November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Family & Employment-Based Green Card Priority Dates

Quick Answer: November 2026 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin with updated cutoff dates for family-sponsored and employment-based green card categories.

If you are filing Form I-485 with USCIS, check the USCIS-designated chart for November 2026 before determining whether your priority date allows you to file. Compare your priority date with the applicable cutoff date for your visa category and country of chargeability.

For applicants filing Form I-485 with USCIS in November 2026, USCIS has designated the following charts:

• Family-sponsored preference categories: Use the Dates for Filing chart.
• Employment-based preference categories: Use the Dates for Filing chart.

Final Action Dates still determine when an immigrant visa number is available for final action, including when USCIS may approve an adjustment-of-status application.

Before reviewing the tables below, identify your visa category and compare your priority date with the correct chart.

Key Updates in the November 2026 U.S. Visa Bulletin

Compared with October, the November 2026 Visa Bulletin shows substantial forward movement in several family-sponsored Dates for Filing. Employment-based Dates for Filing are largely unchanged, with movement limited to the Other Workers category for All Other Areas and Mexico.

Family-Based Updates from October to November 2026

Comparing the October and November Dates for Filing charts:

• F1: All Other Areas, China, and India advance from February 1, 2020, to February 1, 2021. Mexico remains at December 1, 2008, and the Philippines remains at April 22, 2015.
• F2A: Remains Current (C) across all countries.
• F2B: All Other Areas, China, and India advance from September 1, 2019, to September 1, 2020. Mexico remains at March 22, 2011, and the Philippines remains at October 1, 2014.
• F3: All Other Areas, China, and India advance from November 1, 2014, to November 1, 2015. Mexico remains at December 1, 2002, and the Philippines remains at October 22, 2006.
• F4: All Other Areas and China advance from November 1, 2011, to November 1, 2012. India remains at February 1, 2007, Mexico remains at April 30, 2001, and the Philippines remains at March 22, 2009.

Employment-Based Updates from October to November 2026

For November 2026, USCIS continues to use the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment-of-status applicants, as it did in October.

Most employment-based Dates for Filing remain unchanged from October. The only movement is in EB-3 Other Workers for All Other Areas and Mexico, which advances from June 1, 2022, to July 1, 2022.

EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 skilled workers and professionals, EB-4, Certain Religious Workers, EB-5 Unreserved, and all EB-5 Set-Aside categories remain unchanged on the Dates for Filing chart.

Final Action Dates show broader forward movement in November across several family-sponsored and employment-based categories. See the November tables below for the applicable cutoff date for each category and country of chargeability.

The tables below show the November 2026 Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.

Official source: U.S. Department of State – Visa Bulletin for November 2026

Need help understanding the cutoff dates and charts? Read our guide on How to Read the U.S. Visa Bulletin.

Family-Sponsored Preferences

Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Applications (November 2026)

For November, F2A numbers exempt from the per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than April 22, 2026.

F2A numbers subject to the per-country limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries except Mexico with priority dates beginning April 22, 2026 and earlier than October 22, 2026.

All F2A numbers provided for Mexico are exempt from the per-country limit.

Dates For Filing Family-Sponsored Applications (November 2026)

Employment-Based Preferences

Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Applications (November 2026)

Dates for Filing Employment-Based Applications (November 2026)

November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Which Chart Should You Use to File Form I-485?

If you are applying for a green card from inside the United States through adjustment of status using Form I-485, USCIS determines which Visa Bulletin chart you must use each month.

For November 2026, USCIS directs both family-sponsored and employment-based preference applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine whether their priority date allows them to file Form I-485.

To check your filing date:

1. Identify your family-sponsored or employment-based visa category.
2. Identify your country of chargeability.
3. Find your category in the applicable November 2026 Dates for Filing chart.
4. Compare your priority date with the listed cutoff date.

If your priority date is earlier than the listed cutoff date, or your category is marked Current (C), you may be able to file Form I-485 if you meet the other applicable USCIS requirements.

The Final Action Dates chart serves a different purpose. A visa number generally must be available under the Final Action Dates chart before USCIS can approve a preference-based adjustment-of-status application.

Understanding Chart Notations

• C (Current): There is no priority-date cutoff for the category in that chart.
• U (Unauthorized): Visa numbers are not authorized for issuance in that category.

Listed cutoff date: Your priority date generally must be earlier than the listed date for the purpose represented by that chart.

Want to estimate next steps after your date becomes current? See our guide to green card processing times.

When and How to Check the Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State publishes a new Visa Bulletin each month to show whether green card applicants can move forward based on visa availability and priority dates.

To avoid missing filing opportunities, review the latest bulletin monthly and compare your priority date using the correct USCIS filing chart for that month.

If you’re unsure how to read cutoff dates, determine whether your priority date is current, or understand the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing, read our detailed guide:

Related: How to Read the U.S. Visa Bulletin (2026 Guide)

Once you understand how to read the bulletin, return to the November 2026 tables above and compare your priority date with the applicable chart.

FAQs About Visa Bulletin