November 2026 Visa Bulletin Good News: Indian Family Dates Advance a Full Year, EB-3 Moves Slightly

The U.S. Department of State released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin with notable gains for Indian nationals in family-sponsored immigration categories. Three preference categories — F1 (unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens), F2B (unmarried adult children of green card holders), and F3 (married children of U.S. citizens) — all advanced by one full year in their final action dates. The F2A category, covering spouses and minor children of green card holders, moved forward by one month to October 22, 2026. F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) remained unchanged at December 15, 2006. For Indian employment-based applicants, the bulletin offers limited relief. EB-1 remains frozen at February 1, 2023, and EB-2 stays at November 1, 2013, with no movement in either category. EB-3 — the primary pathway for skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — advanced by only 21 days, moving from January 1, 2014 to January 22, 2014. The Other Workers subcategory recorded the same marginal gain. Filing dates for all employment-based categories also remained unchanged. EB-5 investors in unreserved categories hold a final action date of December 1, 2023, while rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside categories remain current. EB-4 saw no movement in either chart. The contrast between family and employment progress highlights the persistently deep backlog affecting Indian nationals in the employment-based pipeline. Applicants must distinguish between two separate charts in the bulletin: final action dates, which determine when a green card can actually be approved, and dates for filing, which indicate when supporting documents or an adjustment-of-status application may be submitted. These charts are not interchangeable — USCIS specifies each month which chart applies to adjustment-of-status filers in the United States, and applicants should verify the November-specific guidance before taking action. EB-3 applicants with priority dates around early 2014 should monitor USCIS's monthly filing chart authorization closely, as even minor advances can open adjustment-of-status filing windows. Family-sponsored applicants in F1, F2B, and F3 with priority dates now falling before the new cut-offs should consult an immigration attorney to determine next steps and confirm visa availability in their specific category.