November 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Green Card Dates Advance for India, EB-2 Unchanged

The U.S. Department of State has released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, delivering mixed news for employment-based green card applicants. The headline development is a forward movement in EB-3 priority dates for India, offering relief to thousands of Indian nationals in the skilled worker and professional categories who have been waiting in the lengthy backlog. In contrast, EB-2 priority dates for India remain unchanged from the prior month, continuing a period of stagnation for applicants in the advanced degree and exceptional ability category. This divergence between EB-2 and EB-3 movement is notable, as it may prompt some applicants and their attorneys to evaluate whether downgrading from EB-2 to EB-3 could be a strategic advantage given current movement trends. For EB-3 applicants from India, the advancement represents meaningful progress in a backlog that has historically stretched over a decade. Applicants whose priority dates are newly current should begin coordinating with their employers and attorneys to file adjustment of status applications or pursue consular processing without delay. Applicants from other oversubscribed countries such as China, Mexico, and the Philippines should review the full bulletin to assess movement in their respective categories. Rest-of-world EB-3 applicants generally experience faster movement and may find their dates remain current or have advanced further. Practitioners and applicants are advised to verify both the Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts, as USCIS determines each month which chart governs I-485 filings. Monitoring monthly bulletin releases remains critical for timely action when priority dates become current.