The US Department of State has published the Visa Bulletin for August 2026. Although a few days remain until August, such bulletins are traditionally released in advance to determine who can proceed to the next stage of green card processing in the upcoming month.

The headline news is that authorities have significantly advanced the queue for several family-based categories. The largest shift affected the F2A category, which is designated for spouses and unmarried children of green card holders. Many applicants who were forced to wait for their turn just a month ago are now eligible for further processing. According to expert estimates, the advancement amounted to nearly a year and a half.

Several other family-based categories have also moved forward. This means thousands of families will be able to submit documents for the next stage earlier or receive a final decision on their case if their priority date now meets the new Visa Bulletin requirements.

The situation looks quite different for those obtaining a green card through employment. Most employment-based categories remained virtually unchanged, and the Department of State warned of potential restrictions for some of them until the end of the fiscal year. If the volume of applications continues to grow, certain categories may become unavailable again or even retrogress.

Immigration attorneys remind us that the Visa Bulletin is one of the most crucial documents for anyone processing permanent residency in the United States, as it determines which applications can move forward in a given month.

The main takeaway from the new bulletin is that families applying through relatives received the best news, with waiting times noticeably shortened for many. However, experts advise closely monitoring upcoming Visa Bulletin releases, as the situation may shift before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, depending on application volume and the remaining supply of available immigrant visas.