What moved in the November 2026 visa bulletin
Compared with last month, 2 of 50 employment-based cut-off dates moved forward, 0 moved back and 48 stayed put. The biggest advances: EB-3 Other Workers for most countries (+30 days to 01 Jul 2022) and EB-3 Other Workers Mexico (+30 days to 01 Jul 2022).[2]
Against last month: 11 family-sponsored dates advanced, 0 retrogressed, 14 held. The biggest advances: F1 for most countries (+12 months to 01 Feb 2021), F1 China (+12 months to 01 Feb 2021), F1 India (+12 months to 01 Feb 2021) and F2B for most countries (+12 months to 01 Sep 2020).
Movement is always measured against the most recent earlier month that used the same chart, because the Dates for Filing chart runs months or years ahead of the Final Action Dates chart. Comparing the two would show fake jumps. Check a single date against your own with the priority date calculator, or see the long-run trend on the visa bulletin predictions page.
Employment-based cut-off dates for November 2026
For employment-based cases in November 2026, USCIS accepts I-485 filings from applicants whose priority date is earlier than the date shown for their category and country of chargeability, or whose category shows C (current).[2][7] India and China carry the longest backlogs because of the 7% per-country cap.[6]
| Category | Rest of world | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C■ | 01 Jul 2024■ | 01 Jul 2024■ | C■ | C■ |
| EB-2 | 15 Mar 2026■ | 01 Jan 2023■ | 15 Jan 2015■ | 15 Mar 2026■ | 15 Mar 2026■ |
| EB-3 | 01 Aug 2024■ | 01 Apr 2024■ | 15 Jan 2015■ | 01 Aug 2024■ | 01 Jan 2024■ |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01 Jul 2022▲ advanced 30 days | 01 Oct 2020■ | 15 Jan 2015■ | 01 Jul 2022▲ advanced 30 days | 01 Jun 2022■ |
| EB-4 | 01 Jan 2025■ | 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■ | 01 Jan 2025■ |
| EB-5 Unreserved | C■ | 01 Mar 2021■ | 01 May 2024■ | C■ | C■ |
| EB-5 Rural (20%) | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ |
| EB-5 High Unemployment (10%) | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ |
| EB-5 Infrastructure (2%) | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ |
Family-sponsored cut-off dates for November 2026
Family preference dates for November 2026 are the Dates for Filing chart. Mexico and the Philippines have their own columns because demand from those countries exceeds the per-country limit in most family categories.[2][5]
| Category | Rest of world | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01 Feb 2021▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Feb 2021▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Feb 2021▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Dec 2008■ | 22 Apr 2015■ |
| F2A | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ | C■ |
| F2B | 01 Sep 2020▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Sep 2020▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Sep 2020▲ advanced 12 months | 22 Mar 2011■ | 01 Oct 2014■ |
| F3 | 01 Nov 2015▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Nov 2015▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Nov 2015▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Dec 2002■ | 22 Oct 2006■ |
| F4 | 01 Nov 2012▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Nov 2012▲ advanced 12 months | 01 Feb 2007■ | 30 Apr 2001■ | 22 Mar 2009■ |
Which visa bulletin chart applies this month
For November 2026, USCIS designated the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based filings.[1] The State Department's bulletin always prints two charts: Final Action Dates, which decide when a green card can actually be approved or an immigrant visa issued, and Dates for Filing, which decide when you may submit an adjustment of status application early. Our USCIS visa bulletin chart history shows which chart USCIS picked in every month since October 2015.
The most recent Final Action Dates chart for employment cases that USCIS reproduced is from September 2026. In that chart EB-2 India was Unavailable and EB-3 India 01 Jan 2014.[3] The current month's Final Action Dates are printed in the State Department's own bulletin.[4]
| Category | Rest of world | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01 Jul 2023 | 15 Oct 2022 | C | C |
| EB-2 | C | 01 Sep 2021 | U | C | C |
| EB-3 | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Jan 2022 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Sep 2024 | 01 Aug 2023 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 May 2019 | 01 Jan 2014 | 01 Apr 2022 | 01 Dec 2021 |
| EB-4 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 | 15 Dec 2022 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | C | 01 Dec 2016 | U | C | C |
When is the next visa bulletin?
The December 2026 Visa Bulletin is due from the State Department around the middle of November; bulletins usually appear between the 8th and the 20th of the month before they take effect.[4] USCIS then states which chart it will accept, usually within about a week.[1] This page switches to December 2026 as soon as USCIS publishes its December 2026 chart page. Until then, the November 2026 dates remain in force through the last day of November.
- Each bulletin is valid for one calendar month, from the 1st to the last day.
- October bulletins start a new fiscal year, when annual limits reset and dates often jump.
- Late in the fiscal year (July to September), categories that have used their annual numbers can turn U (unavailable).
Visa bulletin movement over the last 12 months
Each date below is compared with the same chart 12 months earlier (November 2025), which shows the real pace of each queue better than a single month's change.[2]
| Category · country | November 2025 | November 2026 | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 · India | 15 Apr 2023 | 01 Jul 2024 | ▲ 15 months |
| EB-1 · China | 15 May 2023 | 01 Jul 2024 | ▲ 14 months |
| EB-2 · Rest of world | 15 Jul 2024 | 15 Mar 2026 | ▲ 20 months |
| EB-2 · China | 01 Dec 2021 | 01 Jan 2023 | ▲ 13 months |
| EB-2 · India | 01 Dec 2013 | 15 Jan 2015 | ▲ 13 months |
| EB-3 · Rest of world | 01 Jul 2023 | 01 Aug 2024 | ▲ 13 months |
| EB-3 · China | 01 Jan 2022 | 01 Apr 2024 | ▲ 2.2 years |
| EB-3 · India | 15 Aug 2014 | 15 Jan 2015 | ▲ 5 months |
| EB-3 · Philippines | 01 Jul 2023 | 01 Jan 2024 | ▲ 6 months |
| EB-3 Other Workers · Rest of world | 01 Dec 2021 | 01 Jul 2022 | ▲ 7 months |
| F1 · Rest of world | 01 Sep 2017 | 01 Feb 2021 | ▲ 3.4 years |
| F1 · Mexico | 01 Mar 2007 | 01 Dec 2008 | ▲ 21 months |
| F2A · Rest of world | 22 Oct 2025 | C | ▲ became current |
| F2B · Rest of world | 08 Mar 2017 | 01 Sep 2020 | ▲ 3.5 years |
| F2B · Mexico | 15 May 2009 | 22 Mar 2011 | ▲ 22 months |
| F3 · Rest of world | 22 Jul 2012 | 01 Nov 2015 | ▲ 3.3 years |
| F3 · Philippines | 01 Nov 2005 | 22 Oct 2006 | ▲ 12 months |
| F4 · Rest of world | 01 Mar 2009 | 01 Nov 2012 | ▲ 3.7 years |
| F4 · India | 15 Dec 2006 | 01 Feb 2007 | ▲ 2 months |
| F4 · Mexico | 30 Apr 2001 | 30 Apr 2001 | ■ no change |
| F4 · Philippines | 01 Jan 2008 | 22 Mar 2009 | ▲ 15 months |
A queue that moved less than 12 months in a year fell further behind. For per-category paces over 1, 3 and 5 years, see visa bulletin predictions.
How to read the visa bulletin
Reading the bulletin takes three lookups: your category, your country of chargeability and the right chart.[7]
- Find your category on your approved petition: F1–F4 for family, EB-1 to EB-5 for employment.
- Find your column: India, China (mainland-born), Mexico, the Philippines, or “all chargeability areas” for everyone else. It normally follows country of birth.
- Compare your priority date with the date in that cell on the chart that applies. If your date is earlier, or the cell shows C, it is current.
Worked example: an EB-2 applicant born in India with a priority date of 21 Mar 2014. In November 2026 the chart USCIS accepts shows EB-2 India at 15 Jan 2015, and 21 Mar 2014 is earlier, so the applicant may file an I-485 this month. Approval still waits until the Final Action Date passes 21 Mar 2014. Try your own date in the priority date calculator.
Download the full visa bulletin history
Every cut-off date in our database is free to download as CSV, 134 months from October 2015 to November 2026: visa-bulletin-history.csv (one row per month, system, chart, category and country; codes ALL, CHN, IND, MEX, PHL, SLV, VNM; values are dates, C or U). The USCIS source page for each month is listed in visa-bulletin-sources.csv. USCIS processing-time reports are in uscis-processing-times.csv.
Visa bulletin archive by month
Our database holds 134 monthly charts, from October 2015 to November 2026. These are the last 24 months; months with a full page are linked:
- DEC 2024
- JAN 2025
- FEB 2025
- MAR 2025
- APR 2025
- MAY 2025
- JUN 2025
- JUL 2025
- AUG 2025
- SEP 2025
- OCT 2025
- NOV 2025
- DEC 2025
- JAN 2026
- FEB 2026
- MAR 2026
- APR 2026
- MAY 2026
- JUN 2026
- JUL 2026
- AUG 2026
- SEP 2026
- OCT 2026
- NOV 2026
Visa bulletin tools and guides
- Priority date calculatorIs my priority date current? Check it against this month’s chart and see a projected range.
- Visa bulletin predictionsHow fast each category has moved over 1, 3 and 5 years, projected forward with ranges.
- What is a priority date?How your place in line is set and where to find it on your receipt notice.
- EB-2 India priority dateHistory since 2015 and the gap between the two charts.
- EB-2 visa bulletinEB-2 for every country, with history charts.
- EB-3 visa bulletinEB-3 and Other Workers, India and China history.
- F2A visa bulletinSpouses and children of green card holders.
- Green card wait timeHow many years behind each category is today.
- USCIS visa bulletin chartDates for Filing or Final Action: USCIS’s choice every month.
- Boletín de visas (español)Fechas de México y del resto del mundo, explicadas en español.
- USCIS processing timesMonthly averages for I-485, I-130, I-765 and N-400.
- H-1B visaCap, lottery, fees and salary rules.
Work visas, green card routes and processing
Beyond the bulletin, these guides cover the visas and forms most people track alongside it. Fees: H1B fee calculator; odds: H1B lottery; pay rules: H1B salary; family of H-1B workers: H4 visa. Investors and transferees: E2 visa, L1 visa, O-1 visa. Green card routes: EB3 visa, diversity visa lottery. Consular cases: 221g visa refusals, visa status check. USCIS forms: I-485, I-130, I-765, N-400 and overall green card processing time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the visa bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication of the U.S. Department of State that sets the cut-off dates for family-sponsored and employment-based green cards. Your priority date must be earlier than the cut-off for your category and country before a visa number is available. It exists because the Immigration and Nationality Act caps most green card categories each year.
When does the visa bulletin come out each month?
Usually in the middle of the month before it takes effect, between roughly the 8th and the 20th. USCIS posts which chart it accepts for adjustment of status about a week later. The December 2026 bulletin is the next one due.
What do C and U mean in the visa bulletin?
C means current: there is no backlog, so every priority date qualifies. U means unauthorized or unavailable: no visa numbers can be issued in that category this month, often because the annual limit has been reached.
What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?
Final Action Dates control when a green card can be approved or an immigrant visa issued. Dates for Filing are later dates that let applicants submit paperwork early. USCIS chooses each month which of the two it accepts for I-485 filing; the National Visa Center uses Dates for Filing to invite documents for consular cases.
Is this the official visa bulletin?
No. visabulletin.org is an independent site and is not affiliated with the State Department or USCIS. We parse the charts USCIS republishes each month and link every month to its source. The official bulletin controls if anything differs.
Sources
- Adjustment of Status Filing Charts from the Visa Bulletin
- When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: November 2026
- When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: September 2026
- The Visa Bulletin (monthly publication and archive)
- 8 U.S.C. 1153 (INA 203): allocation of immigrant visas
- 8 U.S.C. 1152 (INA 202): numerical limitations on individual foreign states
- 8 CFR 245.1: Eligibility for adjustment of status (visa availability, 245.1(g))