November 2026 US Visa Bulletin opens fresh green card paths for Indian applicants

What happened

The U.S. Department of State has published the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, marking substantial progress for Indian nationals waiting for family-sponsored green cards, alongside selective advances for skilled workers.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that applicants seeking employment-based adjustment of status in November must follow the Dates for Filing chart. This instruction sets the exact cutoff dates for when foreign professionals and family members can submit their permanent residency applications.

Key shifts for Indian applicants

Family-sponsored green card categories delivered the month's most substantial movement for Indian families. Cutoff dates across several major family preference categories jumped forward by a full year, opening the door for thousands of families seeking reunification in the United States.

The F1 category for unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens saw its final action date advance by 12 months to January 22, 2021. Similar one-year leaps occurred in the F2B category for unmarried adult children of permanent residents, moving to August 22, 2020, and the F3 category for married children of U.S. citizens, advancing to October 22, 2015.

Employment categories moved at a more measured pace. Indian professionals in the EB-3 category for skilled workers and professionals saw their final action date gain 21 days, moving to January 22, 2014. Dates for the top-tier EB-1 and EB-2 categories held firm, maintaining priority cutoffs of February 1, 2023, and November 1, 2013, respectively.

Employment and family visa comparison

The following table outlines the status of key immigration preference categories for Indian applicants in the November 2026 Visa Bulletin:

What happens next

For employment-based applicants, the stability in the Dates for Filing chart means that eligible filing windows remain unchanged from October. Professionals whose priority dates are earlier than the listed cutoff dates can file their adjustment of status paperwork during November.

Set-aside categories under the EB-5 investor visa programme—including rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects—remain current across all charts, continuing to provide direct immigration pathways for global investors.