchanged).
(Chart B on the July 2026 Visa Bulletin)
USCIS AOS Filing Charts for July 2026
According to USCIS, the agency will accept only Chart A (Final Action Dates) for employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applications in July 2026. As a result, Chart B (Dates for Filing) cannot be used for employment-based AOS filings during the month.
USCIS states on its website:
Next Month’s Adjustment of Status Filing Charts
For Employment-Based Preference Filings:
For all employment-based preference categories, you must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for July 2026.
Stay informed with the latest EB-5 visa data through IIUSA’s EB-5 Visa Data Dashboard
