The U.S. Department of State has released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, announcing several significant changes to employment-based and family-sponsored immigrant visa categories.
This month’s bulletin features one-year advancements in several family-sponsored categories for Worldwide, China, and India, alongside more modest employment-based gains. No retrogressions are reported.
Which Chart Will USCIS Use in November 2026?
For November 2026, USCIS will use the Dates for Filing chart for both:
Family-sponsored preference categories
Employment-based preference categories
Eligible applicants may use these charts to determine whether they can file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
The Final Action Dates chart continues to determine when immigrant visas are available for final approval.
With sweeping visa restrictions affecting nationals of 75 and 39 countries, securing a U.S. visa has become increasingly challenging. But even under the toughest immigration restrictions, exceptions are possible.
Here’s how we overcame a visa refusal under the travel ban and successfully secured a National Interest Exception (NIE) for our clients.
Status of the Travel Bans
The U.S. Department of State implemented two significant immigration restrictions affecting nationals of dozens of countries. Although both measures created substantial barriers to visa issuance, their legal status has since changed.
As of October 18, 2026, the 39-country travel ban remains in effect, while the 75-country immigrant visa suspension was lifted following a federal court ruling on August 21, 2026.
Immigration Restriction
Current Status
39-Country Travel Ban
Still in effect
75-Country Immigrant Visa Suspension
Lifted August 21, 2026
Which Countries Are Subject to the 39-Country Travel Ban?
Under Presidential Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026, nationals of 39 countries face full or partial restrictions on U.S. visa issuance and entry into the United States.
Full Restriction (19 countries): Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Restrictions also apply to individuals traveling on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.
Partial Restriction (20 countries): Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Who Is Affected?
The travel ban generally applies to nationals of designated countries who were outside the United States and did not hold a valid U.S. visa on January 1, 2026.
Individuals who already held a valid U.S. visa on that date are generally exempt from the proclamation and may continue traveling to the United States, provided their visa remains valid and they meet all other entry requirements. The proclamation does not automatically revoke previously issued visas, and lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are exempt.
For those subject to the ban, visa issuance and entry may be restricted even if they otherwise qualify for a U.S. visa. However, certain exceptions remain available, including a National Interest Exception (NIE) for applicants whose entry would serve the national interest of the United States.
We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.
Adjustment of Status Chart
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of October, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for family-sponsored categories only.
For employment-based categories, USCIS will begin using the Dates for Filing Chart .
Highlights of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of October?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
EB-1 India will advance 3.6 months to February 1, 2023
EB-1 Except China, all other countries remain current
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-2 India moves from unavailable to November 1, 2013
EB-2 China will advance 1 month to October 1, 2021
Worldwide, Mexico, Philippines moves from current to a cutoff date of January 1, 2025
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 China will advance 1 week to January 8, 2022
EB-3 Philippines will advance 2 weeks to August 15, 2023
Worldwide and Mexico will retrogress 3.6 months from September 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024
EB-3 Other Workers
EB-3 China will advance 5 months to October 1, 2019
EB-3 Philippines will advance 1 month to January 1, 2022
Worldwide and Mexico will retrogress 3 months from April 1, 2022, to January 1, 2022
USCIS recently introduced an important change affecting green card applicants who rely on a sponsor to meet the financial requirements for the I-864 Affidavit of Support.
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, is a legally binding form used to show that a green card applicant has sufficient financial support and is unlikely to become a public charge. The sponsor of the I-864 is generally the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who filed the immigrant petition. If the petitioner does not meet the income requirement for their household size, a joint sponsor may be needed.
Under new USCIS policies, sponsors and joint sponsors are now required to provide additional financial information, including their credit score and credit report.
USCIS has also released a new edition of Form I-864 reflecting these changes, which will be required beginning October 1.
Why does this matter?
A sponsor or joint sponsor with poor credit, high debt, late payments, collections, or bankruptcy could face greater scrutiny because USCIS may question whether they are financially capable of supporting the intending immigrant. This could result in requests for additional evidence, processing delays, or a determination that the sponsor or joint sponsor does not qualify.
If a sponsor has a credit or security freeze in place, USCIS may be unable to access the information needed to evaluate Form I-864.
We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the September 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month.
Adjustment of Status Chart
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of September, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing Chart for family-sponsored categories only.
For employment-based categories, USCIS will also continue using the Final Action Dates Chart.
Highlights of the September 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of September?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
No changes except for EB-4 which will advance 2 months to December 15, 2022
EB-2 India and EB-5 India remain unavailable
The State Department warns that the EB-2, EB-1 India, and EB-5 unreserved categories may become unavailable before the end of September, with availability resuming when the new fiscal year starts in October.
October 1 can change everything for green card applicants stuck in the immigrant visa backlog. With the start of the new fiscal year, a fresh supply of immigrant visa numbers becomes available—and applicants who are ready can move fast when their priority dates become current. If your case is close, the time to prepare is before October 1, not after.
If you are from India, China, the Philippines, or Mexico, you may already be familiar with the effects of high demand and limited immigrant visa availability. For example, the EB-2 category for India has been unavailable for final action since July 2026 because of heavy demand. On the family-sponsored side, countries such as India and Mexico have also faced significant backlogs as visa demand has outpaced the number of available visas.
While demand from these countries is expected to remain high, the October 1 fiscal-year reset brings a new annual supply of immigrant visa numbers, which can allow more applicants to move forward with interviews and final visa issuance.
In this video, we break down what you need to know—and what you should do now—to put yourself in the strongest position before October 1.
What Is the End-of-Year Fiscal Reset?
The U.S. government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30, and many employment- and family-based immigrant visa categories are subject to annual numerical limits set by Congress.
Except for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, applicants generally must wait until an immigrant visa number becomes available based on their priority date and country of nationality before they can be scheduled for an interview and ultimately receive an immigrant visa.
When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, those annual visa limits reset, allowing the government to begin using a new supply of immigrant visa numbers.
For applicants stuck in backlogged categories like EB-2 India and F2A Mexico, this reset is especially important because the allocation of new visa numbers creates new opportunities for eligible applicants to move forward in the green card process.
Is your case stuck at the National Visa Center with no interview in sight? You are not alone. Thousands of applicants are waiting months—or even years—for their visa interviews to be scheduled. The good news is that you may have options. In this video, we discuss three proven strategies that could help push your NVC case forward.
Why are so many cases stuck at the National Visa Center for months—or even years?
The problem is a perfect storm of overwhelming case volume, limited availability of interview appointments, staffing shortages, and delays at U.S. consulates worldwide.
Even after a case is documentarily complete and ready to move forward, it can remain at the NVC for months—or longer—until the appropriate embassy has an available interview slot.
Sweeping visa restrictions have made the backlogs even worse. The Trump administration has fully or partially restricted entry and visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries, while immigrant visa issuance has been separately paused for nationals of 75 countries.
Although U.S. embassies may remain open and continue scheduling some interviews, affected visas generally cannot be issued while these restrictions remain in place.
The result is thousands of applicants left in limbo, with no clear timeline and little information about when their cases will finally move forward.
On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, signaling a major change in how green card applications filed inside the United States (known as Adjustment of Status) may be reviewed. The memo emphasizes that Adjustment of Status (AOS) is not an automatic benefit, even when an applicant meets all legal eligibility requirements.
Instead, USCIS officers are instructed to conduct a broader discretionary review known as a “totality of the circumstances” evaluation to consider whether the applicant should complete the immigrant visa process abroad through a U.S. consulate instead.
The policy effectively shifts AOS from being viewed as a routine pathway for eligible applicants to being treated as an “extraordinary” discretionary form of relief.
What’s changed: USCIS officers are directed to weigh both positive and negative factors on a case-by-case basis when deciding whether to approve a green card application.
The memo will lead to increased scrutiny at green card interviews, and the issuance of more requests for evidence. Certain applicants may even be forced to pursue consular processing abroad rather than adjusting status from within the United States.
USCIS may not be denying your green card case — but it may be quietly putting it on hold.
As of December 2, 2025, USCIS and the State Department began a new “hold and review” process for certain immigration applications filed by individuals from 39 countries – suspending the issuance of visas and green cards for all applicants for an uncertain period of time. Under this policy, officers are expected to pause final decisions while enhanced security vetting processes are established by the government.
For applicants, that means one thing: more delays and uncertainty.
If your case was moving forward, your fingerprints were already taken, or you were expecting an interview soon, this sudden pause could explain why everything has gone silent.
In this update, we break down what USCIS’s “hold and review” policy means, who may be affected, whether you need to take action, and what applicants should watch for next.
Why is there a “hold and review” policy?
In June and December 2025, the President issued various executive orders, imposing immigration restrictions affecting individuals from 39 countries. The ban affects their ability to enter the United States, receive U.S. visas, and obtain immigration benefits through agencies like USCIS and the Department of State via Consular processing.
The affected countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the May 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories next month.
Highlights of the May 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of May?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-3 Other Workers
Worldwide and Mexico will advance 3 months to February 1, 2022
EB-5 Unreserved Categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5)
EB-5 China will advance 3 weeks to September 22, 2016
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