US Slows Employment-Based Green Card Processing in May 2026

The United States has significantly slowed employment-based green card processing for May 2026, as the U.S. Department of State released its latest Visa Bulletin showing stalled progress across most categories.

The bulletin indicates that the rapid advancement in green card availability seen since March has come to a sudden halt for nearly all employment-based (EB) categories, with only the EB-3 Other Workers category for “All Other Countries” advancing by three months.

In a major policy shift, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept adjustment of status applications (Form I-485) in May based only on Final Action Dates, instead of the more flexible Dates for Filing chart. This means many applicants who were eligible to file in April may lose that opportunity unless they submit applications before the end of the month.

For most countries, EB-1 and EB-2 categories remain current, while EB-3 Professionals remains fixed at June 1, 2024. The EB-3 Other Workers category has advanced to February 1, 2022.

Applicants from China and India continue to face severe backlogs, with no forward movement across major categories. India’s EB-2 category remains stuck at July 15, 2014, while EB-3 holds at November 15, 2013.

Adding to concerns, U.S. authorities are continuing to pause final adjudications of immigrant visa and adjustment applications for nationals from dozens of countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and several African and Caribbean nations.

Affected applicants can still submit paperwork and complete preliminary processing steps, but final decisions will remain on hold until restrictions are lifted.

Immigration experts say the latest move reflects tighter visa number management by the State Department and could create renewed uncertainty for thousands of skilled foreign workers seeking permanent residency in the United States.