November 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions: What to Expect for EB-2, EB-3 and F2A

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin has not been released yet, and our read of the evidence is that it will be a quiet one. November is the second month of fiscal year 2027, and the State Department used October to make its big moves: EB-2 rest of world fell from Current to Jan 1, 2025, EB-2 India reopened at Nov 1, 2013, and F2A reached Sep 22, 2026. Our central forecast is that most employment dates hold in November, that F2A keeps edging forward by about a month, and that the real news, if any, comes from a dated religious-worker deadline and from which filing chart USCIS picks.

These are VisaVerge estimates, not official dates. They are built from the October 2026 Visa Bulletin (Number 19, Volume XI, CA/VO date September 4, 2026), the bulletin’s own Section B note on future movement, twelve months of published dates and USCIS’s chart choice for October. When the State Department publishes the November 2026 bulletin, its dates replace every estimate on this page, and we will update this article with the official numbers.

Where November Starts: The October 2026 Baseline

Every forecast for November starts from what October actually did. October was Month 1 of FY-2027, so the State Department drew from a fresh year of numbers. It used them to reopen India’s closed categories and to hold September’s family surge, while pulling rest-of-world employment dates back. Our October 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis has every cell; these are the facts that matter for November.

How We Built These Predictions

We do not have access to the State Department’s demand data, so each range below is a judgment call, and we show the reasoning behind it. Four inputs drive it.

We grade each cell as hold (the October date stays), small advance (a few weeks to about two months), or retrogression risk (a date could move back or a category could close). The VisaVerge Visa Bulletin Tracker shows the full month-by-month history behind these calls.

Employment-Based November 2026 Predictions: Final Action Dates

This is the chart that decides whether a green card can actually be approved or a visa issued. The September and October columns are official; the November column is our estimate. A ~ marks every predicted date.

EB-1: Rest of World Stays Current, India and China Likely Hold

EB-1 for rest of world, Mexico and the Philippines has been Current on the Final Action chart in every bulletin of the past year, and nothing in October suggests that changes. EB-1 India just gained 109 days to Feb 1, 2023, after retrogressing to Oct 15, 2022 for the summer. A second large jump in a row is unlikely, so we expect a hold, with an advance of up to about a month possible. EB-1 China has sat at Jul 1, 2023 since August; a hold or a step of a few weeks fits its pattern.

EB-2: Rest of World Most Likely Holds at Jan 1, 2025

The biggest question for most readers is whether EB-2 rest of world, Mexico and the Philippines goes back to Current. We think that is very unlikely in November. Section B describes the October retrogression as necessary to stay within quarterly limits, and the first quarter runs through December 31. Our central case is a hold at Jan 1, 2025, with a modest advance to around early 2025 possible if early demand is lighter than expected. A further retrogression is possible but less likely, since the State Department just reset the date. The EB-2 Filing date of Mar 15, 2026 is far ahead of the Final Action date and should hold.

EB-2 India reopened at Nov 1, 2013. With USCIS accepting India EB-2 filings up to Jan 15, 2015 in October, new adjustment applications are arriving at the same time as the State Department measures demand. That points to a hold, or at most a few weeks of movement toward mid-December 2013. A retrogression this early in the year would be unusual, but India EB-2 did go Unavailable in July 2026, so it is not impossible later in FY-2027. Applicants weighing the two categories can use our EB-2 vs EB-3 India guide. EB-2 China moved 30 days to Oct 1, 2021 in October; a hold or one more small step is our expectation.

EB-3 and Other Workers: Holding After the October Pullback

EB-3 rest of world and Mexico fell 109 days to May 15, 2024 in October, and Other Workers fell 90 days to Jan 1, 2022. Both moves were tied to the same quarterly-limit language, so we expect both to hold in November. If State has room, EB-3 could recover some of the lost ground, perhaps toward Jul 1, 2024, but we would not plan on it. EB-3 India has held at Jan 1, 2014 since July and should hold again; that keeps it 61 days ahead of EB-2 India. EB-3 Philippines (Aug 15, 2023) and EB-3 China (Jan 8, 2022) moved by days in October, and more small steps or holds are the likely outcome.

EB-4 and Religious Workers: The One Dated Risk

EB-4 has held at Dec 15, 2022 since September, and we expect it to hold. The non-minister religious worker category (SR) shares that date but runs on a clock: Section C of the October bulletin says H.R. 6500 extends it only through December 11, 2026. The November bulletin covers November only, so SR numbers should still be available on the November chart. Expect the November bulletin to repeat or update the sunset note. If Congress does not extend SR again, the December bulletin will likely show the category as unavailable after December 11.

EB-5: Set-Asides Stay Current, India Is the Cell to Watch

Every EB-5 set-aside (rural, high unemployment and infrastructure) has been Current for all countries, and we expect that to continue. EB-5 Unreserved is Current for rest of world and held at Dec 1, 2016 for China for four straight bulletins, so a hold is the base case for both. EB-5 Unreserved India reopened at Dec 1, 2023, about 19 months ahead of where it closed. Earlier in 2026 the State Department warned that India’s unreserved date could retrogress, and then made it Unavailable for the summer. We expect a hold in November, but a new warning note would not surprise us. Our EB-5 program guide explains how the unreserved and set-aside pools differ.

Dates for Filing and Which Chart USCIS Will Pick

The Filing chart decides when you can submit an I-485 if USCIS allows it, so it matters as much as the Final Action chart for people inside the United States. The State Department sets Filing dates to reflect where it expects Final Action dates to reach over the coming months, so they rarely move one month into a new fiscal year. In November 2025, no employment Filing date moved at all.

Our call on the chart: USCIS chose the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based filings in October. We think it is more likely than not to keep both in November, because the reasons it switched (a new year of numbers and Filing dates set for the year ahead) still apply. But USCIS decides month by month, and it used Final Action dates for employment filings as recently as September. Treat the chart choice as unknown until USCIS posts it.

Family-Sponsored November 2026 Predictions

Family dates did the unexpected in October: September’s big jumps held instead of correcting. That makes a retrogression in November less likely, not more, because State had its chance to pull dates back at the start of the year and chose not to.

F2A: Another Month Forward Is the Most Likely Outcome

F2A, for spouses and children of green card holders, is the family category with the clearest pattern. Its Final Action date for most countries went from Jan 1, 2025 in July to Jul 22, 2026 in August, Aug 22, 2026 in September and Sep 22, 2026 in October. Our central forecast is about one more month, to around Oct 22, 2026. A hold is possible, and so is a Current listing, since the date already sits nine days short of October 1 and the F2A Filing chart has been Current since April. F2A Mexico jumped 212 days to Mar 22, 2026 in October and could advance again, though by how much is hard to call.

F1, F2B, F3 and F4: Holding After the September Surge

For rest of world, China and India, F1 (Jan 22, 2020), F2B (Aug 22, 2019), F3 (Oct 22, 2014) and F4 (Oct 22, 2011) all kept September’s gains in October, some of which were more than two years. We expect those dates to hold in November. A modest advance in F1 is possible. A retrogression is the bigger risk later in FY-2027, once applicants reached by the September jump finish their paperwork and demand shows up at the National Visa Center. Mexico and the Philippines moved forward in October, and small further steps are plausible there, especially F1 Mexico and F4 Mexico, which moved by 251 days and 14 days.

Consular processing adds one more variable. In late August the State Department paused immigrant visa interviews worldwide for public charge training, and we had not seen that pause lifted when the October bulletin came out. Fewer interviews can mean slower number use in consular-heavy categories, which can support forward movement, but the State Department has not said this is affecting its dates.

Family Dates for Filing

Family Filing dates moved in October only for Mexico, the Philippines and India F4. We expect the rest-of-world rows to hold.

Diversity Visa: Expect No DV-2027 Cut-Offs Again

The October bulletin had no Diversity Visa section because no one holds a DV-2027 rank: registration for the DV-2027 lottery never opened. Unless the State Department announces a registration period and runs a selection, the November bulletin should again carry no DV cut-offs. If you receive a message saying you won DV-2027, treat it as a scam. Results only ever appear at dvprogram.state.gov. Our DV-2027 lottery guide tracks what is known.

What to Do Now, Before the November Bulletin

You do not have to wait for November to act. The October dates and USCIS’s October chart choice stay in force until October 31, so anyone who qualifies under them now can file now.

What Could Prove These Predictions Wrong

Three things could move November away from our central case.

When the November 2026 Visa Bulletin Comes Out

The State Department usually publishes a bulletin around the middle of the month before it takes effect, though timing varies; the October 2026 bulletin was late and arrived on September 29. As of October 10, USCIS’s chart page listed the November 2026 charts as “coming soon.” The November dates take effect on November 1, 2026. When the bulletin is published, this page will be updated with the official Final Action and Filing dates, a scorecard of how these predictions held up, and USCIS’s chart choice.

This article contains VisaVerge predictions for the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, which the U.S. Department of State had not published at the time of writing. The official bulletin replaces these estimates. Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing are set by the Department of State and can change, retrogress or become Unavailable at any time, and USCIS separately decides each month which chart adjustment of status applicants may use. This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney about your specific case.