Outlook Business Desk
The US State Department announced that all available EB-2 immigrant visas for Indians in 2026 have been issued. The category will remain unavailable for India until the annual limit resets at the beginning of the next fiscal year on October 1, 2026.
The EB-2 category is meant for professionals with advanced degrees or people with exceptional abilities. It is one of the employment-based Green Card categories through which skilled professionals can apply for permanent residency in the United States.
US immigration law limits the number of employment-based immigrant visas issued every financial year. Under the rules, no single country can receive more than 7% of the total employment-based and family-sponsored visa allocation available annually.
According to the current US immigration quota system, the total employment-based Green Card limit is 1.4 lakh each year while the EB-2 category receives nearly 40,000 visas. Based on the 7% country cap, India gets around 2,800 EB-2 Green Cards annually.
Meanwhile, as per the latest visa bulletin, the EB-2 Final Action Date for India stands at September 1, 2013. This means applicants who filed on or before that date are currently eligible for Green Card processing under the category.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may continue accepting applications. However, interviews and approvals could get delayed until new visa numbers become available.
The US State Department earlier warned that rising demand in the EB-1 and EB-2 categories could make visa categories unavailable before the fiscal year ended. The EB-2 category for India has now become unavailable for 2026.
The State Department said embassies and consulates will not issue EB-2 Green Cards for Indians until the quota resets on October 1, 2026. Fresh visa numbers will become available after the new fiscal year begins.