India Employment-Based Green Card Outlook: November 2025 vs October 2025

November 2025 delivers a steady Visa Bulletin for India’s employment‑based green card queues. It’s the second bulletin of FY‑2026, and both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing are unchanged from October across EB‑1, EB‑2, EB‑3 (including Other Workers), and EB‑5 (both Unreserved and the Rural/High‑Unemployment/Infrastructure set‑asides).

That month‑over‑month stability means your plan for October largely carries into November: if your priority date is already earlier than a listed cutoff, nothing blocks you from taking the same step now; if it isn’t, you continue to wait for movement. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, steady cutoffs from one month to the next often push applicants to focus on readiness, not roulette—an approach that fits this bulletin.

How to read the November 2025 charts (and what they allow this month)

Two charts matter every month in the Visa Bulletin:

• Final Action Dates: Your green card approval—through an immigrant visa or an I-485—can happen only if your priority date (PD) is earlier than this date. Think of this as the approval gate.
• Dates for Filing: You may assemble and submit your immigrant‑visa or adjustment paperwork when your PD is earlier than this date—but only if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says the Filing chart is in use for the month. USCIS posts that determination each month on its Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page. This is the filing gate.

“C” means Current (no wait line for that category/country). “U” means Unavailable. You can review the monthly cutoffs on the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin page.

For India in November 2025, here are the unchanged cutoffs:

• EB‑1 India: Final Action: 15 FEB 2022 | Filing: 15 APR 2023
• EB‑2 India: Final Action: 01 APR 2013 | Filing: 01 DEC 2021
• EB‑3 India (Skilled/Professional): Final Action: 22 AUG 2013 | Filing: 01 JAN 2022
• EB‑3 India (Other Workers): Final Action: 22 AUG 2013 | Filing: 01 OCT 2018
• EB‑5 India (Unreserved): Final Action: 01 FEB 2021 | Filing: 01 APR 2022
• EB‑5 India (Set‑Asides—Rural, High‑Unemployment, Infrastructure): Final Action: Current | Filing: Current

Step‑by‑step: Your November 2025 path from priority date to filing and approval

1) Confirm your category and your exact priority date
– Your category is EB‑1, EB‑2, EB‑3 (Skilled/Professional or Other Workers), or EB‑5 (Unreserved or Set‑Aside).
– Your PD is the date the labor certification or immigrant petition was filed, depending on category rules. You’ll compare this date to both charts.

2) Check which chart USCIS allows for I‑485 this month
– Each month, USCIS states whether you must use the Final Action chart or may use the Dates for Filing chart for adjustment of status inside the United States. See the current notice on the USCIS chart usage page.

3) Compare your PD to the relevant Indian cutoffs
– If USCIS authorizes the Filing chart, you can submit an I-485 only if your PD is earlier than the Filing cutoff for your category.
– If USCIS requires the Final Action chart, you can submit an I-485 only if your PD is earlier than the Final Action cutoff for your category.

4) If you’re eligible to file, assemble your package and submit
– When your PD is earlier than the applicable filing gate for the month, you can file the I-485 adjustment application. The official USCIS instructions and form are here: Form I‑485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
– Filing earlier can unlock adjustment‑based benefits like EAD and Advance Parole, and—after 180 days—portability where AC21 applies, even though final approval must wait until the Final Action gate is met.

5) If you’re not eligible to file, set a watch plan
– Track the monthly Visa Bulletin. With India’s dates static from October to November, your next decision point depends on whether USCIS lets you use Dates for Filing in a future month and whether the Department of State advances Final Action.
– Keep your case materials tidy so you can file quickly if a window opens.

6) For consular processing applicants
– When the Filing chart is in use, you may be able to submit immigrant‑visa paperwork if your PD is earlier than the Filing cutoff for your category. Final issuance still requires your PD to be earlier than the Final Action cutoff.

Category‑specific planning for November (India)

EB‑1 India (Priority Workers)

• Final Action: 15 FEB 2022
• Filing: 15 APR 2023

What to do now
– If USCIS uses the Filing chart, applicants with PDs earlier than 15 APR 2023 can file I-485 this month. Approval will still wait until PD is earlier than 15 FEB 2022.
– If USCIS requires Final Action for filings, only PDs earlier than 15 FEB 2022 can file.

Practical notes
– If you filed under a previous Filing‑chart month, your EAD/AP may continue even while green card approval holds behind the 15 FEB 2022 gate.
– Porting from EB‑2 to EB‑1 remains an option for those who truly qualify, but November shows no fresh advantage because neither EB‑1 gate moved.

EB‑2 India (Advanced Degree / Exceptional Ability)

• Final Action: 01 APR 2013
• Filing: 01 DEC 2021

What to do now
– The Final Action line remains in early 2013, while the Filing gate is late 2021. If USCIS opens the Filing chart, many with PDs earlier than 01 DEC 2021 can file, but approvals will still wait behind 01 APR 2013.
– If USCIS requires Final Action for filings, only PDs earlier than 01 APR 2013 can file now.

Practical notes
– Some consider downgrading to EB‑3 when EB‑3 runs ahead. In November, EB‑3 India’s Final Action is 22 AUG 2013, only about eight months after EB‑2’s 01 APR 2013, so there’s no clear approval‑speed edge to EB‑3 this month.
– Upgrading to EB‑1 can still be attractive for those who qualify, but November adds no new opening versus October.

EB‑3 India (Skilled/Professional and Other Workers)

• Skilled/Professional: Final Action 22 AUG 2013 | Filing 01 JAN 2022
• Other Workers: Final Action 22 AUG 2013 | Filing 01 OCT 2018

What to do now
– Skilled/Professional: If USCIS uses the Filing chart, PDs earlier than 01 JAN 2022 can file; approvals still wait for 22 AUG 2013.
– Other Workers: Filing eligibility is tighter at 01 OCT 2018, reflecting the subcategory’s reduced annual limit; approvals still wait for 22 AUG 2013.

Practical notes
– Any EB‑2 → EB‑3 downgrade today would mainly be about catching a filing window, not cutting the approval queue, because both EB‑2 and EB‑3 approvals sit in 2013.

EB‑5 India (Post‑RIA)

• Unreserved (C5/T5/I5/R5, NU/RU): Final Action 01 FEB 2021 | Filing 01 APR 2022
• Set‑Asides (Rural 20%, High‑Unemployment 10%, Infrastructure 2%): Current for both charts

What to do now
– Unreserved: If USCIS uses the Filing chart, PDs earlier than 01 APR 2022 can file; approvals still wait for 01 FEB 2021.
– Set‑Asides: Current on both charts for India. Qualified investors can file and be approved without a queue, subject to normal processing and eligibility.

Practical notes
– Reserved categories can shrink timeline uncertainty, but they come with project selection constraints and higher due‑diligence needs.
– Families with children nearing age‑out milestones may find the reserved pools helpful because they remain Current in both October and November.

If USCIS opens the Filing chart vs. requires Final Action for filings

When Dates for Filing is in use (I‑485 inside the United States):
– EB‑1 India: File if PD < 15 APR 2023
– EB‑2 India: File if PD < 01 DEC 2021
– EB‑3 India (Skilled/Professional): File if PD < 01 JAN 2022
– EB‑3 India (Other Workers): File if PD < 01 OCT 2018
– EB‑5 India (Unreserved): File if PD < 01 APR 2022
– EB‑5 India (Set‑Asides): Current—file regardless of PD, if eligible

When Final Action is required for filings:
– Only applicants with PDs earlier than the Final Action Dates listed above can file. For many in EB‑2/EB‑3 India, that means waiting. EB‑5 Set‑Asides remain Current either way.

Why filing early matters
– AOS benefits (EAD/AP and, after 180 days, portability where AC21 applies) can start and continue even while you wait for the Final Action gate.

Scenario tool: How the November cutoffs apply in real life

• EB‑1 example: PD 01 MAR 2022
  • If USCIS uses the Filing chart, you can file now (PD is earlier than 15 APR 2023). Your case can’t be approved yet because your PD is not earlier than 15 FEB 2022.
• EB‑2 example: PD 15 JUN 2015
  • If the Filing chart is open, you can file (2015 is earlier than 01 DEC 2021). Your approval still waits behind 01 APR 2013.
  • If Final Action is required for filings, you can’t file yet.
• EB‑3 Skilled example: PD 10 FEB 2020
  • Filing‑chart open? Yes, you can file (PD earlier than 01 JAN 2022). Approval waits behind 22 AUG 2013.
• EB‑3 Other Workers example: PD 20 MAY 2019
  • Even if the Filing chart is open, you can’t file because the filing cutoff is 01 OCT 2018 and your PD is later.
• EB‑5 Set‑Aside example: Any PD
  • Current in both charts. If you qualify for Rural, High‑Unemployment, or Infrastructure set‑asides, you can file and be approved without a queue, subject to normal case processing and eligibility.

Why “no movement” still shapes smart plans

• EB‑1 India is the closest among the main employment preferences for India. With 15 FEB 2022 (Final Action) and 15 APR 2023 (Filing), the spread is narrower than EB‑2/EB‑3. Upgrading to EB‑1 can still help those who truly fit the category, even though November brought no fresh gains.
• EB‑2 India’s 01 APR 2013 Final Action anchor makes Filing‑chart months vital. If USCIS opens the Filing chart, PDs earlier than 01 DEC 2021 can file, securing AOS benefits while approvals wait behind the 2013 line.
• EB‑3 India doesn’t offer an approval‑speed escape over EB‑2 in November. With 22 AUG 2013 vs. 01 APR 2013, downgrades are about filing access, not faster approvals.
• EB‑5 Set‑Asides remain the pressure valve. Their Current status continues to offer a timing‑certainty path for qualified investors compared with the Unreserved line at 01 FEB 2021 (Final Action) and 01 APR 2022 (Filing).

Guardrails, limits, and context that affect movement

• EB‑4 Certain Religious Workers shows as Unavailable (U) in both October and November due to the statutory sunset on September 29, 2025. The Department of State notes it could become available immediately if extended. It’s outside EB‑1/EB‑2/EB‑3/EB‑5, but it’s why you see “U” in the fourth preference this fall.
• Per‑country and worldwide limits—unchanged between October and November—still shape the pace for oversubscribed countries like India. The worldwide employment‑based floor is at least 140,000, and the per‑country cap is 7% of the combined family‑ and employment‑based totals (25,620), with a 2% dependent‑area limit (7,320).

Month‑to‑month expectations and how to prepare

What to watch next
– EB‑1 India: Any winter nudge beyond 15 FEB 2022 would help many late‑2021 and 2022 PD holders, especially those already filed under the Filing chart.
– EB‑2 and EB‑3 India: With both Final Action gates stuck in 2013, the most practical lever is whether USCIS lets you use the Filing chart in a future month. That keeps your AOS benefits alive while you wait.
– EB‑5 India: Expect continued split—Unreserved backlogged; Set‑Asides Current. For families able to qualify and complete careful project due diligence, the reserved lanes remain the timing‑certainty option.

How to be ready each month
– Keep your PD and category details at hand and recheck the current month’s cutoffs on the Visa Bulletin.
– Check the USCIS monthly chart choice before making filing moves: Adjustment of Status Filing Charts.
– If your PD is close to a filing cutoff, prepare your adjustment packet so you can file the moment a Filing‑chart month opens for you. Use the official I-485 page for instructions: Form I‑485.

November 2025 cutoffs at a glance for India (unchanged from October)

Action cues for applicants in India this month
– If your PD is earlier than a Filing cutoff and USCIS opens the Filing chart, file now to start or continue AOS benefits.
– If your PD is earlier than a Final Action cutoff and USCIS requires the Final Action chart, you can file and your case can be approved now.
– If neither applies yet, set monthly reminders, keep your materials clean, and revisit any lawful category strategy (true EB‑1 upgrade, careful EB‑2↔EB‑3 moves, or EB‑5 Set‑Aside eligibility where appropriate).
– For EB‑5 families who can qualify for Rural/High‑Unemployment/Infrastructure, “Current” on both charts remains the clearest way to bypass the Unreserved queue.

For Indian applicants, November brings continuity rather than progress. That steadiness has real planning value: it lets you time filings, renewals, and job‑mobility decisions around fixed gates. If you’re ready to file when USCIS opens the Dates for Filing chart, keep your packet polished and ready; if you’re in EB‑5 and can truly qualify for a Set‑Aside, the still‑Current status is the most direct path around the Unreserved backlog.