The U.S. Department of State released the August 2026 Visa Bulletin on 20 July, and the news is particularly good for family-based applicants: the F-2A category for spouses and minor children of green-card holders jumped a remarkable 18.5 months, while the F-1 (adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) moved forward by roughly ten months for most countries. Employment-based categories were quieter, with only a modest one-month advance in EB-1 for China and no movement in EB-2 worldwide. The breakthrough comes after two years of near-static cutoff dates, reflecting both lower demand and continued catch-up from pandemic-era consular slowdowns. For multinational companies whose foreign employees also sponsor qualifying relatives, the acceleration means dependants may finally be able to file adjustment-of-status applications—unlocking work authorisation and travel permission—much sooner than anticipated. USCIS has confirmed that the “Dates for Filing” chart continues to govern family filings, so applicants should act quickly to assemble I-485 packets before the September fiscal-year rollover potentially resets demand. Attorneys advise employers to budget for a spike in I-765 (work-permit) and advance-parole filings by family members, and to update long-range cost projections accordingly. The employment-based silence is a mixed blessing: while it avoids retrogression in oversubscribed India EB-2, it offers little relief to Chinese and Indian STEM workers stuck in backlogs that can exceed a decade. Stakeholders are watching September’s bulletin closely to see whether the State Department pulls forward additional numbers before FY2026 closes on 30 September.
Source: Manifest Law
