The November 2026 Visa Bulletin pushed family-sponsored categories forward by almost a year across most countries, while employment-based categories for India and China barely moved.
In short
- Family categories F1, F2B, F3, and F4 (except India) advanced almost a year — a rare, large-scale jump for every country except Mexico and the Philippines.
- F4 for India stayed frozen at December 15, 2006 — the only category with no advance at all in November.
- EB-2 for China and India hasn’t moved since October 2021 and November 2013 respectively, due to a backlog of pending applications.
- Of a projected 94,000 spillover numbers for employment categories, about 44,000 remain unaccounted for — date movement for India isn’t expected before December or January.
- DHS is proposing to end deference for H-1B extensions — the public comment period starts November 13 and runs for 1-2 months.
Family categories: why dates jumped almost a year
The November Final Action Dates chart shows a jump across several family categories for the rest of the world, China, and India.
| Category | Before (October) | Now (November) | Advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | January 22, 2020 | January 22, 2021 | about 12 months |
| F2A | September 22, 2026 | October 22, 2026 | about one month |
| F2B | August 22, 2019 | August 22, 2020 | about 12 months |
| F3 | — | — | one full year |
| F4 (except India) | — | — | one full year |
| F4 India | December 15, 2006 | December 15, 2006 | unchanged |
For India, the F4 date stayed frozen at December 15, 2006 — the only category of those listed with no advance at all. Mexico and the Philippines saw no movement in any family category except F2A; their dates in the other family categories stayed exactly where they were.
For India, the F4 date stayed frozen at December 15, 2006 — the only category of those listed with no advance at all.
Why family dates jumped: a slump in consular visa issuance
The State Department tied the jump directly to a sharp drop in visa and green card issuance at consulates — a trend already flagged in the September bulletin. The drop stems from administrative restrictions: a ban affecting citizens of 75 countries, followed by a de facto freeze on green card issuance through consulates in those countries.
When actual number usage falls, the State Department compensates not by lifting the annual cap but by pushing dates forward: the earlier the filing date, the more people become eligible to file Form I-485 inside the United States. That is the only available mechanism to use up the annual green card quota when the consular channel is barely functioning.
The decline was also compounded by applicants not always being ready for their scheduled interview: unlike the I-485 process in the US, where a mailed notice is enough, consulates have to plan appointment slots in advance.
The State Department offsets the slump in consular visa issuance not by lifting the annual cap but by pushing dates forward — that lets more people become eligible to file I-485 inside the United States.
Employment categories EB-1 to EB-3: a standstill for India and China
Unlike the family categories, the Final Action chart for employment-based visas barely moved — and for India and China that amounts to an effective freeze.
| Category | Rest of World / Mexico, Philippines | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | current (no date) | Aug 1, 2023 (was Jul 1, 2023) | Feb 1, 2023, unchanged |
| EB-2 | Apr 1, 2025 (was Jan 1, 2025) | Oct 1, 2021, unchanged | Nov 1, 2013, unchanged |
| EB-3 | Jun 1, 2024 (was May 1, 2024) | Jan 22, 2022 (was Jan 8, 2022) | Jan 22, 2014 (was Jan 1, 2014) |
In EB-1, only China’s date moved — by one month, from July to August 2023; India’s date stayed at February 1, 2023, unchanged. Mexico and the Philippines remain current in this category — applicants from these countries can file without any date restriction.
EB-2 for all countries except China and India advanced three months — from January 1 to April 1, 2025. Mexico and the Philippines received the same roughly three-month advance. China and India, however, stayed put: China’s date hasn’t moved since October 2021, India’s since November 2013. The reason is that EB-2 still carries a significant backlog of pending applications among the employment categories, and that backlog has to shrink before the dates can move further.
EB-3 advanced almost everywhere, but only symbolically. For all countries, it moved from May to June 2024. China got a bump of just two weeks — from January 8 to January 22, 2022; India moved three weeks, from January 1 to January 22, 2014. Mexico and the Philippines advanced more noticeably in EB-3 — by several months.
The Other Workers category advanced for all countries by a full five months — from January to June.
EB-2 for China and India hasn’t moved since October 2021 and November 2013 respectively — the category carries a significant backlog of pending applications that has to shrink before dates can advance further.
Dates for Filing chart for November 2026
Dates for Filing is the bulletin’s second chart: it lets applicants whose number hasn’t come up yet under the main Final Action chart, but who fall within the announced range, submit preliminary paperwork. The difference in purpose: the Final Action Chart determines who actually gets a green card that month, while Dates for Filing determines who can already submit their document package and wait out the queue at the last stage.
For family categories, the November filing chart mirrors the final chart: dates for the rest of the world, China, and India moved almost a year, while the Philippines and Mexico stayed unchanged. The exception is F2A, which is current for all countries at once.
| Category | Rest of World, China, India | Philippines, Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | advanced almost a year | unchanged |
| F2A | current everywhere | current everywhere |
| F2B | advanced 12 months | unchanged |
| F3 | advanced a year | unchanged |
| F4 | advanced a year (India unchanged) | unchanged |
For employment categories, the filing chart differs much less from the final chart. EB-1 remains current for all countries — which means spillover numbers from EB-1 will keep feeding EB-2 and EB-3 for India and China. For China in EB-1, the date moved two weeks — from January 8 to January 22, 2022. In EB-3, India’s filing date advanced three weeks — from January 1 to January 22, 2014, and the category as a whole moved from May to June 2024 for all chargeability areas. Mexico and the Philippines advanced several months in EB-3. In Other Workers, the date for all countries shifted from January to June 2022, India advanced another three weeks, while China, Mexico, and the Philippines stayed unchanged.
EB-4, EB-5, and other categories: what stayed the same
The date for EB-4 and for religious workers in the Final Action chart did not change from October. The unreserved portion of EB-5 also held steady: December 1, 2016, for China and December 1, 2023, for India. The rest of the EB-5 chart remains current — applicants face no backlog.
The Dates for Filing chart shows a similar picture, with a few nuances in EB-1 through EB-3.
| Category | Rest of World / Mexico / Philippines | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | current | June 1, 2024 (no movement) | July 1, 2024 (unchanged) |
| EB-2 | March 15, 2026 (a lag exists) | January 1, 2023 (unchanged) | January 15, 2015 (no movement for a year and a half) |
| EB-3 | unchanged | April 2024 (moved forward 3 months) | January 15, 2015 (unchanged) |
In EB-1, the Dates for Filing chart differs significantly from the final chart: June 1, 2024, for China (no movement) and July 1, 2024, for India (unchanged). That’s expected: a filing date, by definition, runs ahead of the date of actual green card issuance.
Other Workers and fourth preference (EB-4) also stayed unchanged in the filing chart. The entire remaining EB-5 chart is still current. Among special notes in the bulletin, only the special immigrant visa category for certain employees is flagged — there are no separate clarifications for the other categories.
Spillover numbers and the outlook for December-January
The standstill in employment categories for India comes down to waiting on spillover numbers — visas not claimed in other categories that flow into categories with a backlog. According to preliminary estimates, the original projection was around 94,000 such numbers, but about 50,000 of those have already been absorbed into other categories. That leaves roughly 44,000 spillover numbers, by these estimates, that could theoretically move employment dates forward for India and China.
The November bulletin barely reflects these numbers: a small portion may already be accounted for, but the bulk hasn’t yet made it into the final charts for either India or China. The one exception is EB-3, where the final date moved three weeks — too minor to call it a sign of a thaw.
The expectation is a one-to-two-month advance in the Final Action chart for EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 for India, but that is expected to happen not in November, but in the December or January bulletin. The delay could be due to technical reasons or political ones — the bulletin gives no precise explanation, so this is an assumption, not a confirmed fact.
The delay could be due to technical reasons or political ones — the bulletin gives no precise explanation, so this is an assumption, not a confirmed fact
Anyone considering filing under EB-5 or EB-1A should factor in this shift: if a priority date is expected to become current within the next six months, it makes more sense to wait for the December bulletin and hold off switching categories for another month or two. But if the priority date falls around May 2015 or later, the green card wait will be long regardless — and in that case, switching categories may make sense right now, rather than after the December update.
Spillover numbers for employment categories: the November math
Of the original projection of 94,000 numbers, most have already been absorbed into other categories.
- Original spillover projectionaround 94,000
- Already absorbed into other categoriesaround 50,000
- Remainder available for EB-1 through EB-3around 44,000based on preliminary estimates
If a priority date is expected to become current within the next 6 months, it’s worth waiting for the December bulletin. If the date falls around May 2015 or later, switching to another category may make sense right now.
DHS proposal to end deference for H-1B extensions
DHS has proposed ending the long-standing deference policy set out in 8 CFR 214.1(c)(5), which required a USCIS officer to give weight to a previously approved decision when reviewing an identical request for an H-1B extension. In practice, this meant that if a past extension was approved, the next extension automatically got the same decision without a fresh review.
If the rule is adopted, an officer will review every H-1B extension as a brand-new petition — even if the prior extension was approved without issue. Everything gets checked from scratch: criminal background, whether the applicant meets H-1B requirements, the salary level and its match to the wage range for the position, and the employer-employee relationship. This applies even to routine extensions that used to go through almost as a formality.
an officer will review every H-1B extension as a brand-new petition — even if the prior extension was approved without issue
This is not yet a final rule, but a proposal that has to go through the standard rulemaking process. The public comment period opens on November 13 and will run for roughly one to two months, after which the rule could become an interim final rule and then a final rule — at which point the current deference standard would stop applying.
Two other proposals are also in the comment period at the same time: ending the 60-day grace period after a loss of status, and ending automatic H-4 EAD extension. Anyone filing an H-1B extension petition right now should have it carefully reviewed by an attorney — as if it were a brand-new petition filed under the lottery — and be prepared for a rise in Requests for Evidence (RFE) for both the petitioner and the sponsor.
If the rule is adopted, every H-1B extension will be reviewed from scratch: criminal background, eligibility, salary, and the employer-employee relationship — even for routine extensions.
Travel and the H-1B visa stamp while the priority date hasn’t come up yet
An approved I-140 allows extending H-1B status beyond the six-year limit, even if an I-485 hasn’t been filed yet, as long as the priority date hasn’t come up. But that doesn’t do away with the need for a visa stamp: leaving the US and coming back still requires a valid H-1B stamp in the passport if the bulletin date hasn’t become current yet.
If the previous stamp has expired, the appointment has to be booked at the consulate in the country of citizenship or permanent residence — for Indian citizens, that means a consulate in India. The exception is narrow: getting a stamp in Canada or Mexico is possible only with residency status there (for Canada) or a visa (for Mexico) and actual residence in that country. Without that status, there’s only one path — an appointment in India, which, based on available information, means a long wait.
There’s a separate problem with the appointment itself: even a confirmed consulate date is no guarantee the interview will happen on schedule — it can be rescheduled or delayed. That’s worth factoring into travel planning, along with a backup plan in case of a reschedule.
A confirmed consulate date doesn’t guarantee the interview will happen on schedule — it can be rescheduled. Anyone planning travel that requires an H-1B stamp should have a backup plan ready.
Frequently asked questions
What should someone do if their EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 priority date from India has already become current — is urgent action needed?
If a priority date is set to become current within the next 6 months, it makes more sense to wait for the December bulletin and hold off switching categories for another month or two. If the date falls around May 2015 or later, the wait will be long regardless, and switching categories may make sense right now.
Can I-485 be filed in the US while the consulate isn’t issuing green cards?
Yes: when the consular channel is barely functioning due to administrative restrictions, pushing dates forward gives more people the right to file Form I-485 inside the United States — this is the main way to use up the annual green card quota in that situation.
What should happen if a previously approved H-1B extension could now be reconsidered under a new rule?
If the deference repeal is adopted, an officer will review every H-1B extension as a brand-new petition, including a fresh check of criminal background, eligibility, salary, and the employer-employee relationship — even if the prior extension was approved without issue. Anyone filing a petition right now should have it reviewed by an attorney as if it were a new filing, and be ready for an RFE.
Will spillover numbers show up in the bulletin as soon as December?
Of the roughly 94,000 projected spillover numbers, about 50,000 have already been absorbed into other categories, leaving around 44,000 that could theoretically move employment dates forward for India and China. But the November bulletin barely reflects them, and the main movement isn’t expected before the December or January bulletin.
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