The State Department’s November 2026 Visa BulletinA monthly State Department publication showing which family and employment visa categories currently have visas available.See it in the glossary moves most green card cutoffs forward. Four family categories gain a full year, EB-2 advances three months for most countries and India’s EB-2 holds at November 1, 2013 for a second month.
The November 2026 bulletin, Number 20 of Volume XI, reflects demand received by October 5 and covers the second month of fiscal year 2027. October’s bulletin had moved EB-2 and EB-3 back for most countries, and November returns part of that ground.
Employment-based final action dates: what moved
The final action chart shows when a visa number can be issued or an Adjustment of statusThe process of applying for a green card from within the United States, rather than through a consulate abroad. Filed on Form I-485.See it in the glossary approved, for applicants whose Priority dateThe date a petition was filed, or a labor certification was submitted, used to determine an applicant's place in line for a visa category with limited annual numbers.See it in the glossary is earlier than the date listed.
| Category and area | October | November | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 China | Jul 1, 2023 | Aug 1, 2023 | Up 1 month |
| EB-2 most countries, Mexico, Philippines | Jan 1, 2025 | Apr 1, 2025 | Up 3 months |
| EB-3 most countries, Mexico | May 15, 2024 | Jun 15, 2024 | Up 1 month |
| EB-3 China | Jan 8, 2022 | Jan 22, 2022 | Up 14 days |
| EB-3 India | Jan 1, 2014 | Jan 22, 2014 | Up 21 days |
| Other Workers most countries, Mexico | Jan 1, 2022 | Jun 1, 2022 | Up 5 months |
| Other Workers India | Jan 1, 2014 | Jan 22, 2014 | Up 21 days |
EB-1 stays current for most countries, Mexico and the Philippines, and at February 1, 2023 for India. EB-4 holds at December 15, 2022 everywhere, EB-2 holds for China and India, and unreserved EB-5 holds for China and India. The employment report has the detail.
Dates for Filing mostly hold
Only one filing date changed: EB-3 Other Workers for most countries and Mexico moved one month, to July 1, 2022. EB-2 for most countries remains at March 15, 2026, past the new final action date of April 1, 2025.
Family-sponsored categories gain the most
F1, F2B and F3 advanced a year for most countries, China and India. F4 advanced a year for most countries and China, and F2A moved one month for every country to October 22, 2026. Mexico and the Philippines saw small or no changes. See the family-based report.
Which chart USCIS accepts
USCIS decides each month which chart to use for adjustment filings and posts it on its filing charts page. Fragomen reports that employment-based applicants may use the Dates for FilingThe Visa Bulletin chart showing the earliest priority dates for which applicants may submit documents, or in some months file for adjustment of status, ahead of a visa number being available.See it in the glossary chart in November.
Country reports
Each of the four listed countries has its own report: China, India, Mexico and the Philippines. A side-by-side comparison puts them together.
Annual limits
The bulletin lists the family-sponsored minimum at 226,000, the worldwide employment-based level at no fewer than 140,000 and the Per-country limitThe cap, set at 7 percent of the combined family and employment totals, on how many preference visas may go to natives of any single country in a fiscal year.See it in the glossary at 25,620. Per-country proration applies to China, India, Mexico and the Philippines. For last month, see the October analysis, and for how dates and queues work, the truth about the Visa Bulletin.