November 2026 Visa Bulletin Good News: EB-3 Other Workers Advance & Employer Action Plan

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin brings a mixed but cautiously positive update for employment-based immigration applicants. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will follow the State Department's Dates for Filing chart for November, meaning eligible applicants may submit Form I-485 Adjustment of Status applications if their priority date falls before the applicable cutoff. For the majority of employment-based categories, November shows no forward movement from October. EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 filing cutoffs remain unchanged across all chargeability areas. EB-3 All Chargeability Areas (except China, India, Mexico, Philippines) remains at August 1, 2024, while EB-2 holds at March 15, 2026. India-born applicants in both EB-2 and EB-3 continue to face the longest wait, with cutoffs at January 15, 2015. The notable exception is the EB-3 Other Workers subcategory, which advanced one month for All Chargeability Areas (except China, India, and Philippines), moving from June 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022. This category covers unskilled positions requiring less than two years of training or experience — an important pathway that requires no degree and no extensive work history. China, India, and Philippines cutoffs in this subcategory remained static. Employers are advised to immediately review their foreign-national employees' preference categories, countries of chargeability, and priority dates against the November chart. If an employee qualifies to file this month, immigration counsel should be contacted promptly to prepare the I-485 and any accompanying work authorization (I-765) or travel document (I-131) applications. Filing under the Dates for Filing chart does not guarantee immediate approval — a visa must still be available under the Final Action Dates chart at the time of adjudication. For companies managing EB-3 pipelines, November's stability in most categories underscores the importance of proactive priority date monitoring. Employers should also track the Final Action Dates chart separately, as that chart governs when green cards can actually be approved, not just when applications can be filed.