November 2026 Visa Bulletin Advances EB-2 and EB-3 Dates

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin advances several employment- and family-based green card cutoff dates, offering progress for some applicants while leaving the longest backlogs largely intact. The U.S. Department of State bulletin takes effect on November 1, 2026, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has designated the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment applications that month.

Employment-Based Dates Advance

On the Final Action Dates chart, EB-1 China moves forward one month to August 1, 2023. EB-1 India remains at February 1, 2023, while the category stays current for applicants chargeable to other countries.

EB-2 advances by three months to April 1, 2025, for applicants outside China and India, including those chargeable to Mexico and the Philippines. China remains at October 1, 2021, and India remains at November 1, 2013.

EB-3 skilled workers and professionals also see movement. The cutoff reaches June 15, 2024, for most countries, January 22, 2022, for China, and January 22, 2014, for India. The Philippines remains at August 15, 2023. In the EB-3 Other Workers category, the date for most countries advances five months to June 1, 2022.

EB-4 and the major EB-5 cutoff dates remain unchanged. EB-5 set-aside categories for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure investments remain current across all listed countries.

Family Categories Move Forward

Several family-sponsored Final Action Dates make substantial advances. F1, F2B, F3, and some F4 dates move forward by one year for applicants in the general chargeability column, China, or India, depending on the category.

F2A, covering spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents, advances to October 22, 2026, for most countries and April 22, 2026, for Mexico. Its Dates for Filing chart remains current for every country.

What Applicants Should Check

For employment-based Form I-485 filings in November, USCIS is using the Dates for Filing chart. Most employment filing dates are unchanged from October, although EB-3 Other Workers advances from June 1 to July 1, 2022, for most countries and Mexico.

A priority date must be earlier than the applicable cutoff. Being eligible to file under the Dates for Filing chart does not mean a green card can be approved immediately; approval generally requires the priority date to become current under the Final Action Dates chart.

International students and professionals with pending immigrant petitions should compare their category, country of chargeability, and priority date against the correct chart. The bulletin does not itself change F-1, CPT, OPT, or H-1B requirements, so applicants should continue following the separate rules governing their current status and employment authorization.

Sources

• Visa Bulletin: Immigrant Numbers for November 2026 — U.S. Department of State (October 5, 2026)
• November 2026 Visa Bulletin — Murthy Law Firm (October 22, 2026)
• United States | November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Dates for Filing Chart Applies, Showing No Movement Across EB Categories — BAL Immigration News (October 22, 2026)

This article provides general information and is not individualized immigration or legal advice.