The November 2026 Visa Bulletin Moved Family Green Cards a Full Year Forward. Is Your Date Next?
If you have been waiting years for a family green card, the November 2026 Visa Bulletin is the one to read. Four family categories, F1, F2B, F3 and F4, jumped a full year forward for most countries in a single month.
That kind of movement is rare. It also comes with fine print: Mexico and the Philippines barely moved, India's F4 line stayed frozen, and a jump in the bulletin is not the same as a green card in your hand. Here is what changed as of the bulletin's release on October 22, 2026, and what it means for your family.
A Year of Waiting, Gone in One Bulletin
The State Department published the November 2026 Visa Bulletin on October 22. Compared with October, the Final Action Dates for most countries now read:
💡 F1, unmarried sons and daughters (21+) of U.S. citizens: January 22, 2021, one year forward.
💡 F2B, unmarried sons and daughters (21+) of green card holders: August 22, 2020, one year forward.
💡 F3, married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens: October 22, 2015, one year forward.
💡 F4, brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens: October 22, 2012, one year forward.
💡 F2A, spouses and children under 21 of green card holders: October 22, 2026, one month forward.
"Most countries" means the worldwide column, plus China and India in F1, F2B and F3, and China in F4. The bulletin does not explain why these dates moved, and it does not promise they will keep moving. A date that jumps forward can slow down, or even move back, in a later month.
Mexico and the Philippines Got Weeks, Not Years
For many of the families we hear from in Los Angeles, this is the part that matters most. The one-year jump did not reach Mexico. Mexico's F1 and F3 dates moved about two weeks, to September 22, 2008 and July 15, 2001. Mexico's F2B date sits at May 15, 2010, and F4 at April 22, 2001. F2A for Mexico moved one month, to April 22, 2026.
The Philippines did not share in the family jump either, with F4 at May 15, 2008. India's F4 date stayed at December 15, 2006.
Why the gap? Countries with very high demand hit per-country limits, so their lines move on a separate schedule. If a relative or a social media post told you "the family dates jumped a year," check your own country's column before you celebrate or worry.
Your date is the one in your category and your country of chargeability, usually your country of birth. Not the headline.
You May Be Able to File Sooner: The Chart USCIS Chose for November
Every bulletin has two charts. Final Action Dates show when a green card can be approved. Dates for Filing show when you can get your paperwork in line. For November 2026, USCIS confirmed that applicants in the U.S. in every family and employment category must use the Dates for Filing chart to file Form I-485.
For family cases, the filing dates run slightly ahead: F1 at February 1, 2021, F2B at September 1, 2020, F3 at November 1, 2015 and F4 at November 1, 2012 for most countries. F2A is current on the November Dates for Filing chart for all listed countries. This means eligible applicants, spouses and children under 21 of green card holders who are in the U.S., may be able to file Form I-485 regardless of their priority date, provided they meet the other adjustment-of-status requirements. A current filing date does not guarantee approval or immediate green card issuance.
Employment applicants saw smaller moves. EB-2 for most countries, Mexico and the Philippines advanced three months to April 1, 2025, EB-3 moved one month to June 15, 2024, and EB-2 for China and India did not move.
⚠️ Check the filing address before you mail anything. USCIS updates filing locations from time to time. Confirm the current address on the USCIS form page the day you file.
You Are Not Alone in This
Waiting for a priority date can feel like standing in a line you cannot see the end of. Some families have checked the bulletin every month for a decade. A month like this one brings real hope, and that hope is earned. It is also the moment to make sure nothing on your side slows you down.
How Goldstein Immigration Lawyers Can Help You
When the bulletin moves, the families who are ready move with it. Our team looks at where your case stands today and tells you what this month's dates mean for you, not for the average applicant.
✅ Priority date review: we confirm your category, your country of chargeability and which chart applies, so you know whether you can file now or how far you are from the front of the line. See our Visa Bulletin updates page for past months.
✅ Adjustment of status filing: if you are in the U.S. and your date is current on the filing chart, we prepare your I-485 package with the related work and travel permit applications and send it to the correct location.
✅ Consular processing support: if your relative is abroad, we help you get documents ready for the National Visa Center so the case is not held up once the date is current.
Bring the approval notice (Form I-797) that shows your priority date. You will leave your session knowing exactly where you stand in line and what comes next. Don't wait on this one, schedule a Session today.
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Bulletin months like this one do not come often.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. The bulletin moves a cutoff date, not your wait time. If your priority date is earlier than the date listed for your category and country, you may be able to take the next step. If it is later, you are closer than you were, but still waiting. Dates can also slow down or move back in later months.
Posted in: Blog, Family Immigration, Immigration News, Visa Bulletin