The November 2026 visa bulletin came out on October 22, 2026, and it changes very little for Indians. The India EB-2 final action date stays at November 1, 2013, EB-1 stays at February 1, 2023, and India EB-3 moves forward three weeks to January 22, 2014. Law-firm summaries also say USCIS is expected to keep accepting adjustment-of-status filings under the Dates for Filing chart this month. That chart is far more generous for India: January 15, 2015 for both EB-2 and EB-3.
Below we cover every India cut-off, how this month compares with the rest of the world, how to check your own priority date, and how the October PERM suspension of Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL affects your plans.
Before you file: We couldn't open the official State Department PDF while writing this. The dates below come from published summaries by Murthy Law, Manifest Law, Envoy, EIG and Business Today, and they agree with each other. Still, check your category on travel.state.gov and the USCIS "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts" page before you submit anything.
November 2026 visa bulletin: India employment-based cut-offs
This is the second bulletin of fiscal year 2027, which began on October 1, 2026. Here are the Final Action Dates for India, with Rest of World and China for comparison.
| Category | India | Rest of World | China |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Feb 1, 2023 (no change) | Current | Aug 1, 2023 (+1 month) |
| EB-2 | Nov 1, 2013 (no change) | Apr 1, 2025 (+3 months) | Oct 1, 2021 |
| EB-3 | Jan 22, 2014 (+3 weeks) | Jun 15, 2024 (+1 month) | Jan 22, 2022 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Jan 22, 2014 | Jun 1, 2022 (+5 months) | Oct 1, 2019 |
| EB-4 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 | Dec 15, 2022 |
| EB-5 unreserved | Dec 1, 2023 | Current | Dec 1, 2016 |
| EB-5 set-asides | Current | Current | Current |
EB-2 is the clearest example of the gap. A professional from almost any other country with an April 2025 priority date can be approved now. An Indian in the same category needs a priority date from before November 2013. That is a gap of about 11 and a half years.
Dates for Filing chart: India
The Dates for Filing chart didn't change for India this month. The only change on the whole employment chart was EB-3 Other Workers for Rest of World and Mexico, which moved to July 1, 2022.
- EB-1 India: July 1, 2024
- EB-2 India: January 15, 2015
- EB-3 India: January 15, 2015
- EB-5 unreserved India: May 1, 2024
- EB-4 (all countries): January 1, 2025
Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing: which one matters this month?
Every visa bulletin has two charts, and mixing them up is the most common mistake people make.
- Final Action Date (FAD): Your green card can only be approved once your priority date is earlier than this date.
- Date for Filing (DFF): If your priority date is earlier than this date, you may be able to submit your I-485 adjustment-of-status application. Whether you can depends on USCIS choosing to honour this chart for the month.
In October 2026, USCIS told filers to use the Dates for Filing chart, as Fragomen and other firms reported. Summaries of the November bulletin say the same applies to all family and employment adjustment filers in November. Murthy Law noted that the USCIS chart page still hadn't been updated on October 22, so check it yourself before you file.
Filing early helps in practical ways. Once your I-485 is pending, you can usually apply for a work permit (EAD) and advance parole. Approval still has to wait until your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date.
How to read your priority date: a quick walkthrough
- Find your priority date. For most employment cases, it is the date your PERM labour certification was filed. It is printed on your I-140 approval notice.
- Find your category and country. Use your country of birth, not your citizenship. Someone born in India is charged to India even if they hold another passport. There are limited exceptions, such as using a spouse's country of birth.
- Compare with the Dates for Filing chart. If your date is earlier, you may be able to file your I-485 this month, as long as USCIS confirms it is using that chart.
- Compare with the Final Action chart. If your date is earlier, your case can be approved, assuming everything else is in order.
Example: Say you are an Indian-born EB-2 applicant with a priority date of December 10, 2014. That is earlier than the January 15, 2015 filing date, so you can likely file your I-485 in November. It is later than the November 1, 2013 final action date, so you can't be approved yet.
A note on terms. When a category shows "C" (Current), there is no backlog and anyone eligible can proceed. "U" (Unavailable) means no visas can be issued in that category for now. India EB-2 was "unavailable" from July to September 2026.
Why India EB-2 is still stuck in 2013
The main cause is the per-country cap. US law generally limits each country to 7% of the preference green cards available each year. India sends far more skilled workers than that share can absorb, especially through H-1B. So Indians in EB-2 and EB-3 are waiting for a small slice of visas, while applicants from lower-demand countries move much faster.
In practice, India's dates move a few weeks at a time, and sometimes not at all. Rest of World can jump by months.
How far did dates actually move? October vs November
- October 2026 (first FY27 bulletin): India EB-2 came back at November 1, 2013 after three months as "unavailable." India EB-5 unreserved also came back, at December 1, 2023. Rest of World EB-2 went backward by 1 year and 9 months to January 1, 2025, and Rest of World EB-3 went backward to May 15, 2024.
- November 2026: Rest of World recovered some of that ground (EB-2 +3 months, EB-3 +1 month, Other Workers +5 months). India EB-1 and EB-2 stayed where they were, and India EB-3 moved three weeks.
When dates move backward, it's called retrogression. It happens when demand in a category is on track to exceed the annual or quarterly visa limits, so the State Department moves the cut-off back to slow approvals.
Family-based dates for India
Family categories moved more than employment ones this month. Several jumped a full year:
- F1 (unmarried adult children of US citizens): January 22, 2021 (+1 year)
- F2A (spouses and minor children of green card holders): October 22, 2026 final action. F2A is Current on the filing chart. One site lists the final action date as September 22, 2026, so confirm this one on the official bulletin.
- F2B (unmarried adult children of green card holders): August 22, 2020 (+1 year)
- F3 (married children of US citizens): October 22, 2015 (+1 year)
- F4 (siblings of US citizens): December 15, 2006 for India, no change. Rest of World moved a year to October 22, 2012.
F4 is the one place in the family charts where India gets its own, much older date. That is again because of per-country demand.
Does the PERM suspension of Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL affect you?
This matters to many Indian readers. On October 8, 2026, the administration suspended eight companies from sponsoring employment-based green cards through PERM. They are Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. According to Time, the Labor Department won't accept new PERM filings from these employers or process their pending ones, and no end date has been given.
The suspension stops the process at its first step, before you even get a priority date. An immigration lawyer quoted by Time said H-1B workers close to their six-year limit who haven't started PERM yet face the most risk. Without a filed PERM or an approved I-140, they may not qualify for H-1B extensions beyond six years. If you work at one of these companies:
- Ask HR or company counsel what has happened to your PERM case.
- If you already have an approved I-140, ask an attorney how the suspension affects that petition and whether you can keep your priority date if you change employers.
- If you're near the six-year mark, talk to a lawyer now about options such as a new sponsoring employer.
This comes on top of other US visa policy changes. We covered the political debate in our piece on JD Vance's H-1B remarks and walk-back. Separately, a June 2026 court ruling struck down the $100,000 H-1B fee, and the government has appealed. For a sense of how Indian IT employees are already feeling the squeeze at home, see our report on TCS variable pay for Q2.
Consular interviews, the visa pause and other changes to watch
- Interview pause: On August 25, 2026, immigrant visa interviews at consulates worldwide were paused so officers could train on new public-charge rules. The new DHS public-charge rule took effect on September 18. AP reported that interviews would be rescheduled for September through November. We couldn't confirm that interviews have fully resumed, so check with the US Embassy or consulate handling your case. A cancelled interview does not mean your petition was denied. Your approved petition is still valid.
- 75-country pause struck down: On August 21, 2026, a federal judge in CLINIC v. Rubio struck down the January 2026 pause on immigrant visas for about 75 countries. The government can still appeal.
- Diversity Visa lottery: H.R. 10896, a bill to end the DV lottery, was introduced on October 22, 2026. It has only been introduced and is not law.
When is the next visa bulletin?
The December 2026 visa bulletin should come out in mid-to-late November. Bulletins usually appear around the middle of the month, but the last two were late: the October bulletin on September 29 and the November bulletin on October 22. Don't count on a fixed date.
What Indian applicants should do now
- Compare your priority date with the January 15, 2015 filing date for EB-2 or EB-3. If yours is earlier and USCIS confirms it is honouring the filing chart, get your I-485 paperwork ready, including medicals, birth certificates and employment letters.
- Look into porting from EB-2 to EB-3 if your employer can file a new EB-3 I-140. India EB-3 (Jan 22, 2014) is slightly ahead of EB-2 (Nov 1, 2013) on the final action chart. Whether switching is worth it depends on your case, so ask your attorney.
- Keep your H-1B status in order. Waits in the India backlog are measured in years, not months.
- Check official sources. Use travel.state.gov for the bulletin and uscis.gov for which chart applies. Social media screenshots often contain mistakes.
For more explainers on rules that affect your money and plans, see the KyunTrend homepage.