November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Employment-Based Dates Move Forward

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin moves employment-based dates forward for most Rest of World applicants, following October’s EB-2 retrogression. On the Final Action Dates chart, EB-2 Rest of World advances from January 1, 2025, to April 1, 2025. EB-3 moves from May 15, 2024, to June 15, 2024, and Other Workers from January 1, 2022, to June 1, 2022. The Dates for Filing chart is mostly unchanged. For people filing from inside the U.S., United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has named the Final Action Dates chart as the one to use for Form I-485 this month. 

Each month, the Department of State releases the Visa Bulletin, a set of charts that informs green card applicants whether their turn to proceed with the last stage of the green card process has arrived. Annual employment-based green card numbers are limited, so applicants are queued by priority date, the date that establishes their position in that queue. When a category is marked Current, no cutoff applies and every priority date in that category may proceed. Rest of World (ROW) refers to applicants chargeable to any country other than China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, which the Bulletin lists separately. For Employment-Based categories, Mexico’s dates currently match Rest of World, so we show the two together. 

November 2026 Final Action Dates (Employment-Based) 

Final Action Dates mark the point at which a green card can be approved, or an immigrant visa issued at a consulate abroad. An applicant qualifies only if their priority date falls before the date shown for their category and country of birth. November’s Final Action Dates are as follows: 

Category	Rest of World and Mexico	China	India	Philippines
EB-1 (1st)	Current	01 AUG 2023	01 FEB 2023	Current
EB-2 (2nd)	01 APR 2025	01 OCT 2021	01 NOV 2013	01 APR 2025
EB-3 (3rd)	15 JUN 2024	22 JAN 2022	22 JAN 2014	15 AUG 2023
Other Workers	01 JUN 2022	01 OCT 2019	22 JAN 2014	01 JAN 2022
EB-4 (4th)	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022
Certain Religious Workers	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022	15 DEC 2022
EB-5 Unreserved	Current	01 DEC 2016	01 DEC 2023	Current
EB-5 Rural (Set-Aside)	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-5 High Unemployment (Set-Aside)	Current	Current	Current	Current
EB-5 Infrastructure (Set-Aside)	Current	Current	Current	Current

Source: U.S. Department of State, November 2026 Visa Bulletin, Volume XI, Number 20. 

Three rows advanced for ROW and Mexico since October. EB-2 moved 3 months, from January 1, 2025, to April 1, 2025. EB-3 gained one month, moving from May 15, 2024, to June 15, 2024, and Other Workers gained five, moving from January 1, 2022, to June 1, 2022. The Philippines matched Rest of World in EB-2, also reaching April 1, 2025, while its EB-3 and Other Workers dates stayed put. 

Movement for China and India was minimal. EB-1 China advanced a month, from July 1, 2023, to August 1, 2023, and EB-3 China inched ahead two weeks, from January 8, 2022, to January 22, 2022. India’s EB-3 and Other Workers rows both moved from January 1, 2014, to January 22, 2014. EB-2 for China and India, along with EB-4 and EB-5, held steady. 

November 2026 Dates for Filing (Employment-Based) 

The Dates for Filing chart is the Bulletin’s earlier, more forward-looking cutoff. It indicates when applicants may begin the process before a visa number is ready: by submitting Form I-485 if they are in the United States, or by sending documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) if they are abroad. November’s Dates for Filing are as follows: 

Category	Rest of World and Mexico	China	India	Philippines
EB-1 (1st)	Current	01 JUL 2024	01 JUL 2024	Current
EB-2 (2nd)	15 MAR 2026	01 JAN 2023	15 JAN 2015	15 MAR 2026
EB-3 (3rd)	01 AUG 2024	01 APR 2024	15 JAN 2015	01 JAN 2024
Other Workers	01 JUL 2022	01 OCT 2020	15 JAN 2015	01 JUN 2022
EB-4 (4th)	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025
Certain Religious Workers	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025	01 JAN 2025
EB-5 Unreserved	Current	01 MAR 2021	01 MAY 2024	Current
EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure)	Current	Current	Current	Current

Source: U.S. Department of State, November 2026 Visa Bulletin, Volume XI, Number 20. 

The only adjustment in this chart compared to October 2026, is Other Workers for ROW and Mexico, which gained one month, from June 1, 2022, to July 1, 2022. EB-2 and EB-3 for ROW stay on March 15, 2026, and August 1, 2024, respectively, and all remaining rows match October. 

Which Chart Applies to Form I-485 Filings in November 

Adjustment of status allows a person already in the United States to apply for a green card with Form I-485 rather than going through a consulate. USCIS decides each month which of the Bulletin’s two charts applicants must use and announces its choice on the adjustment of status filing charts page. For November 2026, USCIS has designated the Dates for Filing chart for all employment-based categories. October filings were governed by the Dates for Filing chart. 

Looking Ahead to December 

Dates and chart designations can shift from one month to the next, so filing may look different again in December. Our team posts an update of each new Bulletin shortly after it comes out, and you can find the latest on our News & Resources page. 

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