November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Family Dates Jump a Full Year

November is the second bulletin of fiscal year 2027, and it splits cleanly into two stories. Family applicants get a big, even jump: in the worldwide, China and India columns, F1, F2B and F3 each moved exactly one year, and F4 did the same for worldwide and China. Employment applicants get a partial recovery from October, when several worldwide categories retrogressed. The State Department based these dates on demand reported through October 5, 2026 (Visa Bulletin for November 2026).

One thing is still open: as of October 22, USCIS has not said which chart adjustment applicants may use in November. Its page lists November as "Coming soon" (USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts). We explain what that means for you below.

If priority dates and the two charts are new to you, start with our complete visa bulletin guide. To compare against last month, open the October 2026 visa bulletin report.

What changed in the November 2026 visa bulletin

Of the 150 cells across the four charts, 42 changed from October. Here are the moves that matter most:

Every date comes from the official November chart, compared against the October 2026 bulletin. The rule is strict: your priority date must be earlier than the cutoff. A date that matches exactly is not current yet. Our free Visa Bulletin checker applies that rule for your category and country.

Family-sponsored dates: one year forward, almost everywhere

Here is the full family Final Action chart for November:

F1, F2B, F3 and F4 moved in lockstep

The State Department moved four categories forward by the same full year in one bulletin. F1 covers unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens, F2B covers unmarried adult children of green card holders, F3 covers married children of U.S. citizens, and F4 covers brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.

A parent who filed an I-130 for a married son or daughter in late 2014 or most of 2015 may have just become current. The same goes for an I-130 for a sibling filed in late 2011 or 2012. Pull out your I-797 notice and compare the priority date to the table.

Not every column got the year. India F4 stayed at December 15, 2006, so Indian siblings of U.S. citizens are still waiting on the per-country limit. Mexico and the Philippines barely moved: Mexico F1 and F3 gained 14 days each, and every Philippines family date held.

F2A stays within weeks of today

F2A covers spouses and minor children of green card holders. It advanced one month to October 22, 2026, and Mexico advanced to April 22, 2026. Numbers exempt from the per-country limit go to priority dates before April 22, 2026. Numbers subject to the limit go to every country except Mexico, for dates from April 22 up to October 22, 2026 (Visa Bulletin for November 2026).

In practice, if you filed an I-130 for your spouse before October 22, 2026, a number is available on the Final Action chart this month.

Why filing early still buys almost nothing

The family Dates for Filing chart moved forward by the same full year. So the gap between the two family charts is unchanged: in F1, F2B, F3 and F4 for worldwide applicants, the filing date sits exactly 10 days ahead of the final action date. That gap first collapsed in the September bulletin, and it has held there for three months now.

Even if USCIS picks the filing chart for November, family applicants gain only 10 days of extra eligibility on top of the year both charts already moved. If you are not sure which family category your relationship falls into, our free I-130 eligibility check sorts that out before you file, and I-130 priority dates and the visa bulletin shows where to find your date.

Employment-based dates win back some ground

Here is the employment Final Action chart for November:

A partial recovery from October

In October, worldwide EB-2 dropped from Current to January 1, 2025, and worldwide Other Workers moved back 90 days. The State Department said those cuts kept visa use within FY2027 quarterly and annual limits (Visa Bulletin for October 2026).

November gives some of that back. Worldwide, Mexico and Philippines EB-2 move 90 days to April 1, 2025. Worldwide and Mexico Other Workers jump 151 days to June 1, 2022, which more than erases October's 90-day drop. Worldwide and Mexico EB-3 gain one month to June 15, 2024, recovering part of October's 109-day setback.

But EB-2 is still not Current, and it was Current for most of fiscal year 2026. If your EB-2 priority date falls in 2025 after April 1, you are still waiting on the Final Action chart.

India and China move by days, not months

India EB-3 and India Other Workers each gain 21 days to January 22, 2014. China EB-3 gains 14 days to January 22, 2022, and China EB-1 gains a month to August 1, 2023. India EB-1, India EB-2 and China EB-2 did not move. India EB-2 stays at November 1, 2013, where it reopened in October. Our employment-based I-485 guide covers how these categories feed into adjustment of status.

EB-4 held at December 15, 2022 for every country, and every EB-5 cell matches October. Certain Religious Workers share the EB-4 dates. The October bulletin noted that H.R. 6500 extended that category through December 11, 2026; the November bulletin does not repeat the note.

The employment filing chart is frozen

Only one row changed on the employment Dates for Filing chart: worldwide and Mexico Other Workers moved one month to July 1, 2022. Every other employment filing date, including India EB-2 at January 15, 2015 and worldwide EB-2 at March 15, 2026, is identical to October.

Which chart can you use in November?

USCIS decides each month whether adjustment applicants file by Dates for Filing or by Final Action Dates. For October it allowed Dates for Filing for both family and employment cases. For November, its page still reads "Coming soon," last updated October 1 (USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts).

The bulletin itself sets the default: unless USCIS says otherwise on that page, adjustment applicants must use the Final Action chart. USCIS also lets you use the Final Action chart whenever a category is Current there, or when its final action date is later than the filing date.

For November, that means:

• Family applicants: the choice hardly matters. The two charts are 10 days apart, so if your date is current on one, it almost certainly is on the other.
• Employment applicants: the choice matters a lot. Worldwide EB-2 has a filing date of March 15, 2026 but a final action date of April 1, 2025. India EB-3 has a filing date of January 15, 2015 against a final action date of January 22, 2014. If USCIS keeps the filing chart, many more people can submit Form I-485 in November.

Check the USCIS page before you mail anything. If your date is not current under the chart USCIS allows, the application can be rejected and you lose weeks. Our I-485 adjustment of status guide explains how the filing step works, and I-485 versus consular processing covers the route if your relative lives abroad.

What to do with the November bulletin

If your family date just became current: find your priority date on the I-797 notice, confirm your category, and start gathering evidence with the I-485 document checklist. A one-year jump catches people off guard, so check even if you expected to wait longer.

If you are an F2A spouse or child: the final action cutoff is October 22, 2026, and F2A is Current on the filing chart. If USCIS allows the filing chart, a new petition and the green card application can go in together. The I-485 concurrent filing guide explains how.

If you are in worldwide EB-2 or EB-3: watch the USCIS chart announcement. If the filing chart is allowed again, a much larger group can file this month. Filing also lets you request a work permit and advance parole while the case is pending.

If your I-485 is already pending and your date is behind the cutoff: retrogression or a slow chart does not deny your case. It generally stays pending until a visa number is available, and the date moving does not cancel a valid work permit or travel document.

If you hold a green card and your family is waiting in F2A or F2B: becoming a U.S. citizen turns your spouse and minor children into immediate relatives, which removes the preference wait. The three-year rule for spouses of U.S. citizens may get you there sooner.

A common way a newly current applicant loses time is a rejected filing: a missing signature, the wrong fee, or the wrong chart. Immiva's I-485 preparation checks every answer as you go and builds a personalized document list for your category. It costs one flat fee of $249, government fees are paid separately to USCIS, and you pay only when the packet is ready (Immiva pricing).

What to expect next

Two months into fiscal year 2027, family dates are advancing fast and employment dates are recovering slowly after October's reset. The State Department has not issued any new retrogression warning in the November 2026 visa bulletin, but it monitors demand monthly, and a one-year family jump is not a promise that December will do the same.

If your date is current, file this month. If it is close, gather documents now so you are ready when the next bulletin arrives. Our guide on how to check if your priority date is current walks through the comparison step by step.