The U.S. Department of State released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin on October 22, with USCIS confirming that employment-based adjustment applicants must again use the Dates for Filing chart next month. While most categories remain static, the EB-3 “Other Worker” Dates for Filing advance one month for all countries except China, India and the Philippines, and several Final Action Dates progress modestly. Key movements include a one-month advance for EB-1 China Final Action (to August 1, 2023) and advances of two weeks to three weeks for EB-3 China and India Final Action dates. All countries in EB-2 except India and China move forward three months to April 1, 2025. EB-5 Unreserved categories stay unchanged, with China at December 1, 2016 and India at December 1, 2023. For employers, the unchanged Dates for Filing chart means adjustment-of-status (AOS) strategies remain constant: applicants whose priority dates are earlier than the listed Dates for Filing may file in November, even if the Final Action Date is not current. Filing in November secures an earlier AOS receipt date, locking in children’s ages under the Child Status Protection Act and allowing concurrent EAD/AP filings. Business immigration teams should identify employees whose priority dates newly qualify—particularly in the EB-3 Other Worker row—and prepare AOS packets quickly. Foreign nationals awaiting movement in EB-1 and EB-2 India and China categories will see no immediate relief, underscoring the importance of alternative planning such as inter-corporate transfers or maintaining non-immigrant status. Fragomen notes that the Department of State continues to watch overall visa number use carefully; larger advances are unlikely until the second quarter of FY 2027. Companies should track monthly bulletins and adjust PERM or immigrant-visa strategies accordingly.
Source: Fragomen Immigration Alert
