November 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 moves 3 months, India holds
The November 2026 Visa Bulletin is out. For most employment-based applicants, final action dates moved forward a little and dates for filing stayed the same as October. Here is what changed and what to do with it.
## Final action dates (when a green card can be approved)
- EB-1: Current for all countries except China (Aug 1, 2023, up one month) and India (Feb 1, 2023, no change).
- EB-2: All countries except China and India advance three months to Apr 1, 2025. China holds at Oct 1, 2021. India holds at Nov 1, 2013.
- EB-3: Rest of world advances one month to Jun 15, 2024. China moves to Jan 22, 2022 and India to Jan 22, 2014. Philippines holds at Aug 15, 2023.
Takeaway: If you are EB-2 and born outside China and India, three more months of priority dates are now approvable.
## Dates for filing (when you can submit an I-485)
USCIS will accept the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment of status in November. These dates did not change from October:
- EB-1: Current for rest of world. China and India: Jul 1, 2024.
- EB-2: Rest of world: Mar 15, 2026. China: Jan 1, 2023. India: Jan 15, 2015.
- EB-3: Rest of world: Aug 1, 2024. China: Apr 1, 2024. India: Jan 15, 2015.
Takeaway: Check which chart USCIS accepts every month. It can change, and it decides whether you can file now.
## What to do this week if you are on F-1, OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B
- Find your priority date. Check your I-140 paperwork or ask the attorney on your case.
- Compare it with the Dates for Filing chart for your category and country of chargeability. If your date is earlier than the cutoff, ask your attorney about filing your I-485 this month.
- If you are India-born and waiting in EB-2, note the gap: EB-1 India sits at Feb 1, 2023, more than nine years ahead of EB-2 India at Nov 1, 2013. That gap is why many researchers, engineers and founders look at whether they could self-petition under EB-1A.
- If you have no green card case yet, the EB-2 rest of world filing date (Mar 15, 2026) shows how quickly a new priority date can become usable for people born outside China and India.
Check your self-petition fit free, no account needed: https://www.f-1careers.com/explorer?utm_source=community&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=visa_bulletin_nov2026
Sources: Morgan Lewis, "U.S. Department of State Releases November 2026 Visa Bulletin" (Oct 29, 2026); CILawGroup, "November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Minor Forward Movement in Final Action Dates as Filing Dates Hold Steady"; Murthy Law Firm, "November 2026 Visa Bulletin"; Envoy Global, "November 2026 Visa Bulletin" news alert.
Education and strategy, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney about your situation.