The Department of State (DOS) released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin on Oct. 22, 2026. It is the monthly chart that shows who can move forward in the green card line. The good news is for EB-2 NIW applicants born outside India and China: their line moved forward three months. If your EB-2 NIW I-140 was filed between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2025, your green card may now be approved, as long as your I-140 is approved and the rest of your case is ready. EB-1 for China also moved forward one month. India did not move, and the dates for submitting applications stayed the same.
What the dates mean
- Priority date: your place in line. For EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, it is the day your I-140 petition was filed.
- Approval date (the bulletin calls it “Final Action Date”): if your priority date is earlier than this date, your green card can be approved.
- Filing date (the bulletin calls it “Dates for Filing”): if your priority date is earlier than this date, you can submit the last application: Form I-485 in the U.S., when USCIS allows it (as it does in November), or your documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) if you live abroad.
- “C” (current): there is no line. Everyone in that category can move forward.
| October → November 2026 | Rest of World | China | India | Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 approval date | C → C | July 1, 2023 → Aug. 1, 2023 | Feb. 1, 2023 → Feb. 1, 2023 | C → C |
| EB-2 (incl. NIW) approval date | Jan. 1, 2025 → April 1, 2025 | Oct. 1, 2021 → Oct. 1, 2021 | Nov. 1, 2013 → Nov. 1, 2013 | Jan. 1, 2025 → April 1, 2025 |
| EB-1 filing date | C → C | July 1, 2024 → July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 → July 1, 2024 | C → C |
| EB-2 (incl. NIW) filing date | March 15, 2026 → March 15, 2026 | Jan. 1, 2023 → Jan. 1, 2023 | Jan. 15, 2015 → Jan. 15, 2015 | March 15, 2026 → March 15, 2026 |
UK, France, Brazil and most other countries fall under Rest of World.
What changed
Three approval dates moved forward:
- EB-2 and EB-2 NIW, Rest of World: from Jan. 1, 2025 to April 1, 2025 (three months)
- EB-2 and EB-2 NIW, Mexico: the same move, to April 1, 2025
- EB-1 China: from July 1, 2023 to Aug. 1, 2023 (one month)
No filing date moved. USCIS, the agency that decides green card applications inside the U.S., says everyone in employment-based categories must use the filing dates in November, as in October. We covered the announcement in our immigration live updates.
Why November matters: three months back after a cut
Every October the U.S. starts a new fiscal year with a new supply of green cards. In September, the last month of the old year, there was no line at all for EB-2 applicants from most countries: the category was “current.” The September bulletin had warned this might not last.
In October, the line came back. The approval date fell to Jan. 1, 2025. DOS said these cuts were needed “to keep visa issuances within FY 2027 quarterly and annual limits.” November gives back three of those months.
If your priority date is April 1, 2025 or later, approval waits for a later bulletin. If it is before March 15, 2026, you can still file now and have your case ready when your date is reached.
Filing early vs being approved
Think of it as two doors. The filing date opens the first door: you can submit your final application. The approval date opens the second: the green card can be issued.
For EB-2 NIW from most countries, the first door is open for priority dates before March 15, 2026. The second is open only for dates before April 1, 2025. The distance between the two doors shrank from about 14 and a half months in October to about 11 and a half in November.
Going through the first door early helps. If you are in the U.S. and your I-485 is pending, you can ask for a work permit (Form I-765) and a travel document (Form I-131) while you wait. If you live abroad, you can send your documents to the NVC so your case is ready. One caution: in many cases, leaving the U.S. while your I-485 is pending, without that travel document, can end the application. Ask your attorney before you travel.
By country
India
India holds steady. EB-1 stays at Feb. 1, 2023 and EB-2 at Nov. 1, 2013, a difference of about nine years and three months between the two lines. In September, India EB-2 was closed (“U”, unavailable). It has had a date again since October, and that date held in November. For an India-born founder or executive, choosing between EB-1A and EB-2 NIW changes the wait much more than any single month. The O-1, a work visa that is not part of the Visa Bulletin, is one way to work in the U.S. while the line moves.
China
EB-1 moves one month, to Aug. 1, 2023. EB-2 stays at Oct. 1, 2021. The difference between the two lines grows to about one year and ten months.
Mexico
Mexico has its own column, but this month its dates are the same as Rest of World for EB-1 and EB-2.
UK, France and Rest of World
EB-1 has no line, so an EB-1A applicant does not wait for a green card number. EB-2 NIW now reaches April 1, 2025, about a year and a half behind today’s date. That does not tell you how long you will wait, but it shows why the choice of category matters even outside India and China.
Your line depends on where you were born
The line you stand in depends on your country of birth, not your passport and not where you live. A British citizen born in India stands in the India line, so this month’s move for Rest of World does not reach them.
There are a few exceptions in the law. In some cases, for example, you can use your spouse’s country of birth instead. Whether that applies to you depends on your facts, so it is a question for an immigration attorney.
In practice
This is a fictional example to show how the rule works.
If you were born in Monterrey, work in Austin on an O-1 and filed your EB-2 NIW I-140 on March 3, 2025, you stand in the Mexico line with a priority date of March 3, 2025.
In October you could already submit your I-485, because your date was before the Mexico filing date of March 15, 2026. But approval was blocked, because the approval date was Jan. 1, 2025. In November the approval date is April 1, 2025, so your green card may now be approved, as long as your I-140 is approved and USCIS finishes reviewing your case.
What to do now
- Find your priority date on the receipt notice for your I-140 (Form I-797).
- Confirm which line you are in. Start with your country of birth.
- Compare your priority date with both dates in the table: the filing date tells you when you can submit, the approval date tells you when the green card can be approved.
- If your case is already in progress, ask your attorney how this month affects your timing.
FAQ
What changed in the November 2026 Visa Bulletin?
Three approval dates moved forward. EB-2, including EB-2 NIW, moved three months for Rest of World and Mexico, to April 1, 2025. EB-1 for China moved one month, to Aug. 1, 2023. India did not move, and the filing dates for EB-1 and EB-2 did not change.
What is the EB-2 NIW approval date in November 2026?
April 1, 2025 for Rest of World, which includes the UK, France and Brazil, and for Mexico. Oct. 1, 2021 for China. Nov. 1, 2013 for India.
When can I file my I-485 in November 2026?
USCIS says employment-based applicants must use the filing dates in November 2026. If you are in the U.S. and your priority date is earlier than the filing date for your category and country, you can file. For EB-2 NIW, that is March 15, 2026 for Rest of World and Mexico, Jan. 1, 2023 for China and Jan. 15, 2015 for India.
How do I find my priority date?
For EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, your priority date is the day your I-140 was filed. It appears on Form I-797, the receipt notice USCIS sends for your I-140.
Know where you stand before you file
Every month, Jumpstart reads the Visa Bulletin line by line, so founders and executives do not have to guess. That same attention goes into every case we take on: a team that knows EB-1A and EB-2 NIW in detail, and independent licensed attorneys who handle the legal work. If you have not filed yet, your I-140 filing date will set your place in line. Book an initial consultation to see which green card path fits your profile.
Last updated: Oct. 23, 2026
*This article is general information, not legal advice. Jumpstart is not a law firm; legal services are provided by independent licensed attorneys. Immigration rules change often; check the date and the official source linked above.
