April 2026 Visa Bulletin: The Best Green Card News We Have Seen in Years!
We have extraordinary news to share, and we wanted you to hear it from us first.
Over the past few months, we have received incredible feedback from the researchers, scientists, and professionals we work with, and it inspired us to make sure this update reaches as many people as possible, not just current clients. So even if you are already a US citizen, a green card holder, or simply do not need immigration help right now, please forward this to a friend, colleague, or lab mate who might. Windows like this one are rare, and the right person needs to hear about it.
But first, here is a story that shows exactly what is possible right now.
We recently helped a researcher at MIT prepare and file his NIW petition in just 9 days. With premium processing, his case was approved in less than 10 days. From first conversation to approval, the entire journey took under three weeks. He now has an approved I-140!
That is not a lucky exception. That is what working with a team that does this every single day looks like. And right now, the conditions could not be better.
WHAT THE APRIL 2026 VISA BULLETIN SAYS
The April 2026 Visa Bulletin contains one of the most favorable updates we have seen in years for people from Rest of World countries (everyone except India and China).
Here is what it shows for EB-2, which includes NIW and EB-1A petitions:
EB-1 Final Action Date: ✅ CURRENT
EB-1 Filing Date: ✅ CURRENT
EB-2 Final Action Date: ✅ CURRENT
EB-2 Filing Date: ✅ CURRENT
You can view the full bulletin here:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2026/visa-bulletin-for-april-2026.html
WHAT DOES “CURRENT” ACTUALLY MEAN FOR YOU?
Think of the visa bulletin like a waitlist at a popular restaurant. Normally, the government only lets a certain number of people through each month, which creates a long wait. When a category is “Current,” it means the restaurant just called your name, your table is ready, and there is no one ahead of you.
Here is what makes this moment even more powerful: you do not need an approved I-140 to get in line. Thanks to concurrent filing, we can submit your I-140 and your I-485 green card application together, in one package. Your green card clock starts the moment we file, not months later when the I-140 is approved.
If you were born outside of China or India, you can move forward right now with no queue, no backlog, and nothing standing between you and your green card.
And here is something many people do not know: if you were born in China or India but your spouse was born elsewhere, you may be able to use your spouse’s country of birth instead. This is called cross-chargeability, and it could make you eligible even if your own country has a backlog.
Two dates matter in the bulletin:
The Filing Date tells you when you can submit your I-485 green card application.
The Final Action Date tells you when USCIS can actually approve and hand you your green card.
Right now, BOTH are Current for Rest of World nationals in EB-2. That means you can file today and USCIS can approve your case as soon as they finish processing it. No waiting room. No line.
WHAT HAPPENS THE MOMENT YOU FILE
Filing your I-485 green card application immediately unlocks two powerful benefits:
Work Authorization (I-765): A standalone Employment Authorization Document that lets you work for any employer in the United States, completely free of your current visa restrictions.
✈️ Advance Parole (I-131): A travel document that lets you leave and re-enter the US while your green card is pending, without needing to maintain your existing visa status.
USCIS typically approves EAD and Advance Parole within 2 to 6 months of filing. Your green card follows once biometrics are complete and the case is fully adjudicated, generally 2 to 12 months in current conditions, though it can move faster.
The freedom that comes with filing is real and it starts immediately. Many of our clients describe it as the first time they have felt truly settled in the United States.
A NOTE ON INDIA AND CHINA
For clients born in India or China, the situation is different. These countries have their own separate backlogs due to high demand.
For India EB-2, the Final Action Date in April 2026 is July 15, 2014, meaning someone who filed their I-140 in mid-2014 is only now becoming eligible. That is more than a decade of waiting.
For China EB-2, the Final Action Date is September 1, 2021, with a Filing Date of January 1, 2022. A Chinese national filing today could face a wait of 4 to 5 years before approval, and that estimate could grow.
This is why for India and China-born clients, we strongly recommend pursuing EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability). EB-1 dates for both countries currently sit at April 1, 2023, which is meaningfully better than EB-2 and worth discussing with us directly.
⚠️ WHY ACTING NOW IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO
We want to be direct with you: this window will not stay open forever. The visa bulletin itself warns that if demand increases later in the fiscal year, or if the current administration’s policies shift, these dates could retrogress without warning. Clients who file this month will have locked in their priority date and protected their place in line regardless of what happens next.
Our strong recommendation is to finalize your NIW case this month and file your I-485 concurrent package by April 20.
If you have been on the fence, this is the moment to get off it. The cost of waiting is real. The cost of acting is not.
NOT IN NEED OF HELP RIGHT NOW? PAY IT FORWARD.
If you are already a US citizen, a green card holder, or simply do not need our help at the moment, we completely understand and we are genuinely glad you are in a good place. All we ask is one small favor: please forward this to someone who might need it.
A colleague in your department. A friend still stuck on a visa. A lab mate who keeps saying they will deal with it later. One forward from you could change the entire trajectory of their life in the United States, and we will make sure they are in excellent hands.
We offer a free eligibility evaluation at casseuslaw.com/evaluation. It takes just a few minutes, there is no obligation, and we will give them a straight answer either way.
Referrals from people we already trust are the highest compliment we receive. We promise to take exceptional care of anyone you send our way.
