USCIS Reports Modest Growth in April 2026 Employment-Based Adjustment Inventory
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released its April 2026 employment-based adjustment of status inventory data, reflecting a slight month-over-month increase in pending green card applications. According to the agency’s official inventory report, total pending employment-based adjustment applications rose from 210,835 in March to 211,719 in April, an overall increase of 884 cases.
While the total increase appears modest, the underlying data shows meaningful shifts across preference categories and chargeability countries, signaling continued volatility in employment-based processing patterns.
Country of Chargeability Trends: India Declines, Rest of World Grows
India remains the most impacted individual country of chargeability in the employment-based green card system. However, April data shows a notable reduction in India’s pending inventory, falling from 71,347 cases in March to 69,214 in April. This represents the largest country-specific decrease during the reporting period.
At the same time, the aggregated “Rest of the World” category experienced substantial growth. Pending cases for chargeability countries outside the heavily backlogged nations increased by 3,188 applications, rising from 104,686 in March to 107,874 in April. This growth offset the decline in India’s backlog and contributed to the overall increase in total pending inventory.
These shifts suggest that USCIS processing patterns and filing activity may be redistributing demand across chargeability categories, even as historically oversubscribed countries continue to carry significant backlogs.
Preference Category Shifts: EB-1 and EB-2 Decline While EB-3 and EB-4 Rise
The April inventory also highlights contrasting trends across employment-based preference categories.
The EB-2 category continues to hold the highest concentration of pending applications, with 67,694 cases in April. Despite retaining the largest share of the employment-based inventory, EB-2 saw a decrease of 1,151 cases compared to March’s total of 68,845.
The EB-1 category experienced the largest numerical reduction of any preference group, declining by 1,920 cases from 62,178 in March to 60,258 in April. This reduction may reflect adjudications, status approvals, or other case completions during the reporting period.
By contrast, the EB-3 and EB-4 categories saw notable monthly increases. EB-3 pending cases rose by 1,677, while EB-4 increased by 1,666 applications. These gains contributed significantly to the net growth in overall inventory and may indicate increased filings, slower adjudication rates, or a combination of both within those categories.
Why the Inventory Data Matters for Employers and Foreign Nationals
The employment-based adjustment of status inventory provides a snapshot of the number of applicants awaiting final adjudication of their green cards after filing Form I-485. While it does not directly determine visa bulletin movement, it offers important context for understanding USCIS workload levels, possible adjudication trends, and longer-term processing expectations.
For employers, particularly those sponsoring foreign nationals in EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, or EB-4 categories, shifts in category-specific inventory can influence workforce planning, visa extension strategies, and retention considerations. HR departments and legal teams often monitor these reports to evaluate potential processing delays and anticipate the impact of visa retrogression or forward movement in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
For foreign nationals, especially those from high-demand countries such as India, changes in pending inventory can signal incremental progress or renewed pressure in specific categories. Even with April’s reduction in India-specific inventory, the overall pending volume remains substantial and reflects continued demand exceeding annual visa limits.
Ongoing Monitoring Recommended Amid Processing Fluctuations
The April 2026 data demonstrates that even relatively small month-to-month changes in overall totals can mask more significant movements within individual categories and chargeability groups. With total employment-based pending cases now reaching 211,719, USCIS continues to manage a historically elevated inventory level.
Future inventory releases may provide further insight into whether April’s EB-1 and EB-2 reductions represent the beginning of a sustained downward trend or short-term fluctuations. Employers, immigration practitioners, and foreign nationals alike are likely to closely monitor upcoming reports to assess how inventory dynamics align with visa number availability and adjudication capacity in the coming months.
