USCIS to Require Final Action Dates Chart for Employment-Based Green Card Applications Starting June 2026
USCIS will require employment-based green card applicants to use the stricter Final Action Dates chart starting in June. A May 22 memo also directs officers to treat adjustment of status as an extraordinary form of relief.
NewsweekU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will require employment-based green card applicants to use the stricter Final Action Dates chart beginning in June 2026. The change limits who can file applications when visa demand exceeds annual limits.
The State Department publishes two Visa Bulletin charts each month. Final Action Dates determine when a green card can be approved. Dates for Filing allow applicants to submit earlier. For June, USCIS is using only the more restrictive Final Action Dates chart.
In April 2026, some employment-based categories briefly became current. That window closed within weeks. Key categories for Indian applicants retrogressed in the June 2026 Visa Bulletin. A May 22 USCIS memo described adjustment of status as an extraordinary form of relief rather than a standard immigration pathway.
Consular processing abroad is now emphasized as the standard route. USCIS officers are instructed to weigh adjustment of status applications more heavily on discretion, considering an applicant’s full history rather than eligibility alone.
Officials have warned that further restrictions could follow if visa demand continues to rise.
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