The US State Department has released its November 2026 Visa Bulletin, and there is some movement for people waiting on family or employment-based green cards. It is not a blanket change for everyone, though. Your category, country of chargeability and priority date still matter.
For applicants following the employment-based dates, EB-2 moves to 1 April 2025 for most countries. China and India remain at their earlier cut-off dates. EB-3 also advances for several groups, while India and the Philippines have separate dates. The State Department’s bulletin is worth checking against your own case rather than relying on a headline.
What changed in the family categories
In the family second-preference categories, F2A’s final-action date advances to 22 October 2026 for most countries, and to 22 April 2026 for Mexico. F2B moves to 22 August 2020 for most countries, with different dates for Mexico and the Philippines.
Those dates are not a promise that every applicant can file or receive a green card right away. The bulletin has two charts. For people applying to adjust status from inside the US, USCIS separately says which chart can be used each month. The November filing chart being current for F2A does not, by itself, mean every person qualifies to file.
Three checks before you act
- Find the preference category and priority date on your petition documents.
- Use the country of chargeability that applies to your case. It is usually based on country of birth, not your current passport.
- If you are filing from inside the United States, check USCIS’s monthly chart selection as well as the State Department bulletin.
If your date is close, ask your immigration lawyer or accredited adviser to review the case before sending forms or making travel plans. A bulletin summary is useful for orientation, not personal legal advice.
Small routines help when the paperwork takes over
Waiting on a family case can turn every official update into a whole evening of reading. Once you have checked the dates that apply to you, it can help to put the documents away and call home, watch the news in your first language, or catch a familiar programme. It is a small thing, but a new country feels less far away when part of home is still easy to find.
Our guide to watching your home country’s TV abroad explains the basics, and what to look for in IPTV for expats is a useful next read. If you are weighing viewing options, see our comparison of IPTV, cable and satellite.
Related reading
- October 2026 Visa Bulletin: The Green Card Line Just Moved
- US Midterms 2026: How Americans Abroad Can Vote
- Digital Nomad Visas in 2026: What Changed and What It Costs
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