The beginning of the new US fiscal year has brought a series of immigration-related changes that could affect Green Card applicants, healthcare coverage for certain noncitizens and visa applicants facing expanded background checks. For Indian nationals seeking permanent residency through employment-based categories, the October 2026 Visa Bulletin has brought some movement after two categories became unavailable at the end of the previous fiscal year.
The US federal fiscal year began on October 1, triggering a fresh allocation of employment-based immigrant visas. The State Department’s October Visa Bulletin has consequently reopened India’s EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 categories, which had run out of available visa numbers in the previous fiscal year. At the same time, the cutoff date for Indian applicants in the EB-1 category has moved forward.
Under the October bulletin, the Final Action Date for India’s EB-2 category has been set at November 1, 2013. The category covers professionals with advanced degrees as well as individuals who qualify on the basis of exceptional ability. Applicants whose priority dates fall before the specified cutoff may become eligible for final visa issuance or approval of their permanent-residency applications, subject to the applicable requirements.
India’s unreserved EB-5 category has also become available again in the new fiscal year, with a December 1, 2023 cutoff date. The EB-5 programme provides a route to permanent residency for qualifying immigrant investors, while the unreserved category refers to investments that do not fall under the specially designated set-aside categories.
Another significant change concerns India’s EB-1 category. The priority date has advanced from October 15, 2022, to February 1, 2023. EB-1 covers certain priority workers, including individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers and some multinational executives and managers. The movement means applicants with qualifying priority dates may see their cases progress under the new monthly allocation.
However, the October bulletin does not represent an across-the-board improvement for employment-based Green Card applicants. Some categories for applicants from other countries have moved backwards. The EB-2 Final Action Date for most countries, including Mexico and the Philippines, shifted from being current to January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, the EB-3 Final Action Date for most countries and Mexico moved backwards from September 1 to May 15, 2024. The State Department attributed the changes to the need to keep visa issuances within the quarterly and annual limits established under US immigration law.
The new fiscal year has also brought changes beyond Green Card visa numbers. Beginning October 1, federally funded Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, eligibility has become more restrictive for certain lawfully present noncitizens. The revised framework primarily covers lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants, people lawfully residing under the Compacts of Free Association and certain eligible children or pregnant individuals in states that have adopted the relevant provisions. Some other lawfully present groups, including certain refugees and asylum seekers who have not yet obtained permanent resident status, could lose access to these federally funded programmes under the new rules. Emergency Medicaid remains available to eligible individuals, while states may use their own funds to provide broader coverage.
Another important change relates to visa screening and social-media checks. From October 1, the US State Department expanded digital-presence screening to applicants seeking I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for qualifying professionals from Canada and Mexico, and TD visas for their dependants. Applicants in these categories are required to make their social-media accounts public or accessible for review. According to the State Department, publicly available online information can be assessed as part of determining eligibility and identifying potential national-security or public-safety concerns.
While the expanded social-media screening does not specifically target Indian applicants, Indian nationals who apply under categories covered by the new requirement could also be subject to the additional review.
The October Visa Bulletin also highlights the importance of understanding the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. A Final Action Date determines when an immigrant visa can be issued or, in eligible adjustment-of-status cases, when permanent residency can receive final approval. A Dates for Filing chart, on the other hand, can allow applicants to submit documentation earlier in the process, depending on the chart authorised for use by US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
For Indians waiting in employment-based Green Card queues, the reopening of EB-2 and EB-5 availability marks a reset following the exhaustion of the previous fiscal year’s allocations. The State Department had announced in May that all available FY2026 EB-2 immigrant visas for India had been used and that the annual allocation would reset when FY2027 began on October 1.
The practical impact of the October changes will therefore vary from applicant to applicant. Priority dates, employment category, country of chargeability and the specific USCIS filing instructions all remain important factors. Applicants seeking adjustment of status in the US should also check which Visa Bulletin chart USCIS has authorised for October before submitting an application.
