If you hold an approved EB-2 petition and were born anywhere other than India or mainland China, the November 2026 Visa Bulletin delivered the month’s most meaningful employment based news. The EB-2 Final Action Date for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico and the Philippines advanced three months, from January 1, 2025 to April 1, 2025.
What a Final Action Date advance actually does
The Dates for Filing chart governs when you may submit Form I-485 in months when USCIS authorizes it, as it has for all employment based categories in November 2026. The Final Action Dates chart governs when USCIS may approve a pending case.
November’s EB-2 movement is on the Final Action chart. In practical terms, EB-2 applicants from these chargeability areas whose priority date is earlier than April 1, 2025 now have a visa number available for approval. If your I-485 has been pending with a 2024 or early 2025 priority date, your case moved from waiting to approvable.
Who can file new EB-2 adjustment applications
The EB-2 Date for Filing for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico and the Philippines held at March 15, 2026. If your PERM labor certification was accepted, or your National Interest Waiver petition was filed, before that date, you may be eligible to file Form I-485 this month together with applications for employment authorization (Form I-765) and advance parole (Form I-131), provided you are otherwise eligible to adjust status.
Context from the start of Fiscal Year 2027
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin noted that some employment based categories for Rest of World countries retrogressed at the start of the fiscal year to keep issuances within quarterly limits. November’s three month EB-2 recovery is a welcome correction, but the Department of State has said the situation is monitored continually. Applicants who are now approvable should ensure their files are complete, including current medical examinations and any requested evidence, so a case can be adjudicated while numbers remain available.
India and China remain separate
This movement does not reach EB-2 India, which holds at November 1, 2013, or EB-2 China, which holds at October 1, 2021. Applicants from those countries are addressed in separate updates from our firm.
Next steps
Ahluwalia Law Offices represents EB-2 professionals and their employers nationwide, from PERM and National Interest Waiver petitions through adjustment of status. If your EB-2 priority date is earlier than April 1, 2025, or your filing date is earlier than March 15, 2026, schedule a consultation at ahluwalialaw.com/consultations or call our Dallas office at (972) 361 0606 or our Houston office at (713) 600 4338.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EB-2 final action date for November 2026?
April 1, 2025 for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico and the Philippines. EB-2 India is November 1, 2013 and EB-2 China is October 1, 2021.
Can I file an EB-2 I-485 in November 2026?
USCIS is using the Dates for Filing chart in November 2026. EB-2 applicants from All Chargeability Areas, Mexico and the Philippines with priority dates earlier than March 15, 2026 may file if otherwise eligible.
My EB-2 priority date is February 2025. Can my green card be approved now?
If you are chargeable to All Chargeability Areas, Mexico or the Philippines, your priority date is earlier than the April 1, 2025 Final Action Date, so a visa number is available for approval in November 2026.
Why did EB-2 advance in November 2026?
The Department of State allocates numbers monthly based on reported demand. After an early fiscal year retrogression noted in October, November’s allocation allowed a three month advance.
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