The Department of State published the November Visa Bulletin, and the second bulletin of fiscal year 2027 brought the movement to the opposite side of the first. In October, the news was in the employment categories. In November, it is in the family ones.
The movement of the month
Four of the five family categories advanced exactly one year on the Dates for Filing chart. The fifth, F-2A, had no need to advance: it was already Current. This advance reached some of the countries, so it is worth locating yours before calculating timelines.
The rest of the world and China gained a year in F-1, F-2B, F-3 and F-4. India followed in three of those four. Mexico and the Philippines held October’s dates in every family category.
Which chart applies in November
For the second month running, USCIS determined that both the family-sponsored and the employment-based categories must use the Dates for Filing chart to file for adjustment of status. It is the same setup as October, when that designation came to apply to employment as well.
The rule that does not bend: Dates for Filing is compared with Dates for Filing. Final Action Dates is compared with Final Action Dates. Crossing the two produces advances and retrogressions that do not exist.
Every comparison in the selector below places the November Dates for Filing chart side by side with the October Dates for Filing chart. What appears is real movement.
If the difference between the two charts is not yet clear, it is worth reading our guide to understanding the Visa Bulletin first.
Select your country of chargeability to see your dates
Brazil, Portugal and most countries fall under “Rest of the world”.
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2020 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-2A | Current | Current | No change |
| F-2B | September 1, 2020 | September 1, 2019 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-3 | November 1, 2015 | November 1, 2014 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-4 | November 1, 2012 | November 1, 2011 | Advanced 1 year |
Dates for Filing chart, “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column, in both months.
Employment-based categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Current | No change |
| EB-2 | March 15, 2026 | March 15, 2026 | No change |
| EB-3 | August 1, 2024 | August 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-3: Other Workers | July 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | Advanced 1 month |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | Current | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column, in both months.
Rest of the world. The month belonged entirely to the family side. F-1, F-2B, F-3 and F-4 each advanced exactly one year, and F-2A remains Current, with no queue to file. On the employment side, the chart that governs filing held steady: the Other Workers line advanced one month and the rest repeated October, with EB-1 and EB-5 Unreserved remaining Current.
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2020 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-2A | Current | Current | No change |
| F-2B | September 1, 2020 | September 1, 2019 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-3 | November 1, 2015 | November 1, 2014 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-4 | November 1, 2012 | November 1, 2011 | Advanced 1 year |
Dates for Filing chart, “China, mainland born” column, in both months.
Employment-based categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-2 | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | No change |
| EB-3 | April 1, 2024 | April 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-3: Other Workers | October 1, 2020 | October 1, 2020 | No change |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | March 1, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “China, mainland born” column, in both months.
China. In October, all six employment lines advanced at once. In November, the filing chart preserved those gains in full and the movement shifted to the family categories, where China followed the rest of the world and gained one year in four of the five categories.
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2020 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-2A | Current | Current | No change |
| F-2B | September 1, 2020 | September 1, 2019 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-3 | November 1, 2015 | November 1, 2014 | Advanced 1 year |
| F-4 | February 1, 2007 | February 1, 2007 | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “India” column, in both months.
Employment-based categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-2 | January 15, 2015 | January 15, 2015 | No change |
| EB-3 | January 15, 2015 | January 15, 2015 | No change |
| EB-3: Other Workers | January 15, 2015 | January 15, 2015 | No change |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | May 1, 2024 | May 1, 2024 | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “India” column, in both months.
India. The employment categories repeated October’s dates, with EB-2 and EB-3 at January 2015. The month’s movement came in the family categories: F-1, F-2B and F-3 each gained one year. India’s F-4 held at February 2007.
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | December 1, 2008 | December 1, 2008 | No change |
| F-2A | Current | Current | No change |
| F-2B | March 22, 2011 | March 22, 2011 | No change |
| F-3 | December 1, 2002 | December 1, 2002 | No change |
| F-4 | April 30, 2001 | April 30, 2001 | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “Mexico” column, in both months.
Employment-based categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Current | No change |
| EB-2 | March 15, 2026 | March 15, 2026 | No change |
| EB-3 | August 1, 2024 | August 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-3: Other Workers | July 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | Advanced 1 month |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | Current | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “Mexico” column, in both months.
Mexico. In October, Mexico was one of the few countries with family movement, when F-2B gained ten months and F-3 more than a year. November consolidated those dates, with no new family movement. On the employment side, the country followed the rest of the world in the one-month advance for Other Workers, and EB-1 and EB-5 Unreserved remain Current.
Family-sponsored categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | April 22, 2015 | April 22, 2015 | No change |
| F-2A | Current | Current | No change |
| F-2B | October 1, 2014 | October 1, 2014 | No change |
| F-3 | October 22, 2006 | October 22, 2006 | No change |
| F-4 | March 22, 2009 | March 22, 2009 | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “Philippines” column, in both months.
Employment-based categories
| Category | November | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Current | No change |
| EB-2 | March 15, 2026 | March 15, 2026 | No change |
| EB-3 | January 1, 2024 | January 1, 2024 | No change |
| EB-3: Other Workers | June 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | No change |
| EB-4 | January 1, 2025 | January 1, 2025 | No change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | Current | No change |
Dates for Filing chart, “Philippines” column, in both months.
Philippines. A month of stability: every family and employment category repeated October’s dates, and EB-1 and EB-5 Unreserved remain Current. The one-month advance for Other Workers was applied by the bulletin to all countries except China, India and the Philippines, and the one-year family advance reached the columns whose dates were further behind than the Philippine ones.
On the employment side, the movement happened on the other chart
Anyone following an employment-based case may read the news that “the employment categories advanced in November” and not find that advance in the tables above. Both statements are correct, and the explanation is the distinction between the two measures.
The Dates for Filing chart, which is the one that governs filing in November, held employment at the same dates as October. The Final Action Dates chart, which governs the actual granting of the green card, advanced on nearly every line.
| Category | Final Action Dates in November |
| EB-1 | China advances one month, to August 1, 2023. India holds at February 1, 2023. All other countries remain Current |
| EB-2 | All other countries advance three months, to April 1, 2025. China holds at October 1, 2021 and India at November 1, 2013 |
| EB-3 | All other countries advance one month, to June 15, 2024. China advances two weeks and India three weeks. The Philippines holds at August 15, 2023 |
| EB-5 Unreserved | China holds at December 1, 2016 and India at December 1, 2023. All other countries remain Current |
That chart does not open a filing window. It says when a case already filed may actually be approved and the visa issued. For anyone waiting on the final decision of an I-485 already with USCIS, the advance of EB-2 for the rest of the world to April 2025 is the relevant news of the month.
In one sentence
In November, employment moved in the approval queue and held the filing queue. Anyone who has not yet filed keeps the same window as October. Anyone who has already filed moved closer to the decision.
What the family advance means in practice
A one-year advance on Dates for Filing is a significant move, and it has a concrete effect depending on the stage your case is in.
- For those in the United States: if your priority date is now earlier than the new cutoff date, there may be room to file for adjustment of status. It is the filing of the I-485 that unlocks the work and travel authorization requests
- For those abroad: the advance may signal the moment to send documentation to the National Visa Center and move toward the consular interview
- For those who have already filed: Dates for Filing does not decide approval. What matters in that case is the Final Action Dates for your category
One point that tends to cause confusion: being within the cutoff date on Dates for Filing authorizes the filing, but guarantees nothing about the timing of the decision. They are two different milestones in the same process.
F-2A remains Current in all countries
F-2A, which covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents, appears as Current in every column in both months compared. In practice, it means there is no cutoff date for filing in this category in November: any priority date is clear.
One observation is worth making to avoid confusion. Current on Dates for Filing concerns the filing. On the Final Action Dates chart, F-2A has its own cutoff date, which is what determines when the green card may be granted. They are two distinct milestones in the same process, and a favorable position on one chart does not automatically carry over to the other.
What to watch from here
Two points deserve attention in the coming bulletins. The first is whether November’s family advance is the start of a sequence or an isolated adjustment at the beginning of the fiscal year. The second is the behavior of the cutoff dates created in October for EB-2 and EB-3. The Department of State itself noted that they served fiscal year 2027 quarterly and annual limits, and that it would continue monitoring demand to make adjustments as needed.
It is also worth remembering that the chart designation is reviewed every month by USCIS. November repeated October, but that is no guarantee for December. Before assuming any timeline, check the current bulletin and the month’s designation. Our guide to the Visa Bulletin shows how to read it in a few minutes.
What this means for your case
The real impact depends on three variables that exist only in your case: the priority date, the country of birth, and the stage the case is in. An advance that opens the door for one case may be irrelevant for another in the same category.
If you have a petition in progress and want to understand what this bulletin changes for your situation, talk to our team.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The Visa Bulletin is updated every month and dates may advance or retrogress. Every immigration situation is unique and requires individual analysis by a qualified attorney. Contact Kravitz & Guerra Law Offices to evaluate your specific case.