The U.S. State Department has released its November 2026 Visa Bulletin, which determines when applicants for permanent residence (a “green card”) may file or obtain approval of their green card applications. The Visa Bulletin covers both family-sponsored and employment-based categories; this alert explains the Employment-Based (EB) categories and what their movement means for applicants.

U.S. law limits the number of green cards available each year in each category, such as EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, with additional limits based on country of birth. When more people qualify than there are green cards available, applicants wait in line, and their place in line is set by their priority date, which is generally the date their employer filed a labor certification or immigrant petition on their behalf.

Each month, the Visa Bulletin lists a cut-off date for each category and country, and a person’s priority date is “Current” when it is earlier than the cut-off date for their category and country. When the Visa Bulletin lists “C” instead of a date, that category is Current for that country, regardless of priority date.

The Visa Bulletin includes two charts: a Dates for Filing chart and a Final Action Dates chart. The Visa Bulletin was designed for applicants who obtain an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, known as consular processing. For them, the charts generally apply as their names suggest: the Dates for Filing chart governs when they may submit their application documents, and the Final Action Dates chart governs when their visa may be issued.

This alert focuses on applicants who will obtain a green card from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) through Adjustment of Status (AOS). For these applicants, approval always depends on the Final Action Dates chart, but filing may not: each month, USCIS decides whether AOS applicants may file using the Dates for Filing chart or must instead use the Final Action Dates chart. For November, USCIS will again follow the Dates for Filing chart for EB cases.

The charts below compare the November 2026 Visa Bulletin with the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.

 

Dates for Filing

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin’s Dates for Filing chart reflects no movement from the October 2026 Visa Bulletin for any country in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories. In these charts, “Rest of the World” means all countries other than China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.

October 2026 Dates for Filing Chart

Employment-based	Rest of the World	CHINA-mainland	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01JUL24	01JUL24	C	C
2nd	15MAR26	01JAN23	15JAN15	15MAR26	15MAR26
3rd	01AUG24	01APR24	15JAN15	01AUG24	01JAN24

November 2026 Dates for Filing Chart

Employment-based	Rest of the World	CHINA-mainland	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01JUL24	01JUL24	C	C
2nd	15MAR26	01JAN23	15JAN15	15MAR26	15MAR26
3rd	01AUG24	01APR24	15JAN15	01AUG24	01JAN24

Dates are shown in the State Department’s DDMMMYY format (for example, 15MAR26 is March 15, 2026). “C” means Current.

Final Action Dates

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin’s Final Action Dates chart reflects modest forward movement for the Rest of the World, Mexico, the Philippines, China, and India in several categories.

• EB-1 cut-off dates remain Current for the Rest of the World, Mexico, and the Philippines.
• EB-1 China moves forward from 07/01/2023 to 08/01/2023.
• EB-1 India remains unchanged at 02/01/2023.
• EB-2 India remains unchanged at 11/01/2013.
• EB-3 India moves forward from 01/01/2014 to 01/22/2014.
• EB-2 China remains unchanged at 10/01/2021.
• EB-3 China moves forward from 01/08/2022 to 01/22/2022.
• EB-2 Rest of the World, Mexico, and the Philippines categories move forward from 01/01/2025 to 04/01/2025.
• EB-3 Rest of the World and Mexico move forward from 05/15/2024 to 06/15/2024. EB-3 Philippines remains unchanged at 08/15/2023.

October 2026 Final Action Dates Chart

Employment-based	Rest of the World	CHINA-mainland	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01JUL23	01FEB23	C	C
2nd	01JAN25	01OCT21	01NOV13	01JAN25	01JAN25
3rd	15MAY24	08JAN22	01JAN14	15MAY24	15AUG23

November 2026 Final Action Dates Chart

Employment-based	Rest of the World	CHINA-mainland	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01AUG23 ▲	01FEB23	C	C
2nd	01APR25 ▲	01OCT21	01NOV13	01APR25 ▲	01APR25 ▲
3rd	15JUN24 ▲	22JAN22 ▲	22JAN14 ▲	15JUN24 ▲	15AUG23

In the November 2026 chart, ▲ means the date moved forward from October, and no symbol means no change. Dates are shown in the State Department’s DDMMMYY format (for example, 01APR25 is April 1, 2025). “C” means Current.

The Dates for Filing Chart Will Continue to Control in November 2026

To be eligible to file an EB AOS application in November, an applicant must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed in the Dates for Filing chart for his or her category and country of chargeability (generally, the country of birth).

Because the Dates for Filing cut-off dates are generally later than the Final Action cut-off dates, some applicants who may file in November will not be able to have their applications approved until the Final Action dates advance. For example, EB-2 Rest of the World applicants with priority dates before 03/15/2026 may file, while approvals are limited to those with priority dates before 04/01/2025. Similarly, EB-2 India applicants with priority dates before 01/15/2015 may file, while approvals are limited to those with priority dates before 11/01/2013. Applicants in this window should expect their applications to remain pending until their priority dates become Current under the Final Action Dates chart.

T&S Takeaway

This is the second consecutive month that USCIS has chosen to follow the Dates for Filing chart for EB cases. Because that chart did not move for EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3, November changes nothing for AOS filing in these categories: applicants who could file in October still can.

All eligible applicants are encouraged to file their AOS applications as soon as possible. USCIS may revert to the Final Action Dates chart in future months, and retrogression, a cut-off date moving backward so that fewer applicants qualify, may occur as demand materializes during the U.S. government’s 2027 fiscal year.

Employees should confirm their category and priority date with their employer or attorney to understand how the November 2026 Visa Bulletin affects them.

The attorneys of Tafapolsky & Smith LLP will monitor and analyze all developments affecting immigrant visa availability, including all statements made by State Department officers in the relevant Visa Bulletin and will provide immediate updates on any significant developments.