November 2026 Visa Bulletin Explained: EB-3 India Passes EB-2, EB-2 ROW Jumps, and Who Can File Now
EB-3 India now sits ahead of EB-2 India, EB-2 rest of world gained three months, and USCIS is taking I-485s on the filing chart. Here is what that means for your priority date.
Part of our guide to Form I-485.
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin, released by the State Department on October 22, 2026, left the EB-2 India Final Action Date at November 1, 2013, moved EB-3 India to January 22, 2014, and advanced EB-2 rest of world (ROW) to April 1, 2025. That puts EB-3 India further along than EB-2 India for approvals. For filing, USCIS says every employment-based I-485 this month must use the Dates for Filing chart: January 15, 2015 for both EB-2 and EB-3 India, and March 15, 2026 for EB-2 ROW.
Status as of November 1, 2026: the November bulletin is published and in effect for November. USCIS's Dates for Filing designation for November is in effect (second month running). The December 2026 bulletin is not published; trackers expect it around mid-November. Paper I-485s sent to USCIS's old filing addresses are accepted only if postmarked on or before November 9, 2026 (an upcoming deadline; check the USCIS page after that date).
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin in one paragraph
In the November 2026 Visa Bulletin (released October 22, 2026), EB-2 India's Final Action Date stayed at November 1, 2013 while EB-3 India moved to January 22, 2014, so EB-3 India now runs ahead of EB-2 India. EB-2 rest of world advanced three months to April 1, 2025. USCIS requires the Dates for Filing chart for November employment-based I-485s.
The rest of this page gives the full chart, what moved since October, what the EB-2/EB-3 India inversion means for a narrow band of priority dates, and a worked example of who can file. If the two charts are new to you, start with our guide to how the Visa Bulletin and priority dates work.
November 2026 Visa Bulletin dates for every employment-based category
Your priority date must be earlier than the listed date to count as current. "Current" means no cutoff applies. FAD is the Final Action Date, which controls approval and consular visa issuance. DFF is Dates for Filing, which controls I-485 filing at USCIS this month.
Table 1. November 2026 employment-based cutoffs (as of 2026-11)
| Category | Chart | India | China | ROW and Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | FAD | 2023-02-01 | 2023-08-01 | Current | Current |
| EB-1 | DFF | 2024-07-01 | 2024-07-01 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | FAD | 2013-11-01 | 2021-10-01 | 2025-04-01 | 2025-04-01 |
| EB-2 | DFF | 2015-01-15 | 2023-01-01 | 2026-03-15 | 2026-03-15 |
| EB-3 | FAD | 2014-01-22 | 2022-01-22 | 2024-06-15 | 2023-08-15 |
| EB-3 | DFF | 2015-01-15 | 2024-04-01 | 2024-08-01 | 2024-01-01 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | FAD | 2014-01-22 | 2019-10-01 | 2022-06-01 | 2022-01-01 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | DFF | 2015-01-15 | 2020-10-01 | 2022-07-01 | 2022-06-01 |
| EB-4 | FAD | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 | 2022-12-15 |
| EB-4 | DFF | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 | 2025-01-01 |
The official source is the State Department's Visa Bulletin page. We cross-checked the values against the November summaries published by Fragomen, BAL and Ogletree; where they cover the same line, they agree. Before you act on a date, read your own row in the bulletin itself. For investors: EB-5 unreserved stands at December 1, 2023 (FAD) and May 1, 2024 (DFF) for India, December 1, 2016 and March 1, 2021 for China, and Current for rest of world; the EB-5 set-aside categories are Current.
What moved between the October and November 2026 bulletins?
Most of the movement was on the Final Action side. On the filing side, exactly one employment-based date changed.
Table 2. October to November 2026: old date, new date, what it changes (as of 2026-11)
| Line | October 2026 | November 2026 | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 India FAD | 2013-11-01 | 2013-11-01 (no move) | Approvals still limited to priority dates before Nov 1, 2013 |
| EB-3 India FAD | 2014-01-01 | 2014-01-22 | Three weeks; now later than EB-2 India |
| EB-2 ROW and Mexico FAD | 2025-01-01 | 2025-04-01 | Three months; January to March 2025 dates become current |
| EB-3 ROW FAD | 2024-05-15 | 2024-06-15 | One month |
| EB-3 China FAD | 2022-01-08 | 2022-01-22 | Two weeks |
| EB-1 China FAD | 2023-07-01 | 2023-08-01 | One month |
| EB-3 Other Workers ROW DFF | 2022-06-01 | 2022-07-01 | The only employment-based DFF change |
| USCIS chart for EB I-485s | Dates for Filing | Dates for Filing | Second month running |
For how the fiscal year turned over in October, see our explainer on what the October 2026 bulletin actually reset for FY2027.
Common misconception, then correction. Some pre-release forecasts expected EB-2 India to advance two to three weeks in November. It did not move at all, and it remains well short of a non-binding State Department projection from July that put EB-2 India at "at least July 15, 2014." Projections are not commitments. Only the published bulletin sets a date.
Which chart does USCIS use for I-485 filing in November 2026?
The Dates for Filing chart. On its Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page, USCIS states: "For all employment-based preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart" in the November 2026 bulletin. The same instruction covers family-sponsored categories.
Three points keep this straight:
- Filing is not approval. The Dates for Filing chart decides whether USCIS accepts your I-485 this month. Approval waits until your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date.
- Consular cases always use Final Action Dates. If your case runs through the National Visa Center and a consulate, the filing chart does not decide visa issuance.
- The choice is monthly. USCIS says it expects to link the chart it designates "within one week of DOS's publication of the Visa Bulletin." On November 1 the page still showed an October 5, 2026 update and no December choice.
We lay out the benefits and limits of filing early in what an I-485 filed on the Dates for Filing chart gets you.
Why is EB-3 India ahead of EB-2 India?
Because each employment category has its own annual supply of visa numbers and its own line of Indian applicants, and the two lines are very different lengths. A cutoff moves according to how many numbers the category can give Indian applicants against how many are waiting with early priority dates. EB-2 India's line is much longer, so its date moves more slowly.
USCIS's own data show the gap. As of June 2026, USCIS counted 356,360 approved EB-2 India petitions (primary beneficiaries; dependents excluded) waiting for visa numbers, against 106,214 in EB-3 India, according to its approved-petition data for FY2026 Q3. Those are petitions, not people: USCIS notes that one person can hold more than one petition, so someone with both an EB-2 and an EB-3 I-140 appears in both columns. Among pending I-485s, the October 2026 employment-based inventory (as of October 5, 2026, published cells only) classifies 3,289 EB-2 India applications as "available" and 23,964 as "awaiting," against 1,816 and 13,364 in EB-3 India.
Two consequences for November:
- For filing, the inversion changes nothing. EB-2 and EB-3 India share the same Dates for Filing cutoff, January 15, 2015.
- For approval, it matters to a narrow band. Priority dates from November 1, 2013 through January 21, 2014 are current in EB-3 India but not in EB-2 India.
How many people sit in the November 2013 to January 2014 band?
The inventory gives a partial answer: 2,329 pending EB-2 India I-485s with November or December 2013 priority dates as of October 5, 2026. Its 2014 bucket (20,637) is not split by month, so the January 2014 share is unknown, and the count leaves out anyone who has not yet filed an I-485 and anyone processing at a consulate. Treat every inventory number as a floor. Our walk through the EB-2 India queue math goes line by line.
What an EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade involves, and who decides
You do not move to EB-3 automatically because the dates flipped. As general practice, your employer files a new EB-3 Form I-140, and the priority date from the earlier petition generally carries over. Whether that works for your file is a question for your employer's immigration attorney, and if you already have a pending I-485, ask how it would be tied to the new petition.
Questions worth bringing to that attorney:
- Is my priority date inside the November 1, 2013 to January 21, 2014 band, with India as my country of chargeability?
- Will my employer file an EB-3 I-140? The fee is $715 on paper or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $600, $300 or $0, under the USCIS fee schedule G-1055.
- What happens to my EB-2 petition, and to H-1B extensions past six years, which can rest on an approved I-140?
- What if EB-3 India retrogresses, or EB-2 India catches up, before my case is decided?
Cutoffs can move backward, so this month's inversion is no promise for next month. Our EB-3 downgrade versus waiting in EB-2 decision guide covers the trade-offs.
Did EB-2 rest of world move in November 2026?
Yes. The EB-2 Final Action Date for rest of world and Mexico advanced three months, from January 1, 2025 to April 1, 2025, and the Philippines also stands at April 1, 2025. A priority date from January 1 through March 31, 2025 is now current for final action. The EB-2 ROW Dates for Filing cutoff held at March 15, 2026.
EB-3 ROW moved one month, to June 15, 2024 (Final Action), with filing at August 1, 2024. Watch one easy confusion: August 1, 2024 belongs to EB-3 skilled workers and professionals. EB-3 Other Workers ROW is far behind, at June 1, 2022 (Final Action) and July 1, 2022 (Dates for Filing), and that one-month filing move was the only Dates for Filing change in the employment chart.
Can I file an I-485 in November 2026? A worked example
The chart test for this month is short: your priority date must be earlier than the Dates for Filing cutoff for your category and chargeability country, and you must meet every other I-485 requirement. Whether you meet those requirements is for your attorney to confirm. The table applies the November chart to six hypothetical priority dates.
Table 3. Applying the November 2026 bulletin to sample priority dates (as of 2026-11)
| Hypothetical case | Priority date | I-485 filing in November (DFF) | Approval in November (FAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2, born in India | 2013-09-10 | Before 2015-01-15, chart open | Before 2013-11-01, current |
| EB-2, born in India | 2013-12-10 | Chart open | Not current in EB-2; would be current under an EB-3 petition (cutoff 2014-01-22) |
| EB-3, born in India | 2014-09-01 | Chart open | Not current (cutoff 2014-01-22) |
| EB-2, born in India | 2015-03-01 | Not yet (cutoff 2015-01-15) | Not current |
| EB-2, born in Brazil (ROW) | 2025-02-20 | Before 2026-03-15, chart open | Current since November (not in October) |
| EB-3, born in Mexico | 2024-07-10 | Before 2024-08-01, chart open | Not current (cutoff 2024-06-15) |
Read the second row closely. The November filing chart is open to that applicant whether or not they downgrade, because both India categories share the January 15, 2015 filing date. A downgrade would only change when a visa number could be available for approval, and only once an EB-3 petition is in place.
A dated reality check on "approved": on November 1, 2026, the USCIS processing-times tool showed 80% of employment-based I-485s completed within 42.5 months at Service Center Operations and 9.5 months at field offices. Those figures change; check the tool for your office.
Filing mechanics that changed this fall
- Edition and address. USCIS takes only the 09/18/26 edition of Form I-485. It moved the I-485 filing location on October 7, 2026 and, per its Form I-485 page, will "accept forms postmarked on or before Nov. 9, 2026" at prior locations.
- Medical exam. The same page says: "When you file Form I-485, you must also submit Form I-693." Without it, USCIS may reject the I-485.
- Fees (G-1055 edition 10/26/26). The I-485 is $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online (age 14 and older). An I-765 filed with a fee-paid I-485 filed on or after April 1, 2024 is $260. Advance parole (I-131) is $630 on paper; the separate $1,050 parole fee is charged only on approval, with exceptions that include an adjustment applicant returning from temporary travel abroad.
- Incomplete files carry more risk. Under policy alert PA-2026-05 (in effect since August 5, 2026; challenged), officers may deny without a Request for Evidence when required initial evidence is missing. Memo PM-602-0199 (in effect; challenged in AAUP v. Mullin, no ruling as of November 1) calls adjustment "a matter of discretion and administrative grace."
- EAD timing. A (c)(9) EAD renewal filed on or after October 30, 2025 gets no automatic extension. H-1B status is separate work authorization; whether to keep it while an I-485 is pending is a question for your attorney.
How to check your own November 2026 position, step by step
- Find your priority date on your Form I-140 approval notice (Form I-797), or ask your employer's attorney for it.
- Confirm your country of chargeability, usually your country of birth rather than citizenship; ask the attorney whether a spouse's birth country could apply.
- Open the November 2026 bulletin on the State Department's travel.state.gov Visa Bulletin page and read your row in both charts.
- Check the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page for this month's chart (Dates for Filing in November).
- Compare your date: earlier than the Dates for Filing cutoff means the filing window is open; earlier than the Final Action Date means a visa number is available for approval.
- Verify on the USCIS Form I-485 page the 09/18/26 edition, the current filing address and the Form I-693 requirement.
- Ask your employer's immigration attorney, in writing, whether and when to file, and whether an EB-3 I-140 makes sense if your Indian priority date falls between November 1, 2013 and January 21, 2014.
- Watch travel.state.gov for the December bulletin around mid-November, then the USCIS filing-charts page for its December choice.
If you are on F-1 STEM OPT with a PERM case running, OPT and SEVIS questions go to your DSO and green card questions go to your employer's immigration attorney. They are different jobs.
When will the December 2026 Visa Bulletin come out?
Not yet. As of November 1, 2026, the State Department had not published the December bulletin, and trackers expect it around mid-November. Once it appears, USCIS says it expects to post its filing-chart choice within one week. Until then, every December cutoff is a forecast. According to the Shusterman law firm's predictions page, for example, EB-2 India may advance one to two weeks in December; that is a prediction, not a date. Our December 2026 bulletin timing and forecast guide explains why such forecasts often miss.
Common mistakes
- Reading the wrong chart to decide on filing. In November, USCIS uses Dates for Filing for every employment-based I-485; Final Action Dates govern approval and all consular cases.
- Treating a filed I-485 as a green card that is close. Filing puts your case in line; approval waits for the Final Action Date.
- Assuming the EB-3 India date applies to you automatically. You need an EB-3 I-140, which your employer files.
- Confusing EB-3 Other Workers with EB-3 skilled. Rest-of-world Other Workers files at July 1, 2022, not August 1, 2024.
- Quoting a December "date" from social media. No December bulletin exists yet.
- Using an old I-485 edition or address. Only the 09/18/26 edition; old addresses only if postmarked by November 9, 2026.
- Leaving out Form I-693 or other initial evidence. That can mean rejection, or denial without a Request for Evidence.
- Reading the row for your citizenship. The bulletin row follows chargeability, usually country of birth.
Frequently asked questions
What are the November 2026 Visa Bulletin dates for EB-2 and EB-3 India?
In the November 2026 bulletin, released October 22, 2026, the EB-2 India Final Action Date stayed at November 1, 2013 and EB-3 India moved to January 22, 2014. Both share a Dates for Filing cutoff of January 15, 2015. Final Action Dates control approval, while the Dates for Filing chart is the one USCIS uses for November I-485 filings.
Which chart does USCIS use for I-485 filing in November 2026?
USCIS says that for all employment-based and family-sponsored categories you must use the Dates for Filing chart in November 2026, the second month in a row. Approval still requires a priority date earlier than the Final Action Date, and consular cases always use the Final Action Dates chart.
Why is EB-3 India ahead of EB-2 India?
Each category has its own annual visa numbers and its own line of Indian applicants, so the cutoffs move independently. EB-2 India carries far more demand, with 356,360 approved EB-2 India petitions awaiting visas against 106,214 in EB-3 India as of June 2026 (USCIS data, primary beneficiaries only). In November 2026 that left EB-3 India at January 22, 2014 and EB-2 India at November 1, 2013.
Did EB-2 rest of world move in November 2026?
Yes. The EB-2 Final Action Date for rest of world and Mexico advanced three months, from January 1, 2025 to April 1, 2025, and the Philippines also stands at April 1, 2025. The EB-2 rest-of-world Dates for Filing cutoff held at March 15, 2026, and that is the chart USCIS uses for November I-485 filings.
When will the December 2026 Visa Bulletin come out?
As of November 1, 2026, the State Department had not published it, and trackers expect it around mid-November. USCIS says it expects to post its filing-chart choice within one week of the bulletin's publication. Any December cutoff you see before then is a forecast, not a published date.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin
- USCIS, Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
- USCIS, Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
- USCIS, Fee Schedule (G-1055)
- USCIS, Employment-based I-485 inventory, October 2026
- USCIS, Approved employment-based petitions awaiting visas, FY2026 Q3
- USCIS, Check Case Processing Times
- USCIS, PA-2026-05 and PM-602-0199
- November 2026 Visa Bulletin summaries from Fragomen, BAL and Ogletree
How we checked this: travel.state.gov blocks automated reads, so we took the November values from the State Department bulletin as summarized by Fragomen, BAL and Ogletree (which agree wherever they cover the same line), and read the USCIS filing-charts and Form I-485 pages, inventory data, fee schedule and processing-times tool on November 1, 2026.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-797 notices, your attorney and the live government pages govern; ask your DSO about anything touching F-1, OPT or SEVIS.
If you are weighing a job move around a green card that is still in line, or looking for an employer that sponsors in the first place, F1Jobs can help with the job-search side while your attorney handles the petitions.
Frequently asked questions
What are the November 2026 Visa Bulletin dates for EB-2 and EB-3 India?
In the November 2026 bulletin, released October 22, 2026, the EB-2 India Final Action Date stayed at November 1, 2013 and EB-3 India moved to January 22, 2014. Both share a Dates for Filing cutoff of January 15, 2015. Final Action Dates control approval, while the Dates for Filing chart is the one USCIS uses for November I-485 filings.
Which chart does USCIS use for I-485 filing in November 2026?
USCIS says that for all employment-based and family-sponsored categories you must use the Dates for Filing chart in November 2026, the second month in a row. Approval still requires a priority date earlier than the Final Action Date, and consular cases always use the Final Action Dates chart.
Why is EB-3 India ahead of EB-2 India?
Each category has its own annual visa numbers and its own line of Indian applicants, so the cutoffs move independently. EB-2 India carries far more demand, with 356,360 approved EB-2 India petitions awaiting visas against 106,214 in EB-3 India as of June 2026 (USCIS data, primary beneficiaries only). In November 2026 that left EB-3 India at January 22, 2014 and EB-2 India at November 1, 2013.
Did EB-2 rest of world move in November 2026?
Yes. The EB-2 Final Action Date for rest of world and Mexico advanced three months, from January 1, 2025 to April 1, 2025, and the Philippines also stands at April 1, 2025. The EB-2 rest-of-world Dates for Filing cutoff held at March 15, 2026, and that is the chart USCIS uses for November I-485 filings.
When will the December 2026 Visa Bulletin come out?
As of November 1, 2026, the State Department had not published it, and trackers expect it around mid-November. USCIS says it expects to post its filing-chart choice within one week of the bulletin's publication. Any December cutoff you see before then is a forecast, not a published date.