Visa Bulletin November 2026: Family Categories Surge Forward, Employment Categories Stall
Family categories F1-F4 advanced almost a year in November 2026. EB-2/EB-3 for India and China stay frozen. Plus H-1B deference repeal starting Nov 13.
VisaProAdviserVisas, migration and life abroad

Tracks US and Canada immigration where dates and queues decide things, not intentions. It watches the visa bulletin more closely than most outlets: not just reporting the monthly cutoff, but explaining why a category moves or stalls and what that means for a given priority date. Readers get a clear sequence of steps and checked deadlines here, not vague reassurance. It follows how a pause in green card issuance at consulates ripples into spillover between categories, and what USCIS's shift toward direct denials without RFE actually changes for applicants. It also keeps a close eye on H1B: the new fees, their legal standing in court, and the fate of H4 EAD. Broader labor-market questions outside these immigration procedures stay out of scope.
Family categories F1-F4 advanced almost a year in November 2026. EB-2/EB-3 for India and China stay frozen. Plus H-1B deference repeal starting Nov 13.
The 540-day EAD renewal is gone. After work authorization expires, you cannot work even if your extension is pending. How to file your extension on time.
DHS proposed a $70,000 fee for initial OPT and $30,000 for each OPT renewal for F-1 students. Who pays, comment deadlines, and when the rule could take effect.
Why adjustment applicants are getting 'initial review' notices and the October Visa Bulletin is delayed: consulate pauses and quota recalculations after the ban was rescinded.
H-1B's $100,000 fee is court-blocked, the 540-day EAD auto-extension is gone, and October's Visa Bulletin is delayed. Full breakdown as of Sept 20, 2026.
DHS has proposed ending the 60-day H-1B grace period after job loss. Comment period runs through November 10, 2026 — timeline and impact explained.
DHS has registered rule RIN 1615-AD14 to end H-4 EAD work permits. An expert puts the odds just above 50%. Here's what H-4 EAD holders should do now.