The new US fiscal year has brought fresh Green Card numbers for Indian applicants, reopening an employment-based category that had run out of visas and moving the cutoff dates in several key categories. At the same time, the US is expanding social-media screening for some visa applicants from October 1, while immigration-related health coverage rules are also changing.
For Indians waiting for employment-based Green Cards, the biggest development is the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first bulletin of fiscal year 2027. The US State Department's new allocation restores availability in categories that had become unavailable at the end of fiscal year 2026.
EB-2 India reopens after visas ran out
India's EB-2 category is again available after the State Department announced in May that all available FY2026 EB-2 immigrant visas for India had been used. The department said the annual limits would reset on October 1, allowing qualified applicants to resume receiving visas under the new fiscal year.
Under the October Visa Bulletin, the EB-2 India Final Action Date is November 1, 2013. This means applicants with priority dates earlier than November 1, 2013 can potentially have their cases approved, subject to the other requirements of the immigration process.
{{/usCountry}}Under the October Visa Bulletin, the EB-2 India Final Action Date is November 1, 2013. This means applicants with priority dates earlier than November 1, 2013 can potentially have their cases approved, subject to the other requirements of the immigration process.
{{/usCountry}}India's EB-1 Final Action Date has advanced to February 1, 2023, while the EB-3 date is January 1, 2014. The unreserved EB-5 category for India is also available again, with a Final Action Date of December 1, 2023.
EB-5 availability returns for Indians
The EB-5 development follows another FY2026 exhaustion. The State Department said in June that all available unreserved EB-5 immigrant visas for applicants chargeable to India had been used, with availability expected to reset with FY2027.
The bulletin also contains separate Dates for Filing. For India, those dates are July 1, 2024 for EB-1, January 15, 2015 for EB-2 and EB-3, and May 1, 2024 for unreserved EB-5. Whether an applicant inside the US can use the filing-date chart depends on USCIS's separate determination for adjustment-of-status filings.
October brings wider visa screening changes
Another change taking effect October 1 concerns social media screening. The State Department has expanded online-presence review to applicants for I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for qualifying Canadian and Mexican professionals, and TD visas for their dependents.
Applicants in these categories have been instructed to make their social-media profiles public or open to facilitate the review. The department said the screening is intended to help determine visa eligibility and identify national-security or public-safety concerns. US State Department's expanded visa screening announcement
The measure does not specifically target Indian applicants, but it could affect Indians applying under these visa categories.
Not every Green Card category moves forward
The October reset does not mean every employment-based applicant gets faster access to a Green Card.
For applicants from countries other than those separately listed, the EB-2 Final Action Date moved from current status to January 1, 2025, while the EB-3 Final Action Date moved backward to May 15, 2024. The State Department said some retrogression was necessary to keep visa issuances within the fiscal year's quarterly and annual limits.
For Indian applicants, the practical takeaway is that October brings renewed availability rather than a wholesale clearing of the Green Card backlog. Priority dates remain critical, and applicants should check both the State Department bulletin and USCIS instructions before filing or expecting final approval.