October visa bulletin offers little relief for Indian EB-2 applicants

The Department of State's October 2026 visa bulletin has failed to deliver significant progress for Indian nationals seeking employment-based green cards, marking another disappointing month for visa aspirants in the subcontinental employment immigration pipeline. While India's EB-2 (employment-based second preference) category has resumed forward movement after extended stagnation, the advancement remains minimal, with priority dates advancing only slightly from previous months. The category continues to process applications filed in 2013, leaving applicants with nearly a decade-long wait despite their qualifications and approved petitions. This persistent backlog underscores the structural challenges within the U.S. employment-based immigration system, where per-country visa allocation caps have created severe delays for nationals of high-demand countries like India. The October bulletin offers little encouragement for the thousands of Indian professionals awaiting their turn in the EB-2 queue, with no corresponding breakthrough across other employment-based categories. Immigration analysts note that without substantial policy changes or increased visa allocations, Indian applicants may face further years of uncertainty as they await final adjudication of their green card applications.