November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Latest Green Card Updates, Priority Dates & Predictions

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin is the State Department’s monthly chart of green card cutoff dates, effective November 1–30, 2026. This month, EB-2 for most countries advanced to April 1, 2025, EB-2 India held at November 1, 2013, and several family categories moved ahead by about a year. USCIS is also accepting the Dates for Filing chart for both family-based and employment-based adjustment of status.

If you are waiting for a green card, this bulletin tells you whether your place in line is moving. Below, we break down the confirmed dates, what they mean for applicants from India, and what to do next.

What Is the November 2026 Visa Bulletin?

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State (travel.state.gov). It lists cutoff dates for people seeking immigrant visas in family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories. The November 2026 edition is the second bulletin of fiscal year 2027, and the State Department published it on October 22, 2026.

Congress caps how many green cards are issued each year, and no single country may take more than a fixed share of the preference visas. When demand exceeds supply, applicants line up by priority date, which is generally the date your petition or labor certification was filed. The bulletin shows how far that line has moved.

How to read the bulletin

Four details decide where you stand:

• Category: Your preference category (such as EB-2 or F2B).
• Country of chargeability: Usually your country of birth, not your citizenship. The columns are “All Chargeability Areas,” China (mainland-born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines.
• Priority date: Yours must be earlier than the listed date.
• “C” means Current: Visas are available to everyone in that category, regardless of priority date.

Spouses and children can often use the principal applicant’s category and country of chargeability, which is why a family member’s birthplace sometimes matters.

November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Key Employment-Based Updates

The pattern this month is modest gains for most countries, small movement for India, and no retrogression.

Category	Chart	All Other Countries	China	India
EB-1	Final Action	Current	Aug 1, 2023	Feb 1, 2023
EB-1	Dates for Filing	Current	Jul 1, 2024	Jul 1, 2024
EB-2	Final Action	Apr 1, 2025	Oct 1, 2021	Nov 1, 2013
EB-2	Dates for Filing	Mar 15, 2026	Jan 1, 2023	Jan 15, 2015
EB-3	Final Action	Jun 15, 2024	Jan 22, 2022	Jan 22, 2014
EB-3	Dates for Filing	Aug 1, 2024	Apr 1, 2024	Jan 15, 2015

EB-1 Visa Bulletin Updates

EB-1 covers priority workers, such as people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives. For most countries it remains Current. China’s Final Action Date advanced 31 days to August 1, 2023, while India’s stayed at February 1, 2023. On the Dates for Filing chart, both China and India sit at July 1, 2024.

EB-2 Priority Date November 2026

EB-2 covers professionals with advanced degrees and people of exceptional ability, including many National Interest Waiver cases. For applicants chargeable to most countries, the Final Action Date moved forward three months to April 1, 2025. The Dates for Filing date stayed at March 15, 2026.

China’s Final Action Date held at October 1, 2021. India’s EB-2 Final Action Date held at November 1, 2013, with the filing date unchanged at January 15, 2015.

EB-3 Priority Date November 2026

EB-3 covers skilled workers, professionals, and “Other Workers.” For most countries, the EB-3 Final Action Date moved forward 31 days to June 15, 2024, with a filing date of August 1, 2024. China’s EB-3 date reached January 22, 2022.

India’s EB-3 Final Action Date moved 21 days to January 22, 2014. That is a small gain, but it puts EB-3 India roughly 82 days ahead of EB-2 India on the approval chart. The “Other Workers” category for most countries and Mexico advanced to June 1, 2022 on the Final Action chart.

EB-4 and EB-5 Visa Bulletin Updates

EB-4 (certain special immigrants) held at December 15, 2022 for Final Action, with a Dates for Filing date of January 1, 2025. EB-5 unreserved visas remain Current for most countries. India’s EB-5 unreserved Final Action Date held at December 1, 2023, and China’s at December 1, 2016. The rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside categories are Current for all countries.

Visa Bulletin India November 2026: What Indian Applicants Should Know

India’s picture changed very little in November. EB-2 India held, and EB-3 India gained 21 days. Indian applicants can still file adjustment applications with priority dates up to January 15, 2015 in EB-2 and EB-3, but approvals are limited by much older Final Action Dates.

Indian applicants face longer waits for structural reasons:

• Per-country limits. No country can receive more than a set percentage of the visas in a category, regardless of how many people apply. India has far more qualified applicants than that limit allows.
• Heavy demand in EB-2 and EB-3. Many Indian professionals hold advanced degrees or work in specialty occupations, which funnels them into these categories.
• A cumulative backlog. Each year’s limited numbers go to the oldest priority dates first, so newer filers wait behind earlier ones.

For readers searching “Visa Bulletin India November 2026,” the practical points are:

1. Check both charts. The gap between the filing date (January 15, 2015) and the Final Action Date (November 1, 2013 for EB-2) can span more than a year.
2. Filing an I-485 early can bring benefits such as work and travel authorization, but it does not mean your green card is imminent.
3. Your category matters. EB-3 India is currently slightly ahead of EB-2 India on the Final Action chart. Whether an alternate category is available to you depends on your job, education, and employer, and calls for an attorney’s review.

Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing: What Is the Difference?

The bulletin has two charts for each category group, and they answer different questions.

	Final Action Dates	Dates for Filing
What it tells you	When a green card can be approved or a visa issued	When you may begin the application process
Who it matters for	Everyone, for final approval	Consular applicants and, when USCIS allows, adjustment applicants
Typical position	Earlier (more restrictive)	Later (more generous)

Final Action Dates control the final step. Your case cannot be approved until your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date. Dates for Filing are a planning tool. They tell the National Visa Center when to invite consular applicants to submit documents, and when USCIS allows it, they let people inside the U.S. file Form I-485 before a visa number is available.

November 2026 Visa Bulletin USCIS Filing Dates

USCIS decides each month which chart adjustment applicants must use, and it posts the decision on its page “Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin” at uscis.gov/visabulletininfo. The State Department’s bulletin states that applicants must use Final Action Dates unless USCIS says otherwise.

For November 2026, USCIS is directing applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based categories. In practice:

• If your priority date is earlier than the Dates for Filing cutoff for your category and country, you may be eligible to file Form I-485, assuming you meet all other requirements.
• Filing does not mean approval. Your case still waits for the Final Action Date to reach your priority date.
• Eligibility to file also depends on your immigration status, an approved or concurrently filed petition, and other factors. Not everyone in the U.S. can adjust status.

Because USCIS can change its chart choice from month to month, check the USCIS page on the day you file, not just the day you read a blog.

Family-Based Visa Bulletin November 2026

Family-sponsored categories had the biggest movement this month. For most countries, China, and India, F1, F2B, and F3 each moved ahead by about a year on the Final Action chart.

Category	Who it covers	Final Action (Most Countries)	Dates for Filing (Most Countries)
F1	Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens	Jan 22, 2021	Feb 1, 2021
F2A	Spouses and minor children of green card holders	Oct 22, 2026*	Current
F2B	Unmarried adult children of green card holders	Aug 22, 2020	Sep 1, 2020
F3	Married children of U.S. citizens	Oct 22, 2015	Nov 1, 2015
F4	Siblings of adult U.S. citizens	Oct 22, 2012	Nov 1, 2012

November 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions: What Could Happen Next?

This section is analysis, not an official announcement. The State Department does not publish forecasts, and movement can change at any time.

Reasonable observations from this month’s pattern:

• Rest-of-world EB-2 has momentum. It advanced three months after October’s pullback, but one good month does not guarantee a trend. Further movement, a hold, or a retrogression are all possible depending on demand.
• India EB-2 looks slow. It was unchanged this month, and the heavy backlog suggests the Final Action Date is unlikely to jump. Treat any single-month change as uncertain.
• Large family jumps can create demand surges. Big advances often draw more filings, which can lead to later corrections.
• Watch USCIS’s chart choice. If it switches back to Final Action Dates, the filing window shrinks, especially for Indian applicants.

The December 2026 bulletin is expected around mid-November. Make plans around confirmed dates, and treat forecasts as one input at most.

How to Check Whether Your Priority Date Is Current

Follow these steps for your category, using the country where you were born:

1. Find your priority date on your I-797 approval notice (for employment-based cases, typically the I-140 or PERM filing date).
2. Open the November 2026 bulletin at travel.state.gov and find the correct chart.
3. Compare your date. It must be earlier than the listed date, or the category must show “C.”
4. Check the USCIS filing-charts page to see which chart applies to adjustment of status.

Example 1 (EB-2, most countries). Priority date: January 10, 2025. The Final Action Date is April 1, 2025, so your date is current for approval, and it is also earlier than the March 15, 2026 filing date.

Example 2 (EB-2 India). Priority date: June 2014. This is earlier than the January 15, 2015 filing date, so you may be able to file an I-485. It is later than the November 1, 2013 Final Action Date, so approval must wait.

Example 3 (EB-3, most countries). Priority date: July 1, 2024. It falls after the June 15, 2024 Final Action Date but before the August 1, 2024 filing date. You may be able to file, but not yet be approved.

Example 4 (F3, most countries). Priority date: August 2015. It is earlier than the October 22, 2015 Final Action Date, so it is current for approval.

What Should You Do If Your Priority Date Becomes Current?

A current date is a green light to move quickly, not a guarantee.

• Confirm your eligibility. Adjustment of status has requirements around lawful status, inadmissibility, and maintaining a valid petition. Review them with an attorney before filing.
• Gather documents. Typical items include passport and I-94 records, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, employment verification, and a medical exam (Form I-693) where required.
• Meet the deadlines. Consular applicants must respond when the National Visa Center asks for documents. Adjustment applicants should file within the month the chart allows.
• Think about travel and work. Leaving the U.S. or changing jobs while an I-485 is pending can affect your case. Get advice first.
• Prepare for movement. Dates can retrogress, so being ready to file promptly matters.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading the Visa Bulletin

• Using the wrong chart. Checking Dates for Filing when USCIS requires Final Action Dates (or the reverse) is the most common error.
• Reading the wrong country. The columns follow country of chargeability, which may differ from your citizenship.
• Mistaking a later date for an earlier one. Your priority date must be earlier than the cutoff.
• Assuming “current” means approved. It means a visa number may be available, not that your case is decided.
• Using an outdated bulletin. The dates are effective only for the month shown.
• Ignoring category changes. Moving from EB-2 to EB-3 changes your priority date situation. Do not switch categories without professional advice.
• Relying on forecasts. Predictions are not promises.

How Orange Law Can Help With Your Immigration Questions

Reading the bulletin is the easy part. The harder questions are whether you qualify to file, whether a different category suits you, and how a retrogression could affect your timeline. Orange Law is an immigration law firm, and Attorney Karan Joshi helps individuals, families, and employment-based applicants work through green card planning, adjustment of status eligibility, and visa bulletin questions. Every case turns on its own facts, and no attorney can guarantee a timeline or outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions About the November 2026 Visa Bulletin

Final Thoughts

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin brings movement for rest-of-world EB-2 and several family categories, and only small gains for India. If your priority date is close to a cutoff, verify it against both charts and USCIS’s current guidance, and prepare your documents early. To discuss your priority date, green card category, and adjustment of status options, you can contact Orange Law and speak with Attorney Karan Joshi. We will review your situation and explain realistic options without promising a particular result.