🚨 May Visa Bulletin Alert! If you’re EB-1 or EB-2 born in India or China, April 30 may be your last window to file I-485 until November 2026..
The May 2026 Visa Bulletin just dropped, and there’s a change that could affect thousands of our clients and fellow immigrants working toward their green cards.
USCIS is switching from Chart B (Dates for Filing) to Chart A (Final Action Dates) for employment-based green cards starting in May.
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2026. Here’s who needs to act:
→ EB-1 India & China: April lets you file with a priority date up to December 1, 2023. In May, that rolls back to April 1, 2023. If your Priority Date falls between April 2 and December 1, 2023 — this month is your window.
→ EB-2 India: April allows filings for Priority Dates through January 15, 2015. May drops to July 15, 2014. That’s a six-month gap that closes at midnight on April 30.
→ EB-2 China: April allows filings for Priority Dates through January 1, 2022. May cuts back to September 1, 2021. File now or wait for at least half a year.
Why does filing now matter even if your green card isn’t ready?
Once your I-485 is in, you get access to work authorization (EAD) and travel flexibility (Advance Parole) while you wait. If your date retrogresses later — and retrogression risk is real, especially heading into Q3 of FY2026 — a pending I-485 protects your place in line.
What this really means for immigrants:
Backlogs in EB-2 in India alone represent hundreds of thousands of approved cases awaiting visa numbers, with many applicants facing 13–17-year wait times. Every filing window matters. Every month of delay can mean years further back in line.
🙏 This is exactly the kind of moment where having an attorney in your corner pays off. Our clients already know about the news. But somewhere right now, an engineer with a 2014 priority date has no idea this window exists.
If that’s you, or someone you know, please share this post. If you’re not sure whether your priority date falls in the affected range, we’re happy to do a quick check. Our team at Stelmakh & Associates specializes in EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, O-1, and H-1B. As mostly immigrants ourselves, we know what’s at stake.