EB-3 India April 2026 Visa Bulletin: Why It Is Not Moving

The April 2026 Visa Bulletin delivered a gut punch to EB-3 India applicants. While EB-2 India surged forward by 303 days, the EB-3 India Final Action Date did not move at all. It remains frozen at November 15, 2013 — the exact same cutoff as March 2026.

This zero-movement month is especially painful because EB-2 India has now leapfrogged EB-3 India by 8 full months. For the thousands of Indian-born applicants who downgraded from EB-2 to EB-3 in previous years — when EB-3 was briefly ahead — the strategy has backfired. And for those still considering the switch, the April data sends a clear message: stay in EB-2.

The one bright spot: the EB-3 India Filing Date (Dates for Filing) did advance by 153 days, from August 15, 2014 to January 15, 2015. That means applicants in the newly eligible filing window can submit I-485 applications and lock in work authorization benefits — even though their green cards remain years away.

This article breaks down the official numbers from the Department of State’s April 2026 Visa Bulletin (Number 13, Volume XI, released March 4, 2026), explains why EB-3 India is stuck, and lays out what you should do depending on your priority date.

Whether you are waiting in EB-3 with a 2013 priority date or a 2023 one, the landscape has shifted significantly — and understanding these dynamics is critical to making the right decisions for your immigration case.

Let us start with the raw numbers from the official bulletin.

EB-3 India: April 2026 Official Numbers

Final Action Dates (All Countries)

Dates for Filing Applications (All Countries)

EB-3 India vs. EB-2 India: The Gap Has Reversed

For several years, EB-3 India and EB-2 India cutoff dates tracked within a few months of each other. In some periods during FY-2024 and early FY-2025, EB-3 India was actually ahead of EB-2 India — which led many applicants to file EB-3 downgrade petitions. That strategy has now reversed dramatically.

Why Is EB-3 India Frozen While EB-2 Surges?

The answer lies in how visa numbers are allocated and where the demand clusters are. Three factors explain the divergence:

1. Demand density in EB-3 around 2013-2014 is extremely high. The EB-3 category includes skilled workers, professionals, and other workers — a broader pool than EB-2. A massive concentration of Indian EB-3 petitions were filed in 2013-2014, when the tech industry was hiring aggressively and many employers filed under EB-3 rather than EB-2. The Department of State cannot advance the cutoff date past this dense cluster without exceeding available visa numbers.

2. EB-2 gets priority in number allocation. Under INA Section 203(b), unused EB-1 visa numbers fall down to EB-2 before EB-3. Since EB-1 India is also oversubscribed (cutoff at April 1, 2023), there is limited spillover. But EB-2 worldwide going current freed up numbers that benefited EB-2 India more directly. EB-3 only receives numbers after both EB-1 and EB-2 have been satisfied.

3. The 7% per-country limit hits EB-3 harder. Both EB-2 and EB-3 India are subject to the same per-country cap of approximately 2,800 visas per year (7% of each category’s ~40,000 annual allocation). But because EB-3 demand at the current cutoff date is denser, those 2,800 numbers are consumed without advancing the date. EB-2’s demand at its cutoff range (mid-2013 to mid-2014) was somewhat thinner, allowing a larger jump.

What This Means for Your Priority Date

Here is where you stand based on your EB-3 India priority date:

Should You Switch from EB-3 to EB-2?

With EB-2 India now 8 months ahead and moving significantly faster, the question on many EB-3 applicants’ minds is whether to “upgrade” to EB-2. Here is what you need to know:

You cannot simply reclassify your existing petition. Switching from EB-3 to EB-2 requires your employer to file a new PERM labor certification and a new I-140 petition under the EB-2 category. This means your position must qualify for EB-2 — requiring either a master’s degree (or equivalent) or a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of progressive experience in the specialty.

Your priority date can be retained. Under current USCIS policy, if you have an approved EB-3 I-140, you can port that priority date to a new EB-2 I-140 filed by the same or different employer. This is the key advantage — you keep your original place in line but move to the faster-moving EB-2 queue.

The process takes time and money. A new PERM typically takes 8-12 months (including prevailing wage determination and recruitment). The I-140 adds another 6-15 months unless premium processed. By the time a new EB-2 petition is approved, the landscape may have shifted again.

EB-3 India Historical Movement: FY-2026 So Far

Here is how the EB-3 India Final Action Date has moved each month in Fiscal Year 2026:

The Filing Date Silver Lining

While the Final Action Date is stuck, the EB-3 India Filing Date did advance 153 days — from August 15, 2014 to January 15, 2015. This matters because filing an I-485 application (even when your Final Action Date is not current) unlocks significant benefits:

• Employment Authorization Document (EAD): You and your dependents can get work authorization independent of your H-1B or L-1 status.
• Advance Parole: You can travel internationally without needing to maintain a valid visa stamp (though re-entering on Advance Parole abandons your H-1B/L-1 status).
• AC21 portability: After your I-485 has been pending for 180 days, you can change employers without restarting the green card process — as long as the new job is in the same or similar occupation.
• H-4 dependents: Spouses and children can file their own I-485 and receive EADs, enabling them to work without needing a separate H-4 EAD.

What You Should Do Now

Will EB-3 India Start Moving Again?

The EB-3 India cutoff has been stuck at November 15, 2013 for the entire fiscal year. Whether it resumes forward movement depends on several factors:

Spillover from EB-1 and EB-2. If EB-1 and EB-2 worldwide demand remains low (due to consular processing restrictions under Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998), unused numbers will eventually cascade down to EB-3. However, EB-2 India is currently absorbing most of the spillover.

End-of-fiscal-year dynamics. In August and September 2026, the Department of State sometimes makes large allocations to use up remaining visa numbers before the fiscal year ends on September 30. EB-3 India could see movement during this period — but so could retrogression risk for categories that advanced too quickly.

Legislative changes. Bills to eliminate or raise the per-country cap (such as the EAGLE Act) have been introduced in previous Congresses but have not passed. No active legislation is currently expected to change the EB allocation framework in FY-2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking Ahead: May 2026 and Beyond

The EB-3 India situation is frustrating but not hopeless. The Filing Date is advancing, which means more applicants can enter the I-485 queue and secure work authorization benefits while waiting. And historically, EB-3 India has seen sudden large jumps — sometimes advancing a year or more in a single month when end-of-fiscal-year number availability opens up.

The critical factor to watch is whether the Department of State begins directing spillover numbers to EB-3 India as FY-2026 progresses. If EB-2 India continues its rapid advance and catches up to more recent filings, the demand pressure on EB-2 numbers may decrease, allowing EB-3 to receive a larger share.

For the May 2026 Visa Bulletin predictions and analysis, continue to follow VisaVerge. We publish updates as soon as each bulletin is released.

For the complete April 2026 Visa Bulletin covering all categories and countries, see our full analysis: Key Differences Between April 2026 Visa Bulletin vs March Explained.